Treasury pledges immediate changes after inquest into employee’s death
A coroner has found that a meeting between Chloe Moffat and her managers “materially contributed” to her death on 20 May 2025, the day after the meeting. Chloe was a personal assistant to a Treasury director.
On 19 May 2025, Chloe attended what she believed was a routine one-to-one with her line manager, but a more senior manager was also present, her father David Moffat told the BBC. Several allegations were put to her during the meeting that she had shared confidential information about colleagues, which she denied. She asked on several occasions if she would lose her job and if she could have a friend present — both requests were refused. Straight after the meeting, Chloe was locked out of her work emails.
The coroner found that the Treasury did not apply its written disciplinary policy, which would have made clear that if the allegations were proven, the likely penalty was a written warning, not dismissal. “Even though she asked, they said they could not determine the outcome,” David said.
Speaking to presenter Emma Barnett on the Today programme, David said there “wasn’t any duty of care” shown to his daughter. “There was no safeguarding, there was no support during or after that meeting, from what we’ve seen and what we’ve read,” he said. “It beggars belief that an organisation that is front and central in our government cannot get it right.” He described her loss as “devastating,” saying it had “torn such a big hole in our lives,” and said she was “incredibly well-liked.”
Asked whether he felt the Treasury had taken responsibility for its part in his daughter’s death, David replied “Not yet.” He and his wife Anne received a letter on Tuesday from the Treasury’s permanent secretary, James Bowler, and met him last August. David said the family was unsure whether it would pursue further action but wanted “redress.”
He said that while the family could not change what happened to Chloe, he wanted “to ensure” that “lessons are learned.” “If something positive can come from this unbearable loss that we’re suffering, that’s all we look to achieve,” he said.
A 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. We will learn the lessons from this tragedy. We are working urgently to respond to the coroner’s findings and we have introduced immediate changes to our guidance, support and wellbeing arrangements. Chloe’s parents have agreed to meet with us so we can hear their views and update on actions the department is taking.”