Assistance Dog (PIP Mobility)

Clair19

Hi all, 
I am looking for some advice around the mobility component of PIP, specially around the need of an assistance dog to follow a journey.  I have looked up the PIP guidance and it defines an assistance dog as ‘dogs trained to help people with “sensory impairments”’. I have an assistance dog for support around my Mental Health. I am unable to leave the house or follow the route of a familiar/unfamiliar journey without my assistance dog. What worries me is their definition of “sensory impairment”, surely this doesnt just refer to visual/hearing impaired? Does anyone have experience of this please that can help with advice. Many thanks 

mikehughescq

Some reading to be done but all you need is at https://pipinfo.net/activities/planning-and-following-journeys. Mental health and sensory impairment are different but there are areas of overlap. Each case will turn on its own facts. 

Tori_Scope

Welcome to the community @Clair19 I trust that the link Mike posted has been useful? Please do let us know if you have any further questions. 

Clair19

I’m still struggling with this.. it’s their terminology of ‘sensory impairment’ sensory can also be cognitive which can include problems with attention, memory recall, planning etc all of which inhibit my ability to follow a journey and the need for an assistance dog. Have I interpret this correctly? I’m terrified of saying the wrong thing and having to go through MR the appeal. 

calcotti

I suspect your dog is not covered by the term ‘assistance dog’ but have no experience to confirm this one way or the other.
I am not familiar with the idea of mental health support dogs but I think what you need to do is describe the difficulties you have without the dog and then explain how the dog helps you. Explain any train No the dog has needed in order to provide the required support. Would/can a person provide the same level of support?

mikehughescq

The definition of sensory is a very clear and a plain English one. That is, it must relate to one of your senses. Your assistance dog does not help when you fail to leave home. It’s only relevant once you have. However, it has to help you continue to follow a route because of a failure of one of your senses. If that’s not what happens then you won’t score those specific points. If your dog hasn’t been trained to assist you to overcome a sensory impairment then again you won’t score those points. 

BrettW

Not all 'assistance dogs' are sensory related Mike. There are dogs trained nowadays to alert their owners that they are about to have a seizure and some are trained to fetch and carry for their disabled owners.

I have worked with the latter and have friends who work with the former. Its amazing what some of these dogs are capable of.

I'm not sure how the seizure dogs are classed under PIP but the owner has to rely on them when out pretty much how someone who has a sight impairment relies on the more traditional assistance dogs.

(editied to expand on post)

mikehughescq

Well done @BrettW for telling the sight impaired person all about what an assistance dog is!

May I politely suggest you read the link posted earlier in the thread. The definitions are all there. 

To repeat from my last post “If your dog hasn’t been trained to assist you to overcome a sensory impairment then again you won’t score those points.” That remains the position. 

mikehughescq

So to be clear Scope, you’re okay with the patronising tone of the post to which I responded? Genuine question.

calcotti

I don’t read it as patronising. Brett passing on information which may not be known to all. I am certainly not familiar with this type of support dog. 

BrettW

Oh here we go again. My post was just advising about the fact that not all assistance dogs are sensory. Like my post said I don't know how they relate to PIP.

<Moderator removed - please refrain from making personal attacks on other members.  Thank you - Cher>

mikehughescq

I’ll be staying strictly on topic thank you. 

Adrian_Scope

It looks like there has been a bit of miscommunication here. I know we repeat it often, but while I don't think anyone initially intended to be rude, tone can be hard to read through an online forum and is often subjective. Please keep it civil and constructive.

@clair19, I'm going to leave this discussion thread closed as I feel your query regarding assistance dogs and planning a journey has been answered but if you do have any further questions, please don't hesitate to start a new one.