TRJ v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Facts

The appellant, anonymised as TRJ under a rule 14 order, claimed Personal Independence Payment on 10 November 2022. On 3 October 2023 a decision-maker for the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions scored her at nil points for both the daily living and mobility components, so that no award was made from the date of claim. Following an unsuccessful mandatory reconsideration she appealed to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), which on 8 January 2025 at Cardiff allowed her appeal, awarding 11 points for daily living under descriptors 1(b), 4(e), 5(b) and 6(e) and 10 points for mobility descriptor 2(d), sufficient for the standard rate of both components for five years from 10 November 2022 to 9 November 2027. Her representative, Mr Pearce of Cardiff Citizens Advice, sought permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal on grounds confined to daily living activity 1 (preparing food), contending that the tribunal had made insufficient findings and given inadequate reasons about her ability to use a peeler and knives, the safety risks arising from her dropping things and fainting, and the relevance of reheating food in a microwave. Permission was granted, and the Secretary of State's representative supported the appeal.