esa50

DM wrote: I'm sick with what to put in for help with simple tasks as my friend doesn't know how to set an alarm or use a washing machine but DOES a microwave. It looks like nobody will score points if they can brush their teeth or use a remote?

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The descriptor is about their ability to learn new tasks, the fact that they know how to use a microwave may be considered relevant, but does not mean that they cannot score points for this question. It may have taken them years to become conversant with how to operate the microwave, they may have learnt when their problems were not so severe.

So you need to look at what they can do now, and whether they could learn to operate a new piece of equipment, what problems they would have doing this and why. It is explained in more detail in the ESA Claims on Mental Health Grounds guide.

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

Gordon

DM wrote: Thanks. I can't understand why the guide says the health professional will be looking to collect evidence in accordance to wca handbook like whether the person can apply tooth paste to a brush etc anyone can do that though and it's not a task that requires learning? Also asking can you do simple tasks such as set an alarm doesn't stipulate if u have learnt or can learn it. This is confusing. Still not sure what to put as the claimant can't set an alarm, he's confused with the switches - clock set/alarm set. Alarm on and off. Buzz or radio. The questions look geared to make the person fall!?

I am not suggesting that the criteria are easy, but we know of claimants who have been able to use this and the other descriptors to be awarded ESA. I also think you are under estimating the actions required to brush your teeth!

You say in your post;

- cannot set an alarm
- confused by the switches
- clock controls vs. alarm ones
- switching the alarm on.
- alarm vs. radio

All of these suggest to me that the person you are talking about is unable to learn how to set an alarm clock.

Gordon

DM

I do understand the point that you are making, but this is a test of their ability to learn a new task, I am not saying that that you can ignore what they already know, but as I said in my original posts there may be very good reason why they are able to perform a task such as brushing there teeth, (maybe they have had 18+ years to learn to do so), and still struggle to learn a new task. This is not just about the end result; setting an alarm clock, but the process of learning it.

From the WCA Handbook

The WCA Handbook states that health professionals should take into account:

- The length of time taken to learn a task and the ability to retain the information.
- If the person needs to be shown how to do a task again they have not learnt it.
- If a person learns a task on one day but is unable to repeat it the next day, they have
not learnt the task.
- If a person takes a very long time to learn a task, for example takes 2 years to learn how to wash and dress themselves, they do not have the ability to learn the task.

Gordon