Disabled woman killed herself after DWP mistakenly withdrew benefits

The Guardian

02-06-2025

A disabled woman killed herself after her benefits were mistakenly stopped leaving notes saying she had no food, could not pay bills and was in 'debt, debt, debt'.
At a rare second inquest into the death of Jodey Whiting, her mother blamed the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for her suicide in 2017.
Joy Dove told the hearing in Middlesbrough: 'I know for a fact. It was the DWP that caused it … I'm sorry, I've got to say it.'
A coroner, Clare Bailey, recorded a conclusion of suicide which, she said, had been precipitated by the mistaken withdrawal of benefits by the DWP.
Afterwards Dove said it was not a one-off failing by the DWP. 'The way they have treated some of their most vulnerable claimants is absolutely disgraceful.'
She added: 'It should not have taken an eight-year fight for justice to get where we are today. It has been an uphill battle to get answers and accountability.'
Merry Varney, a solicitor for Leigh Day representing Whiting's family, said the cause of death was the same for many other families: 'the DWP'.
Whiting, a mother of nine children, was 42 and housebound, unable to walk even a few steps, when she took her own life, the inquest heard.
It followed the stopping of her employment and support allowance because, the DWP said, she had failed to attend a medical assessment. She was deemed fit to work and was told she would also lose her housing and council tax benefits.
Dove said the reason why she had not attended was because she had been in hospital, with pneumonia, at the time. She recalled seeing her daughter 'shaking and crying', feeling ashamed and embarrassed and saying she had lost hope of ever getting her benefits back.
Dove said she was sure that the stress of losing her benefits was the trigger for her daughter to decide to take her own life. 'I know my daughter and I know it was [that].'
The first inquest into Whiting's death lasted 37 minutes, her family said, and heard no evidence relating to the DWP decision.
Dove has fought a long and relentless legal battle for a second, fuller inquest, going all the way to the court of appeal.
That took place at Teesside magistrates court on Monday with the inquest hearing of Whiting's physical and mental health problems which included chronic pain, making her dependent on opiates.
Dove described her daughter as 'the most caring person ever', the 'perfect daughter' and someone 'not afraid to show her feelings'.
Extracts from notes found alongside prescription drugs in Whiting's flat in Stockton-on-Tees were read in court.
Bridget Dolan KC, the coroner's counsel, said: 'She wrote about not being able to pay her bills and having no food.
'In some she wrote about feeling breathless and having back pain and trying to pay her bills and being in debt.'
Another note stated: 'I have had enough.' One note ended with the words: 'Debt, debt, debt.'
An independent case examiner report on the decision to remove Whiting's benefits found that mistakes had been made and her payments should not have been withdrawn.
Helga Swidenbank, a director at the DWP responsible for accessibility and disability services, said the department should have recognised that Whiting had 'good cause' not to attend a health assessment, given her illnesses and mental health concerns.
She said opportunities were missed to identify Whiting's vulnerabilities and people who worked for the department at the time were 'deeply regretful and very sorry' for what happened.
Swidenbank was not at the department in 2017 but said she thought staff were not as 'tuned into mental health disabilities' as they should have been. She added: 'I understand that there is a culture shift from being process-driven to being much more compassionate.'
The department's processes have changed but work still needed to be done, she said. 'We are a work in progress.'
The coroner said she was sorry that Whiting's family had had to 'walk such a long road' and described Dove's persistence and resilience as remarkable.
She recorded a conclusion that Whiting's death was suicide 'in the context of a deteriorating mental state, precipitated by the withdrawal of state benefits'.
But she said she had heard of many changes and new structures at the DWP which left her satisfied that no wider recommendations were needed.