Administrative / Public Law · Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber)
Judith Mansell v The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (PIP)
Checked against the judgment on 14 August 2026 · how we verify
Facts
The appellant, Ms Judith Mansell, was born on 17 August 1965 and suffers from fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, depression and high blood pressure. She claimed Personal Independence Payment on 4 October 2023. By a decision dated 7 December 2023 the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions assessed her as scoring 4 Daily Living points (descriptors 1b and 4b) and 4 Mobility points (descriptor 2b), which fell short of the threshold for an award, so no award was made; that decision was reconsidered on 20 February 2024 but not revised. She appealed to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber), which on 6 December 2024, confirmed in a Decision Notice dated 7 December 2024, confirmed the existing scores and dismissed the appeal. Its findings concerned managing toilet needs, dressing and undressing, and moving around: it reasoned that because she was working she would be able to use a toilet, that her use of the word "sometimes" about being unable to put her socks on meant this was not for the majority of the time, and that she could walk more than 50 but no more than 200 metres. The First-tier Tribunal refused permission to appeal by a Decision Notice dated 4 July 2025. Upper Tribunal Judge Church granted permission on 23 December 2025 in respect of all three activities, and the Secretary of State supported the appeal.
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