The DWP staff who said this lady was 'Fit to work', were clearly unfit to work for the DWP!
Having her benefits cut led to the death of a mother of nine, an inquest has found.
Housebound Jodey Whiting, from Stockton-on-Tees, who had numerous physical and mental health issues, was found dead in 2017, two weeks after being denied Employment Support Allowance (ESA) because she had been deemed fit to work.
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' (DWP) decision.
The DWP said it was "deeply regretful" after the inquest heard that Ms Whiting, 42, "had lost hope" at the time of her death.
Teesside Coroner's Court was told how in late 2016, Ms Whiting - who suffered from a curvature of the spine - missed a benefits assessment after being admitted to hospital with pneumonia.
The inquest also heard that doctors subsequently discovered a cyst on her brain.
However, after being finally discharged, a letter from the DWP was found among the unopened mail at her flat asking why she had not attended a recent medical assessment.
That was in January 2017, with another letter telling her she was "fit to work" arriving a month later.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd90g5zk13jo
Housebound Jodey Whiting, from Stockton-on-Tees, who had numerous physical and mental health issues, was found dead in 2017, two weeks after being denied Employment Support Allowance (ESA) because she had been deemed fit to work.
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' (DWP) decision.
The DWP said it was "deeply regretful" after the inquest heard that Ms Whiting, 42, "had lost hope" at the time of her death.
Teesside Coroner's Court was told how in late 2016, Ms Whiting - who suffered from a curvature of the spine - missed a benefits assessment after being admitted to hospital with pneumonia.
The inquest also heard that doctors subsequently discovered a cyst on her brain.
However, after being finally discharged, a letter from the DWP was found among the unopened mail at her flat asking why she had not attended a recent medical assessment.
That was in January 2017, with another letter telling her she was "fit to work" arriving a month later.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd90g5zk13jo
