// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
'It made me feel like I was lying': How two thirds of NI people denied disability benefit win at tribunal
Janet Wright said she "couldn't cope" with not being believed
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.