HOW INCAPACITY FOR WORK IS ASSESSED

If you are claiming benefits because you cannot work the Benefits Agency will need to know your ability to do any work. They do this by a test that looks at what tasks you can and cannot do. This test is called THE PERSONAL CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT.

WHAT IS THE 'PERSONAL CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT' (PCA)?

The Personal Capability Assessment looks at what mental and physical tasks you can or cannot do. These tasks are set out in law and the tasks are called descriptors. You are given points depending on the level of difficulty you have doing these tasks.

The tasks are split into two tests these are called:

You are accepted as ‘incapable of work’ if you get enough points in total. In order to pass the Personal Capability Assessment you must either:

Score at least 15 points on the physical assessment

Or

Score at least 10 points on the mental health assessment

Or

Score a minimum of 15 points from both the physical and mental health assessment. These points must be made up of least 6 points on the mental health assessment, scores between 6 - 9 are counted as 9, so only 6 points are then needed on the physical assessment.

PEOPLE WHO ARE TREATED AS INCAPABLE OF WORK

Sometimes people are TREATED as incapable of work and the Benefits Agency will not look at whether these people can do the tasks for the Personal Capability Assessment. These are:

PEOPLE WHO ARE EXEMPT FROM THE PERSONAL CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT

Some people are exempt from the Personal Capability Assessment. This means that the Benefits Agency will not look and see if you can do the tasks in the Personal Capability Assessment – you will be treated as unable to work straight away. Exempt people are:

• People who get higher rate care component of Disability Living Allowance
• People who are terminally ill
• People who are registered blind
• People who are aged 58 or over in April 1995 and have always been getting invalidity benefit since 1st of December 1993
• People who have a prescribed medical condition. These are listed on the next page
  
• Severe learning disability
• Severe and progressive neurological or muscle wasting disease
• Active and progressive form of inflammatory polyarthritis
• Progressive impairment of cardio-respiratory function which severely and persistently limits effort tolerance
• Dense paralysis of the upper limb, trunk and lower limb on one side of the body
• Multiple effects of impairments or functions of the brain or nervous system
• Manifestations of severe and progressive immune and deficiency states
• Severe mental illness which severely restricts social functioning or awareness of immediate environment.

THE PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT

SCORES AND DESCRIPTORS

Add together your score for each area of activity. Your score for each area is the hightest score in that activity area. You cannot add together more than one score in each area of activity. For example, in the activity area of manual dexterity the following statements may apply to you:

Cannot use a pen or pencil 15 points
Cannot tie a bow in laces or string 10 points

Your score for this area of activity would be 15.

Please note that if you score in both the activity areas of walking on level ground and walking up and down stairs these cannot be added together, the highest score of either of these areas should be allowed.

When you are looking to see which tasks you can or cannot do you should always take into account if you can do the tasks, reasonably regularly, safely, without too much pain, discomfort or tiredness.

Physical assessment – the scores and descriptors

Descriptors Points

Walking on level ground with a walking stick or other aid if such an aid is normally used
Cannot walk at all 15
Cannot walk more than a few steps without stopping or severe discomfort 15
Cannot walk more than 50 metres without stopping or severe discomfort 15
Cannot walk more than 200 metres without stopping or severe discomfort 7
Cannot walk more than 400 metres without stopping or severe discomfort 3
Cannot walk more than 800 metres without stopping or severe discomfort 0
No walking problem 0
Walking up and down stairs
Cannot walk up and down one stair 15
Cannot walk up and down a flight of 12 stairs 15
Cannot walk up and down a flight of 12 stairs without holding on and taking a rest 7
Cannot walk up and down a flight of 12 stairs without holding on 3
Can only walk up and down a flight of 12 stairs if you go sideways or one step at a time 3
No problem walking up and down the stairs 0

Sitting in an upright chair with a back but no arms

Cannot sit comfortably 15
Cannot sit comfortably for more than 10 mins without having to move from the chair because the degree of discomfort makes it impossible to continue sitting 15
Cannot sit comfortably for more than 30 mins without having to move from the chair because the degree of discomfort makes it impossible to continue sitting 7
Cannot sit comfortably for more than 1 hour without having to move from the chair because the degree of discomfort makes it impossible to continue sitting 3
Cannot sit comfortably for more than 2 hours without having to move from the chair because the degree of discomfort makes it impossible to continue sitting 0
No problem with sitting 0

Standing without the support of another person or the use of an aid except a walking stick

Cannot stand unassisted 15
Cannot stand for more than a minute before needing to sit down 15
Cannot stand for more than 10 minutes before needing to sit down 15
Cannot stand for more than 30 minutes before needing to sit down 7
Cannot stand for more than 10 minutes before needing to move around 7
Cannot stand for more than 30 minutes before needing to move around 3
No problem standing 0

Rising from sitting in an upright chair with a back but no arms without the help of another person

Cannot rise from sitting to standing 15
Cannot rise from sitting to standing without holding on to something 7
Sometimes cannot rise from sitting to standing without holding on to something 3
No problem with rising from sitting to standing 0
Bending and kneeling
Cannot bend to touch his knees and straighten up again 15
Cannot either, bend or kneel, or bend and kneel as if to pick up a piece of paper from the floor and straighten up again 15
Sometimes cannot either, bend or kneel, or bend and kneel as if to pick up a piece of paper from the floor and straighten up again 3
No problem with bending or kneeling 0

Manual dexterity

Cannot turn the pages of a book with either hand 15
Cannot turn a sink tap or the control knobs on a cooker with either hand 15
Cannot pick up a coin which is 2.5 cm or less in diameter with either hand 15
Cannot use a pen or pencil 15
Cannot tie a bow in laces or string 10
Cannot turn a sink tap or the control knobs on a cooker with one hand, but can with the other 6
Cannot pick up a coin which is 2.5 cm or less in diameter with one hand, but can with the other 6
No problem with manual dexterity 0

Lifting and carrying by the use of upper body and arms (excluding all other activities specified in these descriptors)

Cannot pick up a paperback book with either hand 15
Cannot pick up and carry a 0.5 litre carton of milk with either hand 15
Cannot pick up and pour from a full saucepan or kettle of 1.7 litre capacity with either hand 15
Cannot pick up and carry a 2.5 kg bag of potatoes with either hand 8
Cannot pick up and carry a 0.5 litre carton of milk with one hand, but can with the other 6
Cannot pick up and carry a 2.5 kg bag of potatoes with one hand, but can with the other 0
No problem with lifting and carrying 0

Reaching

Cannot raise either arm as if to put something in the top pocket of a coat or jacket 15
Cannot raise either arm to his head as if to put on a hat 15
Cannot put either arm behind back as if to put on a coat or jacket 15
Cannot raise either arm above head as if to reach for something 15
Cannot raise one arm to his head as if to put on a hat, but can with the other 6
Cannot raise one arm above his head as if to reach for something, but can with the other 0
No problem with reaching 0
Speech
Cannot speak 15
Speech cannot be understood by family or friends 15
Speech cannot be understood by strangers 15
Strangers have great difficulty understanding speech 10
Strangers have some difficulty understanding speech 8
No problems with speech 0

Hearing with a hearing aid or other aid if normally worn

Cannot hear sounds at all 15
Cannot hear well enough to follow a television programme with the volume turned up 15
Cannot hear well enough to understand someone talking in a loud voice in a quiet room 15
Cannot hear well enough to understand someone talking in a normal voice in a quiet room 10
Cannot hear well enough to understand someone talking in a normal voice on a busy street 8
No problem with hearing 0

Vision in normal daylight or bright electric light with glasses or other aid to vision if such aid is normally worn

Cannot tell light from dark 15
Cannot see the shape of furniture in the room 15
Cannot see well enough to read 16 point print at a distance greater than 20cm 15
Cannot see well enough to recognise a friend across the room at a distance of a least 5meters 12
Cannot see well enough to recognise a friend across the road at a distance of at least 15meters 8
No problem with vision 0
Continence (other than bedwetting)
No voluntary control over bowels 15
No voluntary control over bladder 15
Loses control of bowels at least once a week 15
Loses control of bowels at least once a month 15
Loses control of bowels occasionally 9
Loses control of bladder at least once a month 3
Loses control of bladder occasionally 0
No problem with continence 0

Remaining conscious without having epileptic or similar seizures during waking moments

Has an involuntary episode of lost or altered consciousness at least once a day 15
Has an involuntary episode of lost or altered consciousness at least once a week 15
Has an involuntary episode of lost or altered consciousness at least once a month 15
Has an involuntary episode of lost or altered consciousness at least twice in the 6 months before the day in respect to which it falls to be determined whether he is incapable of work for the purpose of entitlement to any benefit, allowance or advantage 12
Has an involuntary episode of lost or altered consciousness at least once in the 6 months before the day in respect to which it falls to be determined whether he is incapable of work for the purpose of entitlement to any benefit, allowance or advantage 8
Has an involuntary episode of lost or altered consciousness at least once in the 3 years before the day in respect to which it falls to be determined whether he is incapable of work for the purpose of entitlement to any benefit, allowance or advantage 0
Has no problems with consciousness 0

Mental Health Assessment

Descriptors and scores

When adding together the points for the mental health assessment you must add together ALL the points that apply to you for each statement.

Descriptors Points

Completion of tasks

Cannot answer the telephone and reliably take a message 2
Often sits for hours doing nothing 2
Cannot concentrate to read a magazine article or follow a radio or television programme 1
Cannot use a telephone book or other directory to find a number 1
Mental condition prevents him from undertaking leisure activities previously enjoyed 1
Overlooks of forgets the risk posed by domestic appliances or other common hazards due to poor concentration 1
Agitation, confusion or forgetfulness has resulted in potentially dangerous accidents in the 3 months before the day in respect to which it falls to be determined whether he is incapable of work for the purposes of entitlement to any benefit, allowance or advantage 1
Concentration can only be sustained by prompting 1

Daily living

Needs encouragement to get up and dress 2
Needs alcohol before midday 2
Is frequently distressed at some time of the day due to fluctuation of mood 1
Does not care about his appearance and living conditions 1
Sleep problems interfere with his daytime activities 1
Coping with pressure
Mental stress was a factor in making him stop work 2
Frequently feels scared or panicky for no obvious reason 2
Avoids carrying out routine activities because he is convinced they will prove too tiring or stressful 1
Is unable to cope with changes in daily routine 1
Frequently finds there are so many things to do that he gives up because of fatigue, apathy or disinterest 1
Is scared or anxious that work would bring back or worsen his illness 1

Interaction with other people

Cannot look after himself without help from others 2
Gets upset by ordinary events and results in disruptive behavioural problems 2
Mental problems impair ability to communicate with other people 2
Gets irritated by things that would not have bothered him before he became ill 1
Prefers to be left alone for 6 hours or more each day 1
Is too frightened to go out alone 1

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