“This is justice for Jodey”.
Joy Dove, the mother of Jodey Whiting, has spent eight years tirelessly fighting for justice for her beloved daughter, who took her own life in 2017 after her benefits were cut.
It’s been an uphill battle for “answers and accountability” for Joy and her family - but after years of fighting, a second inquest into the 42-year-old’s death concluded her suicide was “triggered” by the stopping of her benefits.
It was an overwhelming day of mixed emotions for Joy, who said it was “brilliant” to have been “heard and acknowledged” - but that the decision would never bring back her daughter.
And outside Teesside Coroners Court, holding two framed pictures of her “beautiful” daughter - who she called the “most caring person ever” - Joy told The Northern Echo: “It's justice for Jodey.
"That's what I’ll always say, [and have] from the start. I'm just so glad.
“I've been worried about whether it would be [...] back at the same place as the first inquest. Then when I got told, the coroner had her own barrister, I felt, oh, God, it's like fighting.
“But I'm so happy they did [listen to me]. And when she was reading it out, it was brilliant. I got upset, but I'm happy. But it will never bring Jodey back.”
Ms Whiting’s father, Eric Whiting, described her as the “pied piper” with children always around her, something Senior Coroner Clare Bailey later described as a “beautiful image”.
He said: “My daughter Jodey stood out from the crowd.
“She loved to wear bright colours and jewellery. She had the biggest blue eyes, and the personality to match. She always put others before herself.
“They say time heals, but I’m still waiting. I lost a beautiful daughter who I think of everyday.”
Outside court, he added: “She is in our minds every day, whenever I see her children. I have pictures of her in my house. It is just a great loss of a really nice person.”
Ms Whiting, a mum-of-nine and grandmother-of-six, died in February 2017 about two weeks after her disability benefit was stopped when she did not attend a work capability assessment.
At the time, the Stockton woman was housebound with pneumonia, had been in hospital, and had found out that she had a cyst on the brain.
An initial inquest in 2017 concluded after 37 minutes and heard no evidence relating to the DWP - but Joy’s campaigning led to a second inquest.
And on Monday, June 2, Ms Bailey concluded her death was suicide “in the context of a deteriorating mental state, precipitated by the withdrawal of state benefits”.
Ms Bailey highlighted how the withdrawal of Ms Whiting’s benefits has been described as “the straw that broke the camel's back” and was the “trigger” to her taking her own life.
An Independent Case Examiner (ICE) report into the decision to remove Ms Whiting’s benefits also found five missed opportunities to avoid significant errors.
Throughout the inquest, Joy, who was joined by family members, had two framed pictures of her daughter sat at the desk, including one of her dressed in white at her first holy communion.
She said she was “over the moon” about the outcome: “I have always believed that Jodey took her life due to failings by the DWP and today the coroner has confirmed that the mistakes made by the DWP in the way they handled Jodey’s case caused her death.
“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.”
Helga Swindenbank, director of disability services at the DWP, told Teesside Coroners Court that the DWP accepts all the findings of the report, which recommended the firm apologises and makes a consolatory payment of £10,000.
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Ms Swindenbank, who was not in post at the time of her death, told the court that DWP was “deeply sorry and regretful” for the failings and noted a “culture shift” at the department.
Anyone can contact Samaritans FREE any time from any phone on 116 123, even a mobile without credit.
This number won’t show up on your phone bill. Or you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org
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