Facts
The applicant, born in 1961, married and the mother of an adult daughter, worked part-time as a sorter until 2006. In 2002 and 2004, she applied for disability insurance benefits due to health problems (diabetes, osteoarthritis, etc.). In 2005, a half-pension was granted to her based on the mixed method (30% gainful employment, 70% household tasks). In 2011, she requested a full pension due to a deterioration of her health condition. The pension fund refused this request, considering that the applicant no longer had any household tasks to be taken into account and that her disability should therefore be assessed according to the income comparison method, which excluded the right to a pension.Considerations
The Federal Tribunal upheld the applicant's appeal. It considered that the mixed method should apply, as the applicant, who runs a household of two people (herself and her husband), does have a domain of household tasks to be taken into account. The fact that the extent of household tasks does not depend on the size of the household is not relevant: as a general rule, gainful employment and unpaid household tasks are complementary within the framework of the mixed method,…