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News'I would never give up': Jodey Whiting's mum on eight-year battle for truthJoy Dove spoke after an inquest found the withdrawal of benefits led 42-year-old mum Jodey to take her own

lifegazetteliveBookmarkShareNewsByTom Wilkinson - PANaomi CorriganMulti-media Journalist10:22, 4 JUN 2025BookmarkJoy Dove previously pictured outside the High Court and photograph of Jodey

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A grieving mum spoke of her relief after a coroner confirmed the reasons behind her daughter's suicide following an eight-year fight.

Jodey Whiting, 42, took her own life in 2017 about two weeks after her Employment Support Allowance (ESA) was withdrawn by the Department for Work and Pensions. She left notes for family

members in which she said she could not pay her bills and had no food.

Coroner Clare Bailey recorded a conclusion that Ms Whiting's death was suicide "in the context of a deteriorating mental state, precipitated by the withdrawal of state benefits". Her

mum, Joy Dove said she always believed her daughter took her life due to the DWP error.

The 71-year-old said: "It is clear from the coroner’s conclusion that had the DWP followed their own protocols at the time of Jodey’s death then her benefits would not have been terminated,

causing her so much distress she felt she had no way out. I am grateful to the coroner for their thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding Jodey’s death.

"To get the conclusion I have been fighting so long for means the world to me and Jodey’s family. I have always known that the failings of the DWP led to Jodey’s death and that has now been

confirmed by this inquest."

Ms Whiting, from Thornaby, was a vulnerable mum-of-nine, who had multiple physical and mental illnesses which left her housebound and reliant on welfare benefits. She took her own life after

the DWP suspended her benefits because she missed a work capability assessment.

housebound

Mrs Dove told the inquest at Teesside Coroner's Court on Monday her daughter had missed the first appointment letter due to being in hospital with pneumonia at the time. After receiving

a second letter saying she was deemed "fit to work", she said Ms Whiting was shaking, crying and looked like she had "lost all hope".

The coroner cited evidence from psychiatrist Dr Trevor Turner who looked into the background of the case and said losing her benefits was the "straw that broke the camel's back" for Ms

Whiting. An Independent Case Examiner (ICE) report into the decision to remove Ms Whiting's benefits found that a number of mistakes had been made and that her payments should not have

been withdrawn.

In her conclusion, the coroner said: "Dr Turner says, and I accept, that withdrawal of her benefits would have had an acute and pervasive effect on Jodey's mental state given her

vulnerability and her emotional instability. Her actions were in the context of her benefits having been wrongly withdrawn by the DWP in circumstances where there had been five missed

opportunities to avoid the significant errors.

"This had the effect of negatively impacting upon her mental health, and was the trigger to her taking a fatal overdose."

Teesside Live)

An initial inquest following Ms Whiting's death did not consider the actions of the DWP in stopping her benefits. For years, her mother fought a legal battle for a second inquest, going

all the way to the Court of Appeal.

"It has been an uphill battle trying to get answers and accountability, but I would never give up," said Mrs Dove. "I was determined to keep fighting for justice for Jodey.

"It should not have taken an eight-year fight for justice to get to where we are today. It is not just me who has been fighting for justice for Jodey, my whole family has been beside me.

"I have also had many other families in similar situations reach out to me and support me too. It has been over eight years since we lost our Jodey, but she is with us every day.

"Her family misses her terribly. Jodey’s family was her life and she loved her babies – her nine children - and her six grandchildren more than anything in the world."

Whiting (Jodey's father) and Leah Bell (Jodey's daughter) hold pictures of their beloved relative outside court on Monday (Image: Naomi Corrigan)

Helga Swidenbank, a DWP director for disability services, had told the second inquest the organisation should have recognised that Ms Whiting had "good cause" not to attend a health

assessment, given her illnesses and mental health concerns. The witness told the hearing: "I was not in post at the time but those who I have spoken to are deeply regretful and sorry about

what happened.

"There were a number of opportunities to have picked up concerns about Jodey and we are very sorry about that." Ms Swidenbank said the organisation was now more focused on people's

vulnerabilities, although this remained a "work in progress". 

She added: "I understand that there is a culture shift from being process-driven to being much more compassionate." Mrs Dove said she hopes the DWP continues to make improvements, adding: "I

hope that these new measures will help safeguard other unwell and disabled people like my Jodey to ensure no others are ever treated so badly, left humiliated and ashamed through no fault

of their own and then ignored and dismissed when they are trying to do everything right to make sure they can get the vital support they need.

"People struggling with their mental health should be treated with compassion and understanding. They might not always fit neatly into the procedures of organisations like the DWP but it is

vital that mental health is understood in every policy and considered before every significant decision that affect someone’s welfare and livelihood.”

Merry Varney, partner at law firm Leigh Day, who represented Mrs Dovey, said: "Today’s conclusion shows the importance of thorough inquests that properly investigate how a death occurred."

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