Lower rated mobility eligbity

Peter wrote: I have diagnosed Bi Polar, Social phobia & ADHD. I have stated on my form that I can occasionally go out with my partner. My psychiatrist has also confirmed this in a very recent full report. I am ambulatory but get frightend. Would this be enough to get an award of the lower rate ? I seldom go out as I do not socialise and never wish to go out....but my partner insists i do sometimes....

I assume this is for PIP.

I'll be honest and say from your post that you are at best going to score 4 points for

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

You say you can go out albeit only on occasion so I don't think that you meet the higher Descriptor for being unable to undertake any journey and you do not report any problems with being unable to follow a route.

See our PIP Claim guide for more details.

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/help-for-claimants/pip

Gordon

Peter wrote: Thanks......i couldnt plan a route just couldnt i would find it too stressful. I rarely go out,...maybe once a month to please him, but only under instruction if you kowo what i mean. I am bi polar and have extreme anxiety....but I have psyched myself up for going to the assessment. when it comes....I have not requested a home visit as I woud find this 'invasion' of my space worse than having to go out on the one occasion for a specific purpose. Woud they understandr this ? or5 just think....well he got here ?

I think you need to look at the Mobility Descriptors to understand the criteria you need to meet, you have post issues that could lead to your scoring points but you are not explaining your problems in ways that would actually score.

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 - This activity about the problems you would have navigating a route. So are there problems cognitive, sensory or mental health issues 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 moving Around activity is about how far you can walk.

Remember, all of the PIP activities must be complete reliably and on the majority of days.

Gordon