Joy Dove, the mother of a woman who took her own life after her benefits were incorrectly stopped, has vowed to continue fighting for justice and is now calling for a full public inquiry into the Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) failings.
Jodey Whiting, from Stockton-on-Tees, was housebound with chronic physical pain and died in 2017, just two weeks after her Employment Support Allowance (ESA) was denied because she was deemed fit for work.
An Independent Case Examiner (ICE) report into the decision to remove the benefits found a number of mistakes had been made and that her payments should not have been withdrawn, and recommended the DWP pay £10,000 to her family.
The hearing in Middlesbrough heard that Jodey Whiting had killed herself after her benefits were incorrectly stopped, leaving behind notes saying she had no food, could not pay bills, and was in 'debt, debt, debt'.
Joy Dove met with Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disability, in the House of Commons, where she expressed her concerns about the DWP's treatment of her daughter and other families who have lost loved ones due to similar circumstances.
In a statement, the DWP acknowledged the findings of the Coroner, apologised to Jodey's family for the failings in her case, and claimed to have made significant improvements, but Joy Dove remains sceptical and is determined to continue her campaign for justice.