North east mum took her own life after 'benefits were incorrectly stopped'

A SECOND INQUEST INTO NORTH EAST MUM JODEY WHITING'S DEATH WAS HELD ON MONDAY, JUNE 3, MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS AFTER HER DEATH TOM WILKINSON and PA 21:15, 03 Jun 2025 A housebound North

East mum took her own life as her mental health deteriorated after her benefits were incorrectly stopped by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), a coroner has found. A second inquest

into Jodey Whiting's death saw extracts from notes left for family members read out, in which Jodey said she could not pay her bills and had no food. An initial inquest following the

42-year-old's death in 2017 did not consider the actions of the DWP in stopping her benefits. For years, Jodey's mother Joy Dove fought a legal battle for a second inquest, going

as far as the Court of Appeal. She told a hearing at Teesside Magistrates' Court how her daughter - who was a mother of nine, including two sets of twins - suffered from a curvature of

the spine and was later diagnosed with a brain cyst. Jodey dealt with chronic pain for years, developed drug dependency and had poor mental health, Teesside Coroner's Court was told on

Monday, June 2. Coroner Clare Bailey recorded a conclusion that Jodey's death was suicide "in the context of a deteriorating mental state, precipitated by the withdrawal of state

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

been withdrawn and it recommended that the DWP pay £10,000 to her family. In a statement giving a portrait of Jodey, Ms Dove said: "Her death really impacted on me, and to learn from

the ICE reports of the number of failures by the DWP was to play was a further deep shock that I have not recovered from." Extracts from notes found alongside prescription drugs in

Jodey's flat were read in court. Bridget Dolan KC, 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." Article continues below "THE STRAW THAT

BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK" The coroner cited evidence from psychiatrist Dr Trevor Turner who looked into the background of the case and who said losing her benefits was the

"straw that broke the camel's back". Ms Bailey 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." The coroner added: "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." In the last years of her life, Jodey, who had six grandchildren, became increasingly housebound. She had a hospital stay in December 2016 after

contracting pneumonia which meant she missed a letter about her benefits, saying she needed to be medically assessed. Ms Dove said she reassured her daughter that she would help, telling the

inquest: "I said, don't you worry, we will write in and we will explain how you have been in hospital and you are still convalescing." But in January 2017, Jodey was told she

had missed the medical assessment and she was therefore judged to be fit to work. As well as losing her Employment and Support Allowance, she would also lose housing and council tax

benefits. Ms Dove said when she saw her daughter, two days before her death, she was "shaking and crying" and had threatened to kill herself. The devoted mum said she was sure that

the stress of losing her benefits was the trigger for Jodey to decide to take her own life. "I know my daughter and I know it was (that)," she told the inquest. "It was the

fact she couldn't find a job, the worry of paying bills and being pushed out after being so vulnerable all those years and years." Her father Eric Whiting said in his tribute in

court, how she was like the 'Pied Piper' as she always had children around her who adored her. He added: "She always saw the fun side of life until her health issues

started." Helga Swidenbank, a DWP director for disability services, said 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. Article continues below "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. We are not there yet, we still have more work to do." CHRONICLELIVE HAS CREATED A DEDICATED WHATSAPP COMMUNITY FOR BREAKING NEWS

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