Communicating verbally

Crystal21
Crystal21 Community Member Posts: 3 Connected
in PIP, DLA, ADP & AA

I’m confused about the question in PIP about communicating. Does verbally mean speech or does written things count? I cannot speak at all most of the time and use Relay U.K. for phone calls. My support worker comes to hospital appointments with me to speak for me because it takes too long to type. I can understand everything, I just can’t speak.

Does this count as verbal? What would I score in this question? Would it mean ‘needs an aid or applicance’? Or does using another person to speak for me not count as verbal?

Comments

  • SheffieldMan1976
    SheffieldMan1976 Posts: 3,174 Connected

    Verbally is speech yes.

    If you have to have another person speak on your behalf, then you're classed as non-verbal.

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community Member Posts: 6,274 Championing

    Hi,

    As above, this question is about speaking and hearing. Written communication is not considered.

    From what you've written here, I believe you would score a minimum of 4 points for needing communication support to express complex information. (Your support worker).

    In order to score 8 points, you would also need their help to express basic information. It is difficult to tell whether you fit this descriptor from what you've written. For example, if there was an emergency situation such as a fire in your building, would you be able to say 'fire' to someone? That would be considered expressing basic information.

  • Crystal21
    Crystal21 Community Member Posts: 3 Connected
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1127445#Comment_1127445

    On a good day I could but most days no, I couldn’t even shout fire. I have emergency sms set up on my phone in case I need to ring 999.

    The thing that confused me is that I read on PIPinfo that there was a tribunal case where the judge said writing the words down passes as being able to communicate verbally. But then I found another case where it said it wasn’t.

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community Member Posts: 6,274 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1127450#Comment_1127450

    That is very interesting and has reminded me that the word 'verbal' does technically include written communication.

    The word 'oral' specifically means spoken words. But everyone uses the word 'verbal' to mean 'oral' in common usage. It is fair to assume that words written on a PIP are expected to be in common usage.

    Even tribunals get things wrong sometimes. You would have to find a reliable legal definition to prove either way now.

    Sorry I can't be any more helpful in this case. Only other thing I'd add is not to focus too much on one descriptor. For my own PIP award, I focussed on the descriptors that I felt impacted my life the most at that time…but scored 0 points for one, and 2 points for the other. I scored more points in a descriptor that I hadn't even considered, which was the 'mixing with people' descriptor. From what you've written so far, I would expect you to score at least some points in that descriptor yourself as well.

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