Poverty Issues – Care Not Killing

Poverty Issues

Key Points

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Poorer people with terminal illnesses will also feel disproportionately under more pressure to have an assisted suicide.

Disadvantaged families are hit hardest by the costs associated with terminal illness. They can spend as much as 98% of their income on the added costs brought on by terminal illness.

Living with a terminal illness can bring many extra costs.

Loss of income, additional care costs, hospital travel, increased utility bills, home adaptations, respite care, etc.

Marie Curie reports “The average cost can be between £12,000 to £16,000 per year.”

Two thirds of households affected by terminal illness experience financial strain as a result.

What’s Wrong with Legalising assisted suicide?

It Hits The Poorest Hardest

The provision of palliative care in the UK is unequal.

Patients with greater deprivation are least likely to access palliative care. Socio-economically deprived groups are increasingly less likely to die in hospices.

A new report from Ontario confirms that the poor and disadvantaged are more likely to request a so-called assisted death.

Canadian cases show that feeling pressured financially, especially when there is a lack of social or care support, can drive people to seek an assisted death.

AMIR FARSOUD

A 54-year-old disabled man applied for MAiD because he was losing his shared social housing. He qualified for MAiD due to chronic back pain.

“It’s not my first choice,” Farsoud said. “I don’t want to die but I don’t want to be homeless more than I don’t want to die.”

He only stopped his application after a crowdfunder raised enough to pay for new accomodation.

MICHAEL FRASER

55-year-old Michael was sick, poor and lonely. He didn’t have a terminal illness but had not been outside for over a month because there was no lift in his building and he couldn’t navigate stairs.

The doctor who euthanised him said, “Poverty is pushing people to MAID … For sure, I think the fact that he had trouble paying his rent made it harder for him to be in this world.”

“SUSAN”

Susan had multiple disabilities but none of her diagnoses were terminal. Her dietary restrictions meant food banks were not an option.

“An increase [in income support] is the only thing that could save my life. I have no other reason to want to apply for assisted suicide, other than I simply cannot afford to keep on living.”

“SOPHIA” and “DENISE”

Sophia, a 51-year-old Ontario woman with severe multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), chose a MAiD death after she couldn’t find any affordable housing free of cigarette smoke and chemical cleaners.

Denise, who also has MCS, said, “I’ve applied for MAiD essentially…because of abject poverty.”

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