Washing & bathing - How often is 'repeatedly'?

Hello,

I see the DWP Guidance for PIP says that you shouldn't be considered able to do something if you can't do it reliably, and that part of 'reliably' includes 'repeatedly - as often as is reasonably required'.

Does anyone know how they apply this to washing/bathing?

I know from a Social Services assessment that they consider once a week to be acceptable, but if you can only manage to wash yourself on one day a week, surely for PIP that would mean that you are unable to wash yourself at all on six days a week, therefore more than 50% of the time? Or will the DWP (Atos/Capita) consider being able to wash/bathe unaided on just one day a week sufficient to meet the 'as often as reasonably required' criteria and award 0 points?

If once a week is considered acceptable for an activity then you should not be able to do that for at least 50% of the time ie. Once every two weeks.

If you can only do it once a week that is acceptable for a once a week activity.

Sorry, I wasn't very clear when I said "they" - it is Social Services who apply the standard of a once a week wash being acceptable; do the DWP apply the same standard when assessing a PIP claim?

The critieria for washing/bathing are on page 34 of the PIP guide here

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

It doesn't give any mention to how often someone washes or bathes. Presumably that would be as often as required for that individual. Read through the advice in the guide and if you feel it hasn't fully answered your question please post again.

At my assessment the nurse wasn't interested in how often but how I managed and whether I needed help as that was what the descriptor was about, I got 3 points as I need help getting into and out of a bath/shower. I got standard care which I felt was correct and enhanced mobility which again I thought was correct.

Yes, I had already looked at the washing & bathing section of the PIP guide and noticed that, as you say, it doesn't give any mention to how often someone washes or bathes. But I was a bit confused (this happens quite easily - brain fog!) because of the reliably aspect. Being unable to do things reliably is a big issue for me on many of the questions, and on other questions it's more obvious - eating 3 meals a day, dressing morning and evening, etc. But it seems that perhaps with this question they focus more on the safety/help side than being able to complete the task with reasonable frequency.