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PIP - Mobility question - Planning and following a journey - OCD question

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1 week 4 days ago #296677 by cascade
Hi, I have read through the guide from Benefits & Work, but I was wondering if anybody knows how the first mobility question would be scored when it comes to OCD, and the "reliability" aspect of it, since even aside from other issues I have with planning and following journeys, my OCD makes going outside anywhere a stressful overwhelming mess of an experience that takes me many times longer to complete due to needing to stop and perform checks regularly to an incredible degree, which easily makes any journey take at least 3x longer (easily more than that though).

I am wondering if this aspect of my OCD alone would have me to be scored under "E: Cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress"?
Or possibly another descriptor, and if so which one?

My understanding that if it takes more than twice as long then it is seen as me not being able to complete the activity, but then I am not exactly sure how this would possibly be scored as is what I am wondering.

Looking at the different scoring options, I can say that having someone else would not help for this, and that it is the same for familiar or unfamiliar journeys.

So in my mind that means logically they should class me as not being able to undertake any journey... however there isn't a scoring descriptor for simply that, and yes of course this is overwhelming, but would they need to see it as meeting the definition of being "overwhelming psychological distress" for me to score 10 points under that descriptor?
As I can't seem to see where else I would fit if they somehow did not see this as meeting the threshold of "overwhelming psychological distress".

Maybe my OCD is making me overthink this whole thing, but I think I raise an important point technically speaking on this descriptor for those with OCD.

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1 week 3 days ago #296699 by BIS
Hi Cascade

I understand why you're asking the question - but that's not how PIP works. Virtually no one is guaranteed particular scores against a PIP question because of their condition/diagnosis. Every claimant has to argue how their symptoms impact their daily care and/ or mobility. Often claimants are shocked that they haven't received a particular score when they are aware other people have for the same condition.

It's impossible to answer your question. There is no agreed-upon medical definition for "Overwhelming Psychological Distress," so plenty of people claim it and are rejected for it in the PIP process even when they have a doctor's back-up letter. So it comes down to the individual, the strength of their symptoms and how they make the argument (and a certain amount of luck). And please don't think that I'm arguing you shouldn't try - I think you should - my point is that I can't tell you how you will be scored. You have to decide which of the criteria best fits in with you and argue that.

BIS

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems

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