Mrs Z Manjra v DWP HELD AT: Liverpool — 2025

This was a preliminary hearing in a disability discrimination claim. The claimant alleged discrimination arising from disability, failure to make reasonable adjustments, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation. The respondent accepted fibromyalgia, PTSD, anxiety and stress as disabilities, but did not accept autism, carpal tunnel syndrome, asthma or Long Covid.

At the hearing the claimant no longer relied on asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome or Long Covid as disabilities, and those asserted disabilities were dismissed upon withdrawal. The Tribunal considered whether autism was a disability for the purposes of section 6 Equality Act 2010 and found that, although the claimant had substantial and long-term impairments affecting day-to-day activities, the evidence did not establish that those impairments arose from autism rather than from accepted conditions including fibromyalgia, PTSD, stress and anxiety.

The Tribunal held that the claimant was not disabled by reason of autism at the relevant times. The disability discrimination claim was not finally determined and will proceed in relation to the accepted disabilities.