Going Out Question - Incontinence

JM

Most often our advice is in regard to members hoping to score points for Going Out because of physical problems with walking.

As yours is not, then I think the prospect of points is better but I still doubt that an assessor or DM will have the vision to understand any arguments that you might make in support of your claim, so it may be something that can only be decided at appeal.

The key issues will be anxiety resulting from your continence problems, not the continence itself and the effect that that anxiety has on your ability to follow or navigate the route. Any mental health issues that you have will undoubtedly count against you due to the change in the Descriptors.

I don't think that it is a strong argument given the comments that we see on the forum, so if you have better ones for scoring points in the Going Out activity I would definitely lead with them, but the bottom line is that if you don't try then you can't score the points.

Gordon

JM1970 wrote: I find the advice in the guide confusing in this respect then. The last 2 paragraphs on page 55 and the first on page 56 specifically give distress caused by incontinence as a possible reason to score points for this question.

Yes, that's what I referred to.

Gordon

JM1970 wrote: This question has totally confused me. How can anxiety about incontinence possibly count in my favour but a mental health condition not count in my favour? Isn't anxiety a type of mental health condition? Even reading the guide I am not clear what qualifies for this question outside the obvious of not being able to follow a route because you are blind.

The argument is predicated on the fact that anxiety can be the result of many different things, as an example; a healthy person would undoubtedly suffer significant anxiety, sufficient to effect their behaviour, if asked to go to Syria.

The Going Out activity looks at three things.

Planning a route - this is primarily a cognitive or sensory (e.g. blindness) activity. You are being asked about the problems you would have with working out how to get from one place to another, you do not need to be able to follow the route that you are planning..

Undertaking a Journey - this is do with mental health issues such as agoraphobia and social anxiety and is concerned with you leaving the house to go somewhere, they will be interested in the things that stop you doing this. You need to show that you would suffer "overwhelming psychological distress" to meet the criteria.

Following a route - the DWP regard this as a cognitive or sensory activity to do with navigating the route, SO are there problems that would prevent you from doing this? This is different from undertaking a journey, in fact if you cannot undertake a journey then you will struggle to score points for following one. The reasons that you are unable to follow or navigate the route must not be due to psychological distress.

Gordon