A campaigning mother has promised to fight for other families after a coroner found her disabled daughter took her own life when her benefits were wrongly stopped.
Housebound Jody Whiting, 42, from Stockton, died in February 2017 days after her disability benefits were halted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
For eight years her mother Joy Dove fought for a second inquest after the first hearing ruled suicide, but failed to take into account the role the DWP decision played in the death.
Ms Dove said although the campaign’s success would not bring Jodey back, she was delighted the coroner had recorded “the truth” and she would “fight for other families” in a similar position.
Ms Dove told Radio Tees: “It’s hard to take in, I’m shocked but delighted and happy the coroner recorded that Jodey took her own life because her benefits were stopped.
“It won’t bring Jodey back and it was hard to go back to the same court where it all started.
“The fight for Jodey has been concluded, but I will always try to help other families going through something similar and they can always get in touch.”
She said the campaign had taken its toll on her health and she had been hospitalised with high blood pressure and suffered migraines.
“I’ve been online this morning and have read hundreds of messages from people saying ‘well done’, but I now need a long rest,” Ms Dove said.
SuppliedOn Monday the senior coroner for Teesside, Clare Bailey, recorded a verdict of suicide due to a “deteriorating mental state” precipitated by the Department for Work and Pensions’ decision.
Two weeks before her death Ms Whiting had been deemed fit to work, having missed an assessment because she was in hospital with pneumonia.
The DWP said it was “deeply regretful” after the inquest heard Ms Whiting “had lost hope” at the time of her death.
Extracts from notes Ms Whiting left for family members were read at the hearing and revealed she could not pay her bills and had no food.
An initial inquest in May 2017 recorded a verdict of suicide but did not consider the actions of the DWP in stopping her benefits.
Ms Dove fought a long legal battle for the second hearing, taking it all the way to the Court of Appeal.
She said: “The consultant psychiatrist went right through Jodey’s life and read all the reports and I’m pleased he agreed that what the DWP did was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
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