Woman, 81, Took Her Life after Being Wrongly Stripped of Her Pension

When her pension was stopped and she came up short on money, Joy Worrall opted to end her life by throwing herself into a quarry.

The 81-year-old had just $6.50 left to her name when she ended it all in November 2018. Her body was discovered at the foot of a 40-foot face at Rhes-y-cae quarry, as reported by Daily Post.

Worrall was too proud to even consider telling her family about her money-related issues.

In 2014, Worrall had obtained an inheritance. She even told the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) about it.

However, her pension situation was "re-assessed" in 2017, and the DWP froze her ordinary state pension rather than just freezing the pension credits she got. The senior woman was left with no income at all.

According to an inquest into her demise, Worrall was too proud to even consider telling her family about her money-related issues. She then committed suicide as she had consistently warned to do in the event that she had significant health or financial stresses.

Her son, Ben Worrall, spoke to her for the last time on November 19, 2018. He usually conversed with his mom three or four times each week. After two days, somebody had reached him asking him where his mother was, so he went to her home.

Ben couldn't find Worrall or her vehicle when he got to her property in Church Terrace, Rhes y Cae. He immediately raised the alarm, and a search was launched. On November 22, Worrall's body was discovered at the bottom of a 40-foot face of the Rhes y Cae quarry.

Ben expressed that his mother's death was a shock as there were so many unanswered inquiries. But he understood what had happened when he investigated her activities and reached the DWP.

Suzanne Mitchelson, the DWP’s complaints resolution manager, sent a letter of explanation to Ben, saying that the two pensions ought to have been "decombined" and her basic pension proceeded.

DWP has apologized for the mistake. In any case, Delyn MP David Hanson is looking for further explanation and a confirmation that the systems have been fixed to avoid a repeat.