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ESA Moving Around - which box to tick ESA50 form

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6 years 2 months ago #225851 by giggles1
Hello,
Can I get advice about the ESA Moving Around descriptor in terms of filling in the ESA50 form, please?

In the excellent Benefits & Work ESA guide, it gives the following descriptor:

: 1. Moving around and using
steps

(d) Cannot either
(i) mobilise more than 200 metres on level ground without stopping in order to avoid
significant discomfort or exhaustion
or
(ii) repeatedly mobilise 200 metres within a reasonable timescale because of significant
discomfort or exhaustion. 6 points.

If (d)(ii), as immediately above, is most applicable to my circumstances, which of the boxes below should I tick on the actual ESA50 form?

How far can you move safely and repeatedly on level ground without needing to stop?

50 metres
100 metres
200 metres
It Varies

Thanks

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6 years 2 months ago #225863 by Gordon
UncleBuck

Forgive me but I am not sure what information you are looking for that is not in the guide.

Gordon

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6 years 2 months ago #225870 by giggles1
Hi Gordon,
Apologies, I misunderstood your reply.

Just wasn't sure exactly which box in the Moving Around descriptor to tick on the ESA50 form that relates to:

(ii) repeatedly mobilise 200 metres within a reasonable timescale because of significant
discomfort or exhaustion. 6 points

However, if you say it's in the Members guide, I will look again.

regards

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6 years 2 months ago #225877 by Gordon
UncleBuck

You need to think about the distance that you can mobilise for the majority of the time, any distance that you are in significant discomfort for should not be included.

If you are happy with the distances on the form then you can mark the form "see below" and answer in the comments box.

Be aware, ESA is not a walking test, it is a Mobility test! In addition to your walking, it considers your ability to self-propel a manual wheelchair over the same distances, you do not need to be using a wheelchair or even to own one for it to be considered. SO even if you can show your walking is restricted unless you can also show that you cannot self-propel the wheelchair you will still not score points.

Gordon

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6 years 2 months ago #225884 by giggles1
Hi Gordon,
thanks for your excellent reply. - as always.

Perhaps I am over-thinking this issue, but just to mention again, my confusion was/is because the Work & Benefits ESA guide states/asks:

Moving Around:
How far can you move safely and repeatedly on level ground without needing to stop?
For example, because of tiredness, pain, breathlessness or lack of balance.

? 50 metres
? 100 metres
? 200 metres
? It varies

You get 15 points if you can only walk 50 metres or less, 9 points for 100 metres or less and 6 points for 200 metres or LESS.

So, say I can walk over 100 metres, but only up to and including 200 metres, but no more than 200 metres, or I suffer breathless, significant discomfort and walk much slower than normal up to the 200 metres, then the W & Pensions guides states I will score 6 points - which is pretty straight forward and fine.

However, the actual DWP ESA50 form states : 200 metres or MORE - which seems misleading to me.

So, if I can walk over 100 metres, I cannot really tick the 100 metres box on the ESA50 form. However, if I can walk up to 200 metres, but no more, or I am breathless and walk slowly up to the 200 metres distance, the only box to tick stating 200 metres is the 200 metres or more box,.but by ticking this box, won't I lose the 6 points as that box implies I can walk 200 metres and more?

I hope that makes sense.

I think you're right that I am going to have to state a "see below" answer - in which case, do I just leave all the boxes blank with that additional information?

regards

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6 years 2 months ago #225889 by Gordon
UncleBuck

If you want to make it clearer then you cross out all of the tick boxes with a single cross.

With this and any of the other questions on the form, understand that you are not being assessed against what it says on the form but rather the legally defined Descriptors that are listed in the guide, so if you have to adapt the form to work with your answers then feel to do so, just make sure that you actually answer the question(s) being asked.

Gordon

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