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- PIP planning & following a journey/orientation aid
PIP planning & following a journey/orientation aid
- chopsuey
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Please can you tell me what the latest is on orientation aids and PIP. My son has just received his DLA to PIP letter. He has CP, complex eye conditions, complex MH and learning difficulties. He has no sense of direction. He has not got an orientation aid as he has yet to find one that he can use successfully whilst walking with 2 sticks. He has had to give up driving and has a driving assessment report that says ‘he has a very poor sense of direction’. I would be very grateful if you could tell me what additional evidence he will need to get the 12 points? He has an OT assessment soon and possibly she can write something in her report to help.
Thank you in advance for your help.
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- Gordon
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The only orientation aid that is recognised at present is the white stick that a blind or sight impaired person might use.
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 to 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 not score points for following one and vice versa.
Our PIP Claim guide explains the above in more detail.
Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
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- chopsuey
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- Gordon
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To be honest no, from the description it provides information about where you are and not how to get from one location to another.
Gordon
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- Cocacola
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Gordon wrote: chopsuey
The Going Out activity looks at three things.
Undertaking a Journey - this is to 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.
Gordon
Just wondering what counts as 'overwhelming psychological distress' and how do you prove it?
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- Gordon
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There is a definition for Phycological Distress
“Psychological distress” means distress related to an enduring mental health condition or an intellectual or cognitive impairment.
but not for Overwhelming Phycological Distress, however, it would be reasonable to assume that it is Phycological Distress sufficient to stop you completing an activity or task such as leaving your house.
Anxiety is not considered to be sufficiently debilitating to meet the criteria for Overwhelming Phycological Distress.
Gordon
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