Skip to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.Join todayAlready a member? Log inAlbert TothThursday 05 November 2026 15:13 GMTRelated: Healey insists he will bring welfare bill down despite delaying decisionsA senior judge has ruled that a university lecturer with autism and ADHD was wrongly denied the Personal Independence Payment after a tribunal refused to recognise everyday technology as disability aids.Upper Tribunal Judge Ann Humphrey said that tools such as Amazon Alexa devices and phone alarms can count as aids if they help overcome functional limitations caused by a health condition.The original tribunal had dismissed the claim on the grounds that non-disabled people use smart devices.The initial panel was also found to have failed to properly investigate the claimant's use of noise-cancelling headphones to manage auditory processing difficulties and sensory overload.The case has been remitted for a fresh hearing, reflecting wider criticism of DWP benefit assessments, where nearly three-quarters of tribunal appeals are overturned in favour of claimants.In fullWoman wrongly denied Pip for using noise-cancelling headphones and Alexa, court rulesMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in