THE government was slammed for failing a young mother with severe mental illness after an inquest revealed that she took an overdose when the removal of disability benefits left her destitute.

Philippa Day was trapped in a months-long state of high anxiety and haunted by suicidal thoughts after she lost her benefits while suffering from agoraphobia and was unable to attend a face-to-face assessment, coroner Gordon Clow said on Wednesday.

Her long struggle with the benefits system had been a “stressor” in her decision to take the overdose in August 2019, Mr Clow said. 

Ms Day was found unconscious at her home by her sister and father, with a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) by her side and notes left on her computer that said that her dealings with the government department left her feeling “trapped and isolated from the world.”

She died in hospital two months later after she did not wake from a coma.

The 27-year-old single mother from Nottingham had a long history of mental illness and had suffered from type one diabetes.

She had a history of self-harm, suicide attempts and multiple stays in psychiatric hospitals.

Mr Clow said that in the handling of her benefits claim by the DWP and private contractor Capita there were 28 specific instances where “systemic errors” occurred by benefits officials.

He said Ms Day’s experience with the DWP had been the “predominant factor” in her decision to take an overdose.

Linda Burnip of Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) told the Star: “The way Philippa was dealt with by DWP and Capita has had utterly tragic consequences and is yet another example of how our social security system fails to provide even a minimal safety net for people.

“We applaud the coroner for his verdict and hope it will allow her family to seek real justice for her unnecessary death.”

At least 69 suicides could be linked to problems with benefit claims between 2014 and 2020, according to a report by the National Audit Office (NAO).

The DWP failed to investigate many of the cases properly or learn from them, the report found.

Mr Clow said he would issue a formal prevention of future deaths notice to the DWP to ensure that it improves its benefits assessment systems, including through adequate staff training on dealing with mentally ill claimants.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “This is a shocking case. The tragic loss of a young mother with her whole life ahead of her sadly shows that our social security system does not treat everyone with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

The DWP was approached for comment.