'It made me feel like I was lying': How two thirds of NI people denied disability benefit win at tribunal

A woman who took medical retirement due to multiple health issues has said she was made to feel she was "telling lies" and ended up suffering from poor mental health after being turned down for a key disability payment a number of times.

Janet Wright had the decision to deny her Personal Independent Payment (Pip) overturned at appeal through a tribunal process.

Recent figures from the Department for Communities (DfC) show that about two out of three cases - or 64% in 2025/26 - that progress to appeal are found in favour of the claimant.

It said it was committed to "treating everyone with dignity, respect and empathy throughout their claim journey".

Pip is a payment for people under state pension age who need help with daily activities or getting around, due to a long-term illness or disability.

More than 230,000 people currently claim Pip in Northern Ireland as of 31 May, according to the department.

It can be claimed by people who are in work as well as those out of work.

It has two components, one for daily living and one for mobility. The maximum weekly payment is £194.60.

Janet, from Portadown, County Armagh, told BBC Radio Ulster's Consumer Fight Back programme that she worked for the NHS for many years before a deterioration in her health meant she had to medically retire.

In recent years, she's had operations on her neck and hands and lists off a long list of health conditions - arthritis, carpal tunnel, fibromyalgia and allodynia, a painful nerve condition which she says results in "constant pain" when it flares up.

She said she was refused Personal Independence Payment after following the process of filling in an application form and then having a telephone interview, a process she described as "horrible".

She added that she found the form long and difficult to fill in and the telephone call as "really cold".

"It's hard to talk about your health in a point-scoring system," Janet said.

Capita, who carry out the assessment but do not make the overall decision, said its staff "receive comprehensive training and support as part of their role and are committed to delivering a caring, professional service and ensuring individuals are treated with dignity and respect throughout the assessment process".

Those who apply for Pip but are not awarded it can ask the department to look again at the decision. This is called a mandatory reconsideration.

The majority of these decisions remain unchanged but, at this point, the claimant can appeal and the success rate figure changes quite dramatically.

This usually involves a tribunal where an independent panel re-examine the original decision made by the department.

After being refused again at this stage Janet contacted Community Advice NI who were able to help her with the appeal process and provided representation at the tribunal hearing.

On the day of the hearing, she was told the panel would overturn the decision without her appearing in front of them.

"The woman came out and said I'd been through enough."

She was hugely relived but said the process made her feel like she was not believed.

"I felt as if I was telling lies, and then to go to a panel and them to turn around and tell you 'yeah, you are sick'.''

After initially being refused, Janet said she felt like giving up, and would have, if not for guidance from Community Advice.

Having now received Pip, it has allowed her to hire help in her home to assist with basic care, cleaning and food preparation.

Recent figures from DfC show that those who attended a tribunal hearing in person had a success rate of 65.1%, rising to 72.3% if that person both attends in person and has representation.

The overall success rate is 69.9% so far for 2026/27, and was 63.8% and 65% for 2025/26 and 2024/25 respectively.

The tribunal is made up of three members. They look at evidence before making a decision.

Capita facilitate Pip assessments, but the department makes the final decision on whether the applicant qualifies for the benefit.

Philip McKernan, an advisor from AdviceSpace who represents people at appeal hearings, described the figures as "quite shocking".

He said that when appeal they get a "mandatory decision referral", where they go back to the department to ask them to reconsider.

However, he said the majority of those end with the department "sticking with the original decision".

"Whereas when someone goes to tribunal, there's actually quite a high rate of success," he added.

The Department for Communities said it "recognises that applying for Pip can be a challenging process, particularly for people who are managing long-term health conditions or disabilities".

"However, entitlement is based on how a person's condition affects their ability to conduct everyday living and mobility activities, so the Pip forms and the assessment process are specifically designed to seek detailed information on how an individual's circumstances affect them on a day-to-day basis."

It said it works hard to identify improvements, which have included introducing clearer guidance, additional support for claimants who are vulnerable, and enhancing training for Pip staff and the health professionals involved in the assessment process.

It said it will continue to look for ways to improve while still securing the information needed to make a robust assessment of the level of support needed by each applicant.

An independent review of Pip by the UK government is under way.

Disability Minister Sir Stephen Timms, who is leading the review, has said an interim review found Pip to be "not fit for purpose".

Legal responsibility for social security is almost entirely devolved to Stormont so local ministers have the powers to make their own rules on Pip or any other part of the welfare system.

In practice, Northern Ireland has nearly always mirrored what happens in the rest of the UK.

The Department for Communities say "any reform of Personal Independence Payment must ensure there is effective support available to those living with a disability".

The department said it will "carefully consider" the final report from the Timms Review to assess the impact of the recommendations on Northern Ireland before making a decision.