UK Treasury found to have contributed to young employee's death, parents seek accountability
A coroner ruled that the UK Treasury materially contributed to the death of 26-year-old personal assistant Chloe Moffat after a distressing disciplinary meeting. Her parents are now considering legal action after receiving no contact from the department since the finding.
A UK coroner has ruled that the Treasury "materially contributed" to the death of Chloe Moffat, a 26-year-old personal assistant who took her own life the day after an unexpected disciplinary meeting at work.
Chloe's parents, David and Anne Moffat, spent months acting as investigators to understand what led to their daughter's death, going through her emails and speaking with her friends and colleagues. What they found was that Chloe had been thriving and happy right up until she was called into a surprise meeting with her manager, where she was confronted with anonymous complaints accusing her of sharing confidential information — allegations she denied.
Rights not upheld
The coroner found that Chloe was never told the likely outcome of the disciplinary process would have been a written warning, nor was she offered the chance to bring a supporter to the meeting. As a result, she felt ambushed and convinced she was about to lose the job she had held for almost three years.
The coroner also issued a prevention of future deaths report, warning of ongoing risk at the Treasury based on how it handles disciplinary matters, and required the department to respond with proposed action.
Since the ruling two weeks ago, the Moffats say they have received no condolences or apology from the Treasury, and are now considering suing the department for wrongful death. During the inquest, the Treasury was represented by a team of lawyers who argued the death should be recorded simply as an unexplained suicide.
The hearing was attended by many of Chloe's young friends and former colleagues, some of whom were reportedly not granted bereavement leave or support by the Treasury to attend.
A Treasury spokesperson said the department's sympathies remain with Chloe's family, that it is taking the coroner's findings seriously, and that improvements have already been made to workplace guidance and wellbeing support, while acknowledging further action is needed to prevent similar tragedies.
