Differences from the personal independence payment conditions
Some of the wording in the ADP regulations is slightly different from the same provisions for PIP but, in practice, your entitlement should still be the same is it would be if you had claimed PIP. Most of the changes either clarify the meaning of the regulations or reflect PIP caselaw (decisions made by the Upper Tribunal and the courts which say how the law must be applied).
If you are claiming ADP with a mental health problem, the following are the main changes that are likely to be relevant.
•For ADP, there is a definition of ‘needs’ in the regulations to ensure that you are assessed as needing a type of help if you reasonably require it, even if it is not available or not provided to you.1Reg 2 DAWAP(S) Regs This reflects PIP caselaw. •In deciding whether you can manage an activity ‘safely’ for ADP, both the likelihood and severity of any harm must be considered.2Reg 7(2)(b) and (3)(a) DAWAP(S) Regs This reflects PIP caselaw. •In deciding whether you can manage an activity ‘to an acceptable standard’ for ADP, the impact of carrying out the activity on you must be considered.3Reg 7(2)(b) and (3)(b) DAWAP(S) Regs This reflects PIP caselaw. •For ADP, you satisfy a descriptor if it applies during some part of the day (midnight to midnight) unless you do so only for a ‘minimal or fleeting’ time.4Reg 10(2) DAWAP(S) Regs This seems to be intended to reflect PIP caselaw. •‘Aid or appliance’: the ADP definition clarifies that to score points for using an aid or appliance, you must need to use it (rather than choosing to). It also makes it clear that aids and appliances can include things which are not designed for disabled people.5Reg 2 DAWAP(S) Regs This reflects PIP caselaw. •Daily living activity 3: unlike PIP, the definition of ‘medication’ for ADP includes medication prescribed or recommended by a ‘health professional registered by the Health and Care Professions Council’ who is not a doctor, nurse or pharmacist. There is list of the other regulated professions on the Health and Care Professions Council website.6Sch 1 Part 1 DAWAP(S) Regs; •Daily living activity 7: the ADP definition of ‘communication support’ contains extra words. The person providing support can be ‘trained or experienced in communicating with people in general, or the individual in particular’.7Sch 1 Part 1 DAWAP(S) Regs This reflects PIP caselaw. •Daily living activity 9: the title of the ADP activity and all of the descriptors have an extra word inserted which is not in the PIP assessment. In each case they refer to your ability to ‘engage socially with other people’.8Sch 1 Part 2 DAWAP(S) Regs This reflects PIP caselaw, which has confirmed that the definition of ‘engage socially’ applies to this activity. The definition of ‘social support’ also contains extra words. The person providing support can be ‘trained or experienced in assisting people in general, or the individual in particular…’.9Sch 1 Part 1 DAWAP(S) Regs This reflects PIP caselaw. •Mobility activity 1: the ADP regulations contain an extra definition that is not included in the PIP regulations. ‘Follow the route of a journey’ means ‘for an individual to navigate and make their way along a planned route to a planned destination’.10Sch 1 Part 1 DAWAP(S) Regs This appears to be intended to reflect PIP caselaw. Descriptor M1b also contains extra words. It reads: ‘Needs the prompting of another person to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the individual.’11Sch 1 Part 3 DAWAP(S) Regs It appears that the intention is to leave beyond doubt that reminders from something other than a person (eg, reminder notifications set up on a mobile phone) cannot allow you to satisfy this descriptor.
PIP caselaw and ADP
PIP caselaw that has not been incorporated into the ADP rules is still likely to be persuasive in deciding your ADP entitlement. However, decision makers and tribunals are not bound to follow the PIP caselaw in every case, and over time the ADP assessment criteria may be interpreted differently by courts and tribunals, leading to new ADP caselaw.