Listen To Story Above
Social media posts are circulating false claims about the UK government offering financial incentives to families who choose to euthanize their elderly relatives. The misleading content includes a screenshot featuring an elderly person in a purple pod, accompanied by a headline suggesting the government plans to provide cash bonuses for such actions.
The fabricated story originated from The People’s Voice, a website with a history of publishing unreliable information. In their own terms of use, they explicitly state they do not guarantee the accuracy or reliability of their content.
🇬🇧 Furious Pensioners Protest at UK Government HQ, Glasgow
“This is a letter for Keir Starmer”
You think this is bad, wait until you find out about everything else we keep trying to tell you about….. pic.twitter.com/W8awZucDnH
— Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) September 11, 2024
The social media posts attempt to add credibility to their claims by referencing a legitimate Telegraph article. However, the actual Telegraph piece discusses inheritance tax implications for pensions when someone passes away before age 75, in the context of potential assisted dying legislation. The article makes no mention of government cash incentives or bonuses for euthanasia.
Discovery of the day: Keir Starmer is 60.
That’s older than many of the most senior politicians in the last decade.
Johnson (58), Cameron (56), Clegg (56), Balls (55), Ed Miliband (53), Javid (53), Osborne (51), Truss (47), Kwarteng (47), Sunak (42). pic.twitter.com/r3YXMz2bCM
— Ben Riley-Smith (@benrileysmith) January 13, 2023
Further investigation reveals no legitimate news sources have reported on any such government initiative. The viral posts appear to have deliberately misrepresented the Telegraph’s reporting, twisting a discussion about pension inheritance rules into a sensationalized and false narrative about government-incentivized euthanasia.
The fabricated story serves as a reminder of how easily misinformation can spread through social media, particularly when it combines elements of legitimate news coverage with fictional claims designed to provoke an emotional response.
