Query re. PIP Q13 - Going Out/Following Jouney

Hi everyone,
I'm sorry this is a long post, I felt I needed to also include some background info.
I'm currently filling out the PIP claim form and just hoping someone could clarify or offer a bit of advice with these queries. (Currently on middle rate care/higher rate mobility DLA).

I suffer from M.E and am physically unable to go out of the house 95% of the time anyway, however I also suffer from severe mental health issues that are also very relevant to my going out and making journeys.

I have had problems with going out for many years with various periods of being unable to leave the house full stop and/or needing some support. In the last year I suffered a complete mental breakdown and was unable (even with having someone accompanying me for support) to leave the house at all for 6 months.
The last 4 months I have slowly been recovering from this episode and (bearing in mind I can only leave the house approx. once per month due to M.E) I have occasionally been able to go out again (only by car and either with someone, or with prompting).

For around 5 years if not longer I have been completely unable to use public transport due to my mental health issues, my car and also my mother having her car to drive me is the ONLY way I can ever make a journey. Without that I am 100% housebound.


I've read and re-read all the info I can find on descriptor Q13 (going out and following a journey) and I'm still confused on a couple of things.

Do questions Q13a and Q13b actually apply to the points descriptor - b. Needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant. 4 points?
Or do all the elements of not being able to go out due to mental health/phycological distress/anxiety all come under question Q13c?

In terms of Q13 as a whole - Is it purely to do with help/support you need on the journey ONLY or is it also relevant to write about needing someone with you for the duration while you are actually out of the house?
ie. someone being with you both on the journey but also when you are out, for example needing someone to be with you on the journey to the doctors but also to stay with you in the waiting room for support.

My last question may be an important factor for me.
How do they look at the descriptor and points given in relation to someone who is completely unable to use public transport but is able to on some occasions make a journey in a car? This would either be with someone driving me, coming with me in my car for support or more rarely driving somewhere on my own with prompting and encouragement etc.
The trouble is without the 'safety' of my car I would never be able to make any journey at all (even with the support of someone) due to how severe my mental health/anxiety/agoraphobia issues are with public places.

I hope those questions made sense, sorry it's a bit lengthly, I'm really struggling to get my head around this descriptor in relation to my issues.

Thanks very much in advance for any help.

Thanks for your reply. Any journeys I would take that only require prompting and not someone to be with me would be from one 'safe place' to another, such as from my home to my mothers home for example. In any other situation I would have someone with me while out as well as on the journey. At least this applies the majority of the time.

I will explain to them my issue with public transport relating to my mental health problems though I appreciate they may find this not to be relevant.

I have one question for you if you can answer, I have to post my form tomorrow (Weds) afternoon so if you see this in the morning and can throw me a response that would be much appreciated.

To simplify my question I'll just talk in terms of percentages as a rough guide.

Basing this on a time span of 3 months (I have to think of it over a long period as I can only get out of the house approx. once a month and otherwise these percentages don't make sense)

- Because of my M.E I am physically housebound 95% of the time anyway
- In terms of my mental health issues which are also pretty severe I am 50% unable to leave the house at all, 30% need someone to come with me and 20% require prompting

I know this sounds a bit silly writing it in this way but it's the only way I can explain it in simple terms.

My question is, do you have any idea how they may look at it and relate it to the Q13 'Going Out' descriptor/points system when someone is unable to leave the house 95% of the time anyway? Will I be effectively 'discounted' because of this?

Or do you have any relevant info on people who have claimed for the mobility component who fit into BOTH Q13 on the mental health side and Q14 for physical illnesses?

Thanks in advance for any help.

I think you have to apply the mental health percentages after taking into account the physical limitations.
So if you can only go out once a month you have to say the mental health problems mean you wouldn't half the time so you only go out once every two months and then 3.6 times you are accompanied and 2.4 you are prompted.
Another mod may give a completely different take but thats the best answer I can give applying the statistics you have given.
If you apply the reliably test then I think you should qualify for maximum points since you don't go out 50% of the time at all.

Thank you for your response. Yes it's hard to know quite how to look at it, or how they will look at it. Thanks for sharing your take on it, it makes sense.

When you say 'qualify for maximum points', which descriptor do you mean? If they were to award me anything on Q13 I was thinking I would come under :

b. Needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant. 4 points