An 81-year-old woman took her own life after an “administrative error” by the Department for Work and Pensions caused her pension to be frozen, an inquest has heard.
Joy Worrall, from Flintshire in Wales, is alleged to have had just £5 to her name when her body was found in a quarry in November last year.
She had advised the DWP that she had received an inheritance in 2014, but in 2017 her pension was re-assessed and instead of just freezing her credits, her entire pension was frozen.
Without an income, she relied on her £5,000 savings until she had just a few pounds left in her bank account.
On Thursday her son Ben told a coroner’s court in Ruthin that the pensioner’s family only discovered her pension had been stopped after her death.
He described his mother as a proud woman, who had previously said she would “throw herself off a quarry” is she suffered any major health or financial worries, ITV reported.
Coroner John Gittins said Worrall’s actions were a “deliberate act” and recorded a conclusion of suicide.
In comments reported by the Guardian, Mr Worrall said: “My mother was a proud woman who was simply left without any capital.
“I feel we have been let down by the DWP who have failed in their duty of care. It’s a disgrace how this can happen in modern society and what concerns me is that this could happen to someone else.”
A spokesman for the DWP said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mrs Worrall. We apologise unreservedly to Mrs Worrall’s family for the error that led to her pension payments being stopped and pledge to learn the lessons.”
On Thursday, Worrall’s MP David Hanson tweeted: “With the support and at the request of the family I have asked the Department of Work and Pensions to urgently review this verdict on joy’s death.”
- Useful websites and helplines:
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 UK and Ireland (this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
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Get Connected is a free advice service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@getconnected.org.uk
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