Assisted dying: an act of love?
“Are you ready?”, asked Graham Mansfield, 73, of his 71-year-old wife Dyanne. “Yes, I won’t make a noise”, she said, before Graham slit her throat in their garden in what amounted to a failed suicide pact. Dyanne had terminal cancer and asked her husband to kill her if things became “too bad”. Graham agreed, on […]
Over-50s hardest hit by cost of living crisis, study shows
A report by leading UK data scientists has revealed that the over-50s are being hit hardest by the current financial crisis and could face a lifetime of financial insecurity. That’s according to new research from the University of Edinburgh’s Smart Data Foundry, supported and funded by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust. According to the report, economic […]
The nil rate band is “woefully lagging behind inflation”
The nil rate band for Inheritance tax (IHT) has remained frozen at £325,000 since 2009 and will continue to be until 2026. The band will next be up for review in 2026 by which time it could be around £500,000 if increased in line with inflation. IHT receipts in 2009/10 were £2.38bn, but HMRC stats […]
SRA launches discussion paper on future of SIF
As part of its ongoing work to consider next steps on the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) and consumer protection for negligence claims brought more than six years after a firm has closed, the Solicitors Regulation authority (SRA) has published a discussion paper on the options. The new paper explains how further research and engagement has […]
Dying in poverty petition nears 80,000 signatures
A petition launched by Marie Curie to put an end to death in poverty is nearing 80,000 signatures. The petition purports to make three key changes: Give all dying people their State Pension, no matter their age. Protect dying people from soaring energy bills. Support dying parents with childcare costs. This follows the Dying in […]