Jahanara Begem v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Facts

Mrs Jahanara Begem claimed personal independence payment. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions had awarded her 2 points under descriptor 9B, on the footing that she needed prompting to engage with other people. She appealed to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber), contending that she should score 4 points under daily living activity 6 (dressing and undressing) because she could not put on or remove a bra without assistance, and that under daily living activity 9 she required "social support" rather than mere prompting in order to engage socially. The First-tier Tribunal sitting at Romford, comprising Judge E Coll, Dr Fox and Mr Bhatti MBE, dismissed her appeal by a decision made on 2 September 2025 under case number SC124/24/01767. It found that she was able to change her clothes more than once a week if prompted and could carry out the physical act of dressing and undressing unaided, and that the only physical condition which might have caused functional limitation was her right hip pain, restricted to needing an aid to get on and off the toilet. On activity 9 it concluded that descriptor 9B remained appropriate. Mrs Begem appealed to the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) on two grounds, both directed at the adequacy of the tribunal's reasons. The Secretary of State supported the appeal in a submission dated 14 May 2026.