Parents Consider Lawsuit After Coroner Rules UK Treasury Contributed to Staff Suicide

The parents of a former UK Treasury employee are considering legal action against the department after a coroner ruled that its workplace disciplinary process contributed to their daughter’s suicide.

Chloe Moffat, 26, died in May of last year, the morning after attending an unexpected disciplinary meeting at the ministry where she had worked as a personal assistant for nearly three years. A coroner’s court in Surrey ruled earlier this month that the Treasury “materially contributed” to her death and issued a formal warning regarding the department’s workplace practices.

Inquest proceedings revealed that Moffat had returned to work on a Monday after a social weekend, planning upcoming holidays and events. That afternoon, she was called without prior notice into a meeting with her direct manager and her manager’s supervisor. The meeting addressed anonymous allegations that Moffat had shared confidential workplace information, charges she denied.

The coroner determined that Moffat was denied basic workplace procedural rights during the session. She was not informed that she had the right to bring a supporting representative into the meeting, nor was she reassured about her job security. Although the probable maximum penalty for the allegation was a written warning, Moffat was not informed of this outcome, leaving her distressed and convinced she was facing immediate dismissal.

Following the meeting, Moffat left the workplace severely distressed and died the following morning. Her parents, David and Anne Moffat, spent a year reviewing emails, interviewing her friends and co-workers, and gathering evidence ahead of the multi-day inquest.

The coroner delivered a narrative finding linking the Treasury’s procedural conduct to Moffat’s death, rejecting arguments made by the Treasury’s legal team, who had advocated for the death to be logged as an unexplained suicide. The coroner also issued a prevention of future deaths report to the civil service, citing an ongoing risk to staff health if disciplinary procedures are not reformed.

Moffat’s parents reported that they have received no contact, condolences, or apology from Treasury officials in the fortnight since the ruling. David Moffat stated that pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit remains “a possibility” if legal action is required to ensure the department acknowledges its responsibility and makes necessary reforms. Anne Moffat added that the family fears their daughter’s case will be overlooked without persistent pressure.

Background

In the United Kingdom, coroners are independent judicial officers responsible for investigating sudden, unexpected, or unexplained deaths. At the conclusion of an inquest, a coroner may issue a narrative verdict detailing the broader circumstances surrounding a death, rather than a short single-word conclusion. Coroners can also issue formal prevention of future deaths reports to organizations or government authorities, which legally require recipient bodies to detail what measures will be taken to mitigate identified safety or procedural risks.