Pip Mobility Descriptor 1D

Hi Sue,
All descriptors require the following 4 criteria. If you do not meet one or more then you should score points as appropriate.
The criteria are
Safety
Reasonable time
Acceptable standard
Repetition

Safety- this involves a risk of substantial harm to yourself or others. The risk itself doesn't need to be substantial, and may not even occur very often, but if the potential of harm is great then you could score points.
Time- activities must take no more than twice the ordinary time ie of an able bodied person.
Acceptable standard- this can include pain potentially breathlessness, fatigue, panic etc may all be relevant for Mobility 1d.
Repetition- you need to be able to do the activity across the whole day as reasonably required.
It has been a long established principle that disabled people should be able to lead as normal a life as possible. DWP have often argued that eg someone could simply wear loose clothing and hence won't need PIP for needing help with buttons etc under dressing. However it is not unreasonable for someone to want to dress in a formal shirt and tie, part or all of the time. Therefore if he can't do up his shirt for the majority of days, which means he needs help, he can score points, even if he 'avoids' a difficult activity because frankly it is easier.
You said in your post that you avoid going out in rush hour. This might suggest that you CANNOT do this activity every time throughout the day when reasonably required. There is no set amount as to what is reasonable and this could vary from person to person. It is not inconceivable that you could need to take kids to school, and then go shopping in the morning. Come home with the shopping. Visit mum. Attend GP appointment. Collect kids. Get home, realise that Amazon has left your important parcel at the post office, and you need to go out and collect it. Perhaps you also had planned to go out in the evening. None of these journeys would be unreasonable, and it is entirely possible that further journeys throughout the day would also be required. If you needed to make a journey and couldn't do so because if your health condition then this suggests you can't repeat in terms of PIP regulations etc.
So per 1d this is n eeding to be accompanied on an unfamiliar journey. How does being accompanied allow you to fulfil the 4 criteria for the majority of days?
If being accompanied makes things a bit easier, but you are still extremely anxious, confused, panicky, breathless etc etc then this could comprise not acceptable standard so you might need to think whether you could score under 1e or 1f.
Being accompanied under 1d can include overwhelming psychological distress mentioned in 1e- judges have decided that if you have anxiety to such a level it prevents you going out unless absolutely necessary then it is highly likely that you have OPD and can score under 1e or even 1f.
It is important to note that as with all descriptors you need to consider the majority pattern. A occasional journey without being accompanied wouldn't preclude points under 1d,1e or 1f, particularly when you just have to get on with life and do stuff like get shopping or go to GP. You may not be able to get help all the time, and you might just have to grin and bear whatever anxiety etc you experience. This isn't the majority pattern.
Similarly if 2 or more descriptors apply equally you score the highest points. If 2 descriptors apply unequally the correct points will be the most prevalent one.
What I therefore suggest is to try an analyse what causes you problems, and if known why. What happens when you go out alone. Do you get lost, are you safe, has anything bad happened, or nearly happened? Do you take a reasonable time, and what help is required. Think about the majority pattern.
You have mentioned poor walking ability, so you can also conduct a similar exercise with walking. Where do you go, do get pain, breathlessness, do you have a weird walking style, stumbles or falls? Any walking done with severe discomfort has to be excluded. (This might not of course be very far!)
I hope this helps.
Good luck, let us know how you get on.
LL26