Chloe Moffat had worked as a personal assistant at the Treasury for three years and had an “exemplary employment record”, the inquest heard. She was in line for a promotion after receiving a bonus for her work, but died before she could hear the good news.
The inquest at Surrey coroner’s court heard that Moffat was driven to a state of “distress” following a meeting in May about an anonymous complaint made against her. The meeting was attended by her line manager and the Treasury’s head of global issues, and Moffat was not told in advance what it would be about.
No reassurance during disciplinary process
Senior Treasury staff did not reassure her that her job was safe during the disciplinary process, even though a dismissal was unlikely, the court heard. When she asked if she could be sacked, a senior manager told her she “couldn’t predict the outcome of any potential investigation”.
The meeting did not allow Moffat to bring a third party. When she asked her manager if her friend could attend for support, she was told it would be “inappropriate”. Asked by coroner Anna Crawford why she was not allowed a trade union representative or colleague, the senior manager replied: “Any alternative attendee would have made the meeting feel more formal.”
Coroner Anna Crawford asked: “Given these allegations, that were potentially serious, were going to be raised with her, was any consideration given to notifying her so she could prepare herself, seek support and respond?” The senior manager said: “No, this could cause unnecessary stress.” She added that Moffat denied the accusations and so she “started to draft a letter” to notify her of a formal investigation. “I was going to wait to send it until [the line manager] and I had spoken to Chloe to see how she was.”
Anonymous complaint and aftermath
The anonymous complaint accused Moffat of sharing confidential information about colleagues. She had access to this because she managed her director’s inbox. She was advised not to speak to co-workers about the matter and temporarily lost access to her director’s emails and diary.
When told of the complaint, Moffat appeared “shocked” and began “crying at points”. Her family said she was “devastated” and “convinced” she would lose her job. They described her as someone who “took great pride in her work” and “never made a mistake”.
Family’s call for change
On the day proceedings began, Moffat sent a friend a text reading: “I am going to be fired.” The friend met her in central London, where Moffat “broke down” over the “reputational impact” of the allegations, despite being reassured. Moffat died by suicide the next day.
Her mother, Anne, is calling for an overhaul in Treasury practices. The inquest heard that Moffat’s line manager should have been responsible for her “pastoral care”. Anne said: “The evidence establishes a clear sequence of events. Had Chloe been properly supported and advised of her rights before the meeting, she would not have been so devastated and isolated.”
Anne is also pushing for the department to “assess employees’ mental welfare” during disciplinary proceedings. Where serious or gross misconduct is alleged, she says the matter should be “treated as formal from the outset, and the accused is informed of their rights”. It is understood changes are already being implemented.
Lawyers representing the Treasury said managers are undergoing additional training. A Treasury spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened by the death of our colleague Chloe last year. Our thoughts remain with her family, friends and those affected by her loss.”
For emotional support, the Samaritans can be reached 24 hours a day at 116 123, by email at jo@samaritans.org, at a branch in person, or via their website. PAPYRUS offers specialised suicide prevention support for young people; their HOPELINE247 is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. You can call 0800 068 4141, text 88247 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org.
