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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Disability benefits  →  Thread

PIP walking speeds

BC Welfare Rights
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The Brunswick Centre, Kirklees & Calderdale

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Does anyone know what ‘twice as long as a person without disabilities’ is in relation to walking speeds for PIP (‘in a reasonable time’ criteria)?

Client has a Blue Badge and the OT’s report for the BB assessment says that she was observed to walk “slowly/very slowly… 40-60m in 1 minute” (it also describes being unable/virtually unable to walk as being able to cover up to 30m in 1 minute).

My head unable to compute at the moment. What would 40-60m be at normal (preferred) walking speed for PIP purposes and how does this compare to the Blue Badge speed?

nevip
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Welfare rights adviser - Sefton Council, Liverpool

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Long used in DLA cases.

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Victor
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Welfare Rights Officer, Stockport Council

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Normal walking speed is often about 3 miles/hour, which is 80 metres/min

disgustedofbridport
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Dorchester CAB

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3 miles per hour = 5.04 kilometres per hour

5,040 metres divided by 60 minutes = 84 metres per minute

= I agree with Victor.

So, less than 42 metres per minute should be higher-rate mobility.

I’m sure it’s very unlikely to be granted by the DWP on that basis, but this is the strange thing with PIP: with the terms “safely”, “to an acceptable standard”, “repeatedly” and “in a reasonable time period”, which are then themselves well-defined, there’s actually a lot of scope for challenging the DWP’s decision, especially with the less-than-full findings that Atos medical people make.

Neil
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Debt & Benefits, Aster Communities

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don’t forget any walking done in severe discomfort is ignored, hence the rational that a tribunal looks at more than speed and distance.

BC Welfare Rights
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The Brunswick Centre, Kirklees & Calderdale

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Thank you all kindly, very helpful

CDV Adviser
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Nestor Financial Group Ltd

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Thanks for all the replies. Let’s hope we get a more sympathetic panel than I have had at the last 2 tribs.