Pip descriptors

busyMum16
busyMum16 Online Community Member Posts: 64 Connected
in Benefits and income
Sorry if I sound think asking but your all more knowledge than me 🤦‍♀️

I’m in the process of going to tribunal for pip as I was turned down on a new claim. 

I need some clarity on the descriptors and points (I get confused very easily) 

Right so my question is the activity 1 mobility part, I’m agoraphobic so struggle with the outside world I have young children that need me to take/pick them up from school 
this is the only familiar journey I make 
im never alone doing the school run (got a baby who’s too young for school) 

So what I understand (correct me if I’m wrong) That means I can’t follow the route of a familiar journey without another person because I have my child with me, or does the accompanying person have to be a career or over a certain age etc, or have I got it all wrong. 

Obviously I want to make sure I fully understand before going up tribunal and looking stupid for misunderstanding the descriptors 

any help will be greatly appreciated 

Comments

  • nee
    nee Online Community Member Posts: 23 Connected
    Good morning 
    I am not sure I will be much help, I also suffer with agoraphobia so I understand what you are experiencing. The question about mobility/following a journey means do you understand directions or the route of a journey if you was given. For example if you were given directions to go to a location you have never been to before could you follow the directions/route without any problems. If the answer is yes, you could state that you are only able to manage this with someone beside you on your journey not by yourself due to your fear of being outside alone. 

    I hope this helps a little. Take care 
  • busyMum16
    busyMum16 Online Community Member Posts: 64 Connected
    nee said:
    Good morning 
    I am not sure I will be much help, I also suffer with agoraphobia so I understand what you are experiencing. The question about mobility/following a journey means do you understand directions or the route of a journey if you was given. For example if you were given directions to go to a location you have never been to before could you follow the directions/route without any problems. If the answer is yes, you could state that you are only able to manage this with someone beside you on your journey not by yourself due to your fear of being outside alone. 

    I hope this helps a little. Take care 
    Thank you for your reply, we’ll I can’t plan or follow a unfamiliar journey because I would get lost and unable to approach anyone to ask for directions due to crippling social anxiety, my agoraphobia prevents me from going places and indues a panic attack 
  • busyMum16
    busyMum16 Online Community Member Posts: 64 Connected
    Biblioklept said:
    busyMum16 said:
    im never alone doing the school run (got a baby who’s too young for school) 

    So what I understand (correct me if I’m wrong) That means I can’t follow the route of a familiar journey without another person because I have my child with me, or does the accompanying person have to be a career or over a certain age etc, or have I got it all wrong. 

    I think they would pose this question to you:
    If you didn't have your baby, just your school age children, would you still do the school run? Who did it when you were pregnant or before that? 
    I get what you mean, thank you for the reply, when I was pregnant my daughter wasn’t in school at the time so again I wasn’t doing the school runs alone she only started school in September and my baby was born in August, 
    the questions are not easy to understand 🤦‍♀️
  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Online Community Member Posts: 4,276 Championing
    The accompanying person has to be able to assist you in some way.  I don't think a baby would be adequate for this descriptor.

    Personally, I feel the descriptors do discriminate against people with agoraphobia.  We are not all totally housebound or reliant on another person to go out.  Some of us have no choice but to struggle alone, and are punished for that by these descriptors.  I've been agoraphobic for nearly 20 years but didn't fit any of the Mobility descriptors until I became housebound 2 years ago. 

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