159 voices, one letter: standing with peers who stood with us

We said thank you to the Lords. Here's why it mattered.

In March 2026, something quietly significant happened. Not Dead Yet UK coordinated an open letter to the House of Lords. It was signed by 10 organisations and 149 individuals — disabled people, allies, and campaigners from across the UK.

The letter went to peers who have been scrutinising the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Peers who have been doing their job. Peers who, in some cases, have faced criticism in the press and on social media for doing it.

We wanted them to know they weren't alone.

The charge of "deliberate delay

One of the most persistent criticisms levelled at Lords who have pushed for comprehensive amendments is that they are obstructing the Bill. That thorough scrutiny equals filibustering. That asking questions is the same as refusing to answer them.

We do not accept that.

This Bill proposes a profound change in the law. It would, for the first time, make it legal for doctors in England and Wales to assist someone in ending their life. That is not a minor adjustment. It is a fundamental shift. And it should only proceed if it is robust, workable, and genuinely safe.

That means asking hard questions. It means not accepting reassurances that can't be tested. It means taking seriously the voices of people who may be most affected — and who are not always the loudest in the room.

Why safeguards matter so much to us

From our perspective as disabled people and allies, the central issue has always been safeguards.

Coercion is rarely obvious. Pressure on a vulnerable person rarely looks like pressure from the outside. People may feel like a burden to their families, to an overstretched NHS, to a social care system that often cannot meet their needs. Choice, in those circumstances, is not straightforward.

That is why the detailed, sometimes painstaking work of scrutinising the safeguards is not optional. It is essential. It is the difference between a law that protects people and one that puts them at risk.

What the letter said

The letter, sent on 5 April 2026, was direct. We thanked those peers for insisting on that scrutiny. For testing assumptions. For probing practicalities. And for taking seriously the voices of disabled people and others who may be disproportionately affected if this Bill becomes law.

We also offered something simple: solidarity. At a time when some peers have come under fire for their approach, we wanted to make clear that the disability community — and many others — see what they are doing and why it matters.

The letter was signed by organisations including Changing Perspectives, Glasgow Disability Alliance, Disabled People Against Cuts, Regard, UK Disability History Month, and the GM Coalition of Disabled People, among others.

You can read the full letter — including the complete list of all 10 organisations and 149 individual signatories — here: Lords Letter

Where things stand now

The Bill is currently in committee stage in the House of Lords, where peers have been working through more than 1,200 proposed amendments. Progress has been slow and the government has confirmed it won't provide any additional debating time. The last scheduled sitting is 24 April. After that, Parliament is expected to prorogue in May. Because the Bill is a private members' bill, it cannot be carried over into the next session. It will simply fall. Unless there is a dramatic and unlikely change of direction from the government, this Bill is finished — for now.

A word of thanks

To everyone who signed the letter: thank you. Your name, your location, your willingness to be publicly associated with this campaign — that means something. It demonstrates that the opposition to this Bill is not a fringe view. It is held by a broad and determined community of people who care about what happens next.

We will keep making that case. And we will keep standing with those who are making it alongside us.