Resources glossary

Here are a list of terms used in our free online resources and the meaning of them.

 

Attention - attendance allowance

This is help of an active nature needed to be given in your presence. This can include help given to wash, dress or to go to the toilet. It can also be more indirect help, such as signing, reading aloud or prompting and encouragement.

Attention - disability living allowance (DLA) and child disability payment (CDP)

This is help of an active nature needed to be given in your child's physical presence. This can include help given to wash, dress or to go to the toilet (providing the help needed is substantially greater than that of a child of the same age who is in normal physical and mental health). It can also be more indirect help, such as signing, reading aloud or prompting and encouragement.

Blind and deaf - DLA and CDP

To satisfy this test, your child must have 100% disablement from loss of sight and 80% disablement from loss of hearing.

Bodily functions

These include hearing, eating, seeing, washing, reading, communicating, walking, drinking, sitting, sleeping, dressing or undressing, using the toilet, shaving, shampooing and help with medication. Anything to do with the body and how it works can count.

Continual

Means regular checking but not non-stop supervision; it does not have to be constant.

Frequent

Means several times, not once or twice.

Guidance or supervision on unfamiliar routes - DLA and CDP

Your child can get the lower rate of the mobility component if they can walk but need someone on hand to guide or supervise them. If they are blind, have learning disabilities or are mentally ill, they may qualify for this rate. The test is based on their ability to cope with unfamiliar routes (for example, they may be able to find their way to your local shop but become confused, lost or anxious if walking in a strange place).

Nearing the end of life

Someone is considered to be nearing the end of their life if they are suffering from a progressive disease where death can reasonably be expected within 12 months. In this case, a claim can be made under 'special rules' to ensure that it is dealt with swiftly.

An award made under the special rules will usually be for a fixed period of three years; after that period it will be reviewed.

If you are claiming under the special rules, you will be asked to send a factual statement (an SR1 form) from your doctor or consultant to the Department for Work and Pensions when you make the claim. Doctors, consultants and Macmillan nurses should have a supply of SR1 forms.

Needs - attendance allowance

This is help that is reasonably needed, not what is actually given, nor what is medically essential. This is help to lead as normal a life as possible. This includes help you need outside your home. For example, you can be given help to take part in ‘reasonable’ social activities.

Needs - DLA and CDP

This is help that is reasonably needed, not what is actually given, nor what is medically essential. This is help to lead as normal a life as possible. This includes help your child needs outside your home. For example, they can be given help to take part in ‘reasonable’ social activities.

Night

This is when the household has closed down for the night. It is generally the time when an adult is in bed but must be more or less within night-time hours - generally between the hours of 11pm and 7am.

Prolonged

Means some little time (at least 20 minutes).

Repeated

Means two or more times.

Severe mental impairment and disruptive behaviour - DLA and CDP

Severe mental impairment refers to someone who ‘has arrested or incomplete physical development of the brain resulting in severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning’.

The disruptive behaviour must be extreme. Your child must regularly need physical restraint to prevent physical injury or damage to property. They must also need someone to watch over them whenever they are awake because of the unpredictability of their behaviour.

Severe impairment of intelligence is determined in many ways. It can be through an IQ test or by assessing someone's ‘useful intelligence’ - the ability to function in a real-life context. 

Severe visual impairment - CDP

Your child will be considered to have a severe visual impairment if,

• their best affected visual acuity (with both eyes open) is equal to or worse than 6/18/0.5 logmar;
• they require N18 print or larger to read comfortably;
• they have a visual field loss (with both eyes open) which significantly affects function;
• they have an eye movement disorder which significantly affects visual function; or
• they have a form of visual cognitive visual disfunction due to disorders of the brain which can be demonstrated to significantly affect function.

Severe visual impairment - DLA

Your child will be considered to have a severe visual impairment if they have visual acuity, with appropriate corrective lenses if necessary,

• of less than 3/60; or
• of 3/60 or more, but less than 6/60, and a complete loss of peripheral vision and severely restricted central vision of no more than 10 degrees.

Your child must be certified by a consultant ophthalmologist as severely sight impaired or blind. If your child has a CVI (certificate of vision impairment), this may provide enough information but if not, or if you tell the DWP your child's eyesight has worsened, your child may be referred for a sight test.

Significant part of the day

This is at least an hour, though not necessarily all at once.

Less than one hour’s care may still count as a significant portion of the day. In deciding this, your position as carer may be taken into account. If your own life is disrupted by the need to give attention for short periods of time on a considerable number of occasions during the day, then those periods of providing attention taken together may be significant, even though individually they may be relatively insignificant. Periods of intense, concentrated activity may be more significant than more routine tasks.

Specified accomodation

‘Specified accommodation’ is:

• accommodation provided by a non-metropolitan county council, housing association, registered social landlord, registered charity or voluntary organisation, where you are given ‘care, support or supervision’;
• accommodation provided by a housing association, registered charity, voluntary organisation, English county council or a local authority hostel, in which you get care, support or supervision; or
• accommodation in a refuge provided by a local authority or a housing association, registered charity, voluntary organisation or English county council because you have left home as a result of domestic violence.

Substantial danger

The danger must be real, not just remotely possible. The fact that an incident may be isolated or infrequent does not rule this out. As well as looking at the chances of the incident happening, the Department for Work and Pensions decision maker must look at the likely consequences if it does. If the consequences could be dire, then the frequency with which it is likely to happen becomes less relevant.

Supervision

This is watching over, ready to intervene.

Temporary accomodation

‘Temporary accommodation’ is defined as accommodation where:

• you pay rent to a local authority (or other provider of social housing); and
• they have provided you with the accommodation because you are homeless (or to prevent you from becoming homeless); and
• it is not supported accomodation (which is similar to 'specified accommodation' - see above).

Terminally ill (CDP and adult disability payment)

You or your child are regarded as having a terminal illness if, in the judgement of a doctor, consultant or nurse who is involved in your or your child's diagnosis or care, you or your child have a progressive disease which can reasonably be expected to cause your or their death. Your or your child's doctor, consultant or nurse will need to complete a 'Benefits Assessment Special Rules in Scotland' (BASRiS) form to confirm this. They should have a supply of these forms.

Throughout

This means spread over the day.

Virtually unable to walk - DLA and CDP

This test looks at your child's ability to walk out of doors on a normal flat-surfaced and level pavement or road. The following factors are taken into account:

• the distance they can walk;
• the speed of their walking;
• the length of time it takes; and
• the manner of their walking.

When deciding how far your child can walk, note that any walking done whilst they are experiencing ‘severe discomfort’ does not count. For example; your child may be able to walk 100 metres, but can only do the last 80 metres in severe discomfort. It would be reasonable in this case to say that they can only walk 20 metres. Pain and breathlessness are also considered when assessing whether or not your child experiences severe discomfort.

Work capability amount - universal credit

The work capability amount is an extra amount included in your universal credit award if you have a 'limited capability for work-related activity'. This is tested under a 'work capability assessment'.

The work capability amount cannot always be included in your award immediately; a 'waiting period' of three months usually applies first of all. This will normally begin once you provide the DWP with a 'fit note'. During the waiting period, you should undergo the work capability assessment.