Treasury accepts coroner's concerns after death of staff member Chloe Moffat

HM Treasury has accepted it contributed to the death of one of its employees and says immediate steps have been taken to tackle outstanding risks identified by a coroner. Chloe Moffat, 26, who worked as personal assistant to one of the department's directors, took her own life in May 2025. Her death came the day after managers told her of allegations that she had shared sensitive confidential information, which she denied. A coroner found that a practice within HM Treasury of holding "informal fact-finding" meetings with employees accused of misconduct had no basis in the ministry's policy and posed a risk of future deaths. At Moffat's inquest in August, the Treasury was found to have "materially contributed" to her death by failing to tell her that the likely penalty if the allegations were proven would be a written warning, and not dismissal. In its written response to the coroner's report, the Treasury said it "accepted the findings in the report in full" and had taken immediate action to mitigate the concerns raised. Together with the Cabinet Office, the department wrote that it "accepts the concerns identified" and "takes them extremely seriously". The department said strengthened "wellbeing safeguards" had been introduced and the use of informal fact-finding meetings had been stopped while a full policy review is carried out. Under the changes, employees facing misconduct allegations will be informed of the possible outcomes before being asked to respond, and a suicide prevention framework is being developed. "HM Treasury has considered these concerns carefully and has taken immediate steps to mitigate the identified risks," the department said in its response. "While this work introduces some enhancements, much of it is intended to strengthen, clarify and build on the procedures and support already in place." The Cabinet Office said it would also undertake a wider review of workplace conflict and resolution across Whitehall within a year. 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." The spokesperson added that an independent review had found staff acted in good faith and with a duty of care throughout. If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, information and support is available via the BBC Action Line.