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A woman was wrongly refused disability benefits Being able to put your bra on backwards is costing you more than £3,800 a year, a tribunal has ruled.
Anonymous applicant narrowly misses award Personal Independence Payment (PIP) “Putting the bra up in the front and then turning it in the back” was evidence that she had no trouble grooming herself, the assessors said.
This means that she missed the two points required to get the lowest score right to profitFor those who struggle with activities of daily living. These made the difference between £295.60 a month – or £3,842.80 a year – and nothing.
The woman, who suffers from arthritis pain and numbness in the wrist and hand, assessed herself over the telephone and gave evidence orally.
Appeal to the first tier after permission is refused tribunalHe took his case to a higher tribunal, where it was heard by Judge Mark West.
The first-tier tribunal had erred in law, he said, because it had “only concluded that the Appellant should refrain from wearing clothes, and ‘turn around’ and change his way of dressing,” ignoring the limited implications of that. disability,
Judge West cited a 2015 case in which the upper tribunal found it would not be appropriate to rule pip Applicants who cannot manage buttons or laces due to their ability to fasten Velcro as this defeats the purpose of the test.
He set aside the original tribunal hearing, meaning the appeal will now be heard again.
Claimed by 3.8 million people, PIP is a health-related benefit designed to help with the extra costs of living with an illness or disability. Earlier this year, it was at the center of Labour’s proposed welfare reforms, before ministers were forced to make a damaging U-turn on the plans.
PIP valuation has long been criticized This has been described by disability rights campaigners as a difficult and inconsistent process. More than half (51 per cent) of disabled people with complex needs reported feeling humiliated by their assessment, according to a survey by disability charity Sense. Another 45 percent said the procedure made their symptoms worse.
Nearly half of PIP assessments over the five years to March 2025 resulted in an award, with only 19 per cent of appeals. DWP The result was a changed decision. Over the same period, decisions were overturned in tribunal at a rate of 66 percent.
This can be a lengthy process, with a wait of up to six months for a hearing at the first-tier tribunal. The final stage is the Upper Tribunal, a legal process that can take up to 18 months in total.
Amid the government withdrawing its proposal to make PIP effectively harder to claim, it was announced that Disability Minister Sir Stephen Timms would review the benefits.
“This will be a comprehensive review of the PIP assessment as a whole,” the government has said, “to ensure it is fair and fit for the future.” The review is expected to conclude in autumn 2026.
A DWP spokesperson said: “This is a recent decision, and we are currently reviewing it.
“We recognize the issues in the current system, which is why we have launched a ministerial review of the PIP, co-produced with disabled people and the organizations that represent them, to ensure it is fit and fair for the future.”