Jodey Whiting: Mum makes second bid for new inquest in benefits death

The mother of a vulnerable woman who took her own life when her benefits were stopped has lodged a second appeal bid in her fight for another inquest.

Jodey Whiting, 42, died in 2017, days after payments were halted because she missed a work capability assessment.

Her mother, Joy Dove, wants a coroner to examine the role the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) played in her daughter's death.

The High Court rejected her first appeal application last month.

The new bid was lodged at the Court of Appeal on Monday and aims to overturn a High Court decision made in September that said evidence that had come to light since the first inquest did not require a fresh hearing to be held in the interests of justice.

Ms Dove said: "It seems to me that there were obvious failings in the way the DWP treated Jodey, which were proved and documented by the Independent Case Examiner, and it is ridiculous that this has not been fully and publicly investigated.

"How can lessons be learned, and future tragedies prevented, if no-one examines this properly?"

The original inquest in the death of Ms Whiting, who lived in Stockton-on-Tees, lasted 37 minutes and concluded she had taken her life.

She had received disability benefits for more than 10 years due to physical and mental health issues and history of self-harm.

Her employment and support allowance was ended after she missed an assessment meeting, leading to her housing benefit and council tax benefit also being terminated.

Ms Whiting had told the DWP she was in hospital and had not received a letter about the assessment.

Ms Dove later found the unopened letter at her daughter's home.

The DWP's decision to terminate Ms Whiting's benefits was overturned five weeks after her death.

An inquiry found there were significant errors by staff for which the department had to apologise and pay £10,000 in compensation.

Ms Dove's latest legal move comes as the family of another woman who died after a series of errors with her benefits agreed a "substantial settlement" with the DWP's contractors Capita.

The inquest into the death of Nottingham woman Philippa Day, held in January, heard the DWP's handling of her claim was the "predominant factor" in her overdose.

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