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Mobility - Activity 2: Moving around


Activity 2 considers a claimant’s physical ability to move around without severe discomfort, such as breathlessness, pain or fatigue. This includes the ability to stand and then move up to 20 metres, up to 50 metres, up to 200 metres and over 200 metres. As with all the other activities, a claimant is to be assessed as satisfying a descriptor only if they can do so reliably.

Descriptors

The descriptors for Activity 2 are -

  1. Can stand and then move more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided. 0 points
  2. Can stand and then move more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided. 4 points
  3. Can stand and then move unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres. 8 points
  4. Can stand and then move using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres. 10 points
  5. Can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided. 12 points
  6. Cannot, either aided or unaided - (i) stand; or (ii) move more than 1 metre. 12 points

Source: Part 3 of Schedule 1 to the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013 (SI.No.377/2013), and Part 3 of Schedule 1 to SR.No.217/2016 in Northern Ireland.

NB - in Scotland, adult disability payment is replacing personal independence payment and the descriptors are found in Part 3 of Schedule 1 to the Disability Assistance for Working Age People (Scotland) Regulations 2022 (SSI.No.54/2022).

Definitions

Terms used in the PIP descriptors are defined in regulations and, in relation to Activity 2, are -

  • "aided" means with - (a) the use of an aid or appliance; or (b) supervision, prompting or assistance;
  • "aid or appliance" - (a) means any device which improves, provides or replaces C's impaired physical or mental function; and (b) includes a prosthesis;
  • "assistance" means physical intervention by another person and does not include speech;
  • "prompting" means reminding, encouraging or explaining by another person;
  • "stand" means stand upright with at least one biological foot on the ground;
  • "supervision" means the continuous presence of another person for the purpose of ensuring C’s safety;
  • "unaided" means without - (a) the use of an aid or appliance; or (b) supervision, prompting or assistance.

Source: Regulation 2 of and Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013 (SI.No.377/2013), and regulation 2 of and Part 1 of Schedule 1 to SR.No.217/2016 in Northern Ireland.

See also DWP guidance on the 'moving around' activity in section 2.4 of the Personal Independence Payment assessment guide for assessment providers.

NB - in Scotland, adult disability payment is replacing personal independence payment and the definitions are found in regulation 2 of and Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Disability Assistance for Working Age People (Scotland) Regulations 2022 (SSI.No.54/2022). See also Social Security Scotland guidance in Mobility component activity 2 for ADP – moving around.

Case law

Commentary:​ In the unpublished case CPIP/2377/2015 the effects of pain, its severity and frequency, and the extent of any rests, are all noted as relevant to the question of whether a claimant can complete a moving around descriptor ‘to an acceptable standard’. The effects of pain are also considered in [2016] UKUT 326 (AAC) where Judge Markus holds that even if someone may be able to carry out a moving around descriptor repeatedly and within a reasonable time, they still may not be able to complete it ‘to an acceptable standard’ if they do so with difficulties such as pain or breathlessness.

In [2015] UKUT 612 (AAC), Judge Mitchell finds a literal reading of descriptor 2(c) is appropriate so that if a person can walk more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres unaided, whether or not the person can move further, even a lot further with a walking aid, they should satisfy the descriptor. However, in [2015] UKUT 529 (AAC) and [2016] UKUT 501 (AAC), Judge Hemingway and Judge Markus respectively reach the opposite conclusion holding that if a person can walk more than 50 metres with an aid they will not satisfy descriptor 2(c). | Add commentary or suggest an edit.