Chloe Moffat’s parents will call for anyone found to have contributed to their daughter’s death to be held to account when they meet the Treasury’s permanent secretary, James Bowler. The 26-year-old personal assistant took her own life in May 2025 after facing a disciplinary meeting over anonymous complaints alleging she had disclosed sensitive information at work, which she denied.
A coroner found in August that the Treasury had “materially contributed” to Moffat’s death. The Treasury’s response to the coroner’s prevention of future deaths report, seen by the Guardian, acknowledges the department’s role and commits to safeguards to prevent a recurrence. A review by the Cabinet Office found that the conditions Moffat was subjected to had been replicated in other disciplinary meetings.
Parents seek accountability
“We have some tough questions to ask,” David Moffat, Chloe’s father, told the Guardian before the meeting. “We do want to know that staff have been held to account. The coroner didn’t ask for that, but obviously that is very important. Chloe was held to account; we need to know that the managers and HR staff are being held to account.”
Moffat’s managers declined to allow her to bring a colleague to the meeting, gave no advance notice, and refused to tell her whether she was likely to lose her job. They also removed access to her director’s email and changed her work responsibilities, despite the meeting being described as “informal”. The coroner found that Moffat left the meeting “devastated” and convinced she would lose her job; the next morning she took her own life.
Treasury changes and safeguards
During the inquest, Moffat’s line manager was asked if she would have done anything differently and told the court: “No, I think we did all we could at the time with the information and advice we were given.” The Treasury initially did not take any responsibility, and her parents have spent the year since her death fighting for answers.
“It has taken us a long time to get to this point, and they have not helped us in any form,” said Anne Moffat, Chloe’s mother. “Now we are also trying to think how we want lessons to be learned so no other young person suffers in the same way as Chloe suffered. So we are looking at Chloe’s legacy, to ensure that there is learning across all organisations in HR departments.”
The prevention of future deaths report found there was still a risk at the civil service due to its disciplinary procedures. Documents seen by the Guardian read: “HM Treasury has accepted the findings in the report in full. In direct response to the inquest findings, HM Treasury immediately stopped using informal fact-finding meetings for allegations of potential serious or gross misconduct, introduced strengthened procedural and wellbeing safeguards, and issued urgent interim guidance.”
The guidance includes allowing staff to have a supporter in disciplinary meetings, giving proper notice of any such meeting, and informing staff if a dismissal is not likely. The Treasury is also hiring an on-site occupational therapist to support staff wellbeing. Of these changes, David Moffat said: “We feel a lot better than we did about it going through the inquest. This is a step forward, but we still have some difficult questions to ask the permanent secretary.”
An email sent to staff at the Treasury last week, seen by the Guardian, reads: “Where concerns may amount to minor misconduct, these will continue to be handled informally. You will be able to ask to bring a colleague with you for personal support if you would like.”
Legacy and grief
Anne Moffat hopes other young people will not be put in the same position as Chloe. “It is so avoidable what happened, and such a waste. I wish we had known the risks. As parents we are still taking a bit responsibility that we could have done things differently. And if we had, the result wouldn’t have been so catastrophic.”
Chloe’s friends have been keeping her memory alive by running marathons for Shooting Stars Children’s Hospice, a charity for which her mother used to work, and volunteering for Samaritans. Her parents hope their experience can stop other families from going through the same tragic event. “We are hoping when we see the Treasury they will give us more reassurance and work with us on how Chloe is remembered,” Anne said. “We so miss having Chloe now. Our lives will never be the same again as we have lost her through something that was so preventable.”
A HM Treasury spokesperson said: “The Treasury’s deepest sympathies continue to be with Chloe’s friends and family, and the department continues to mourn our colleague. Our response to the coroner’s prevention of future deaths report sets out the action we have taken following this tragic case. An independent review found staff acted in good faith and with a duty of care throughout.”
