‘Substantial' Capita payout to family of woman who died after benefi ts were cut

A government contractor has paid out “substantial” compensation following the death of a young mother who took an overdose after her disability benefits were removed.

- Patrick Butler

Philippa Day, 27, a single mother from Nottingham with longstanding mental health issues, died in hospital in October 2019, two months after taking the overdose. She had endured months of stress and anxiety after a long struggle with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Capita to reinstate her benefits.

An inquest into her death identified 28 instances where “systemic errors” by both the DWP and its contractor had led to failures in the handling of Day’s claim. These failures were a “stressor” in her decision to take the overdose, the coroner ruled, although he was unable to conclude that she had intended to take her own life.

In May, Day’s family issued a compensation claim for negligence to both the DWP and Capita. The latter subsequently agreed to settle out of court. The sum was not disclosed but is understood to be in line with what the family were asking for.

Imogen Day, Philippa’s sister, said: “Our family has always maintained that my sister’s treatment by Capita, on behalf of the DWP, directly impacted her mental state and in the end is the reason for her death.