PIP question 'Going out'

Sophielegs

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.

If your son has learning difficulties then he could qualify for any of the Descriptors. providing you can show that he meets the criteria.

Gordon

Sophielegs wrote: Thanks for your help. If I don't accompany him he panics - if he sees birds for instance this is one of his paranoia problems with birds - and he will turn and run back home if he can and across a main road he has done this many times. What I am confused about also it seems that they don't want to give points for people with learning difficulties or mental impairment do I understand that right please

Making a clear differentiation between his mental health problems and his learning difficulties which I realise may not be easy in practice.

Due to his mental health problems he can score for (b) and (e).

Due to his learning difficulties he can score for (c), (d) and (f)

You also need to be aware that (b) and (e) can be considered to be mutually exclusive with (d) and (f). If you can't leave the house then you can't be considered as following a route, and by definition to follow a route then you must be able to leave the house.

Gordon