I, Daniel Blake - Ending Explained

The Final Tragedy. The film builds hope when a sympathetic lawyer reviews Daniel's case and assures him he will win his appeal. On the morning of the tribunal, Daniel meets Katie at the courthouse, looking smart and ready. However, the stress of the months-long battle takes its toll. While in the bathroom waiting for his name to be called, Daniel suffers a massive, fatal heart attack. He dies alone on the floor. The film ends with his funeral (a "pauper's funeral"), where Katie reads the speech Daniel wrote for the judge—his final declaration of citizenship and humanity—leaving the audience with his words but without the satisfaction of a legal victory.

Propaganda vs. Truth. While the primary reading is a realistic critique of a broken system, some critics interpret the film as a melodramatic agitprop (agitation propaganda). From this view, the characters are seen as saintly martyrs (Daniel never drinks or smokes, is perfectly honest) and the antagonists (Jobcentre staff) as cartoonishly evil, designed solely to manipulate audience emotion for a socialist agenda. Conversely, defenders argue this "Manichean" structure is necessary to cut through the complexity of bureaucracy and reveal the moral binary of the situation.