Woman Denied £3,800 Disability Benefit Over Bra Trick

Published: 24 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

A woman who was denied over £3,800 a year in disability benefits because she could do up her bra backwards is set to have her case reheard, after a tribunal found the original ruling flawed.

The applicant, who suffers from arthritis causing pain and numbness in her wrists and hands, was initially refused personal independence payment (PIP) after assessors concluded that “doing a bra up at the front and then swivelling it to the back” showed she had no difficulty dressing herself. This decision meant she missed the two points required to receive the lowest PIP entitlement, valued at £295.60 a month or £3,842.80 annually.

Her case first went to a first-tier tribunal, which refused her appeal. She then escalated it to the upper-tier tribunal, where Judge Mark West ruled that the original decision had erred in law. The tribunal had “simply concluded that the appellant should avoid clothing, and change their way of dressing by ‘swivelling’,” ignoring the genuine limitations caused by her disability, he said.

Judge West referenced a 2015 ruling in which the upper tribunal decided it was unfair to assess applicants who struggle with buttons or laces based on their ability to fasten velcro instead, as such workarounds defeat the purpose of the PIP assessment. He has set aside the original tribunal hearing, meaning the appeal will be reheard.

PIP, claimed by 3.8 million people, is designed to help cover extra costs linked to disability or illness. Earlier this year, it became central to Labour’s proposed welfare reforms, before ministers were forced to reverse controversial plans that would have made the benefit harder to access.

Disability campaigners have long criticised the assessment process as inconsistent and humiliating. Polling by the charity Sense found that 51 per cent of disabled people with complex needs said the assessment process left them feeling humiliated, while 45 per cent reported that it worsened their symptoms.

Over the five years leading up to March 2025, around half of PIP assessments resulted in a successful claim, but only 19 per cent of appeals to the Department for Work and Pensions resulted in a change of decision. At tribunal, however, decisions are overturned at a rate of 66 per cent, reflecting the system’s inconsistencies. The process can be lengthy, with first-tier tribunal hearings taking up to six months and the upper tribunal taking up to 18 months.

Following the government’s withdrawal of its proposed stricter PIP rules, disability minister Sir Stephen Timms announced a broader review of the assessment system. The review aims to ensure that PIP is “fair and fit for the future” and is expected to conclude by Autumn 2026.

A DWP spokesperson said: “This is a very recent decision, and we are currently reviewing it. We recognise issues in the current system which is why we have launched a ministerial review of PIP, in co-production with disabled people and the organisations that represent them, to ensure it is fit and fair for the future.”

The woman’s case highlights ongoing concerns over the fairness and effectiveness of PIP assessments, and the impact bureaucratic hurdles can have on people living with long-term conditions. As tribunals continue to overturn flawed assessments, the government faces growing pressure to reform the system and prevent vulnerable individuals from being wrongly denied crucial support.