Daily living - Activity 4: Washing and bathing
Activity 4 considers a claimant’s ability to wash and bathe. ‘Washing’ means cleaning ones whole body, including removing dirt and sweat. ‘Bathing’ means getting into and out of either a standard bath or shower. Shower can include shower attachments for a bath. 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 4 are -
- Can wash and bathe unaided. 0 points
- Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to wash or bathe. 2 points
- Needs supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe. 2 points
- Needs assistance to be able to wash either their hair or body below the waist. 2 points
- Needs assistance to be able to get in or out of a bath or shower. 3 points
- Needs assistance to be able to wash their body between the shoulders and waist. 4 points
- Cannot wash and bathe at all and needs another person to wash their entire body. 8 points
Source: Part 2 of Schedule 1 to the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013 (SI.No.377/2013)
Definitions
Terms used in the PIP descriptors are defined in regulations and, in relation to Activity 4, are -
- “aid or appliance” - (a) means any device which improves, provides or replaces [the claimant's] impaired physical or mental function; and (b) includes a prosthesis;
- “assistance” means physical intervention by another person and does not include speech;
- “bathe” includes get into or out of an unadapted bath or shower;
- “prompting” means reminding, encouraging or explaining by another person;
- “supervision” means the continuous presence of another person for the purpose of ensuring [the claimant's] safety;
- “unaided” means without - (a) the use of an aid or appliance; or (b) supervision, prompting or assistance.
Source: Regulation 2 and Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013 (SI.No.377/2013)
See also DWP guidance on Activity 4 from the Personal Independence Payment assessment guide for assessment providers (part 2).
Case law
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- Assessing risk of harm to a claimant with hearing loss while washing and bathing
- [2018] UKUT 251 (AAC)
- CPIP/3528/2017
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Assessing an ability to wash the upper back must focus on washing rather than an ability to reach the area
- [2018] UKUT 139 (AAC)
- CPIP/2039/2017
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Claimant may be able to establish a need for prompting even if able to perform a specific task when there is impetus to do so
- [2016] UKUT 194 (AAC)
- CPIP/181/2016
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Descriptor 4(e) addresses the ability to get out of an ‘unadapted’ bath or shower / Consideration of whether ‘or’ is disjunctive
- [2016] UKUT 190 (AAC)
- Reported as [2016] AACR 43
- CPIP/2094/2015