Activity 15: Conveying food or drink to the mouth
Activity 15 is defined in regulations as -
Conveying food or drink to the mouth.
Activity 15 assesses the effect of physical or mental disability on a person's ability to convey food or drink to the mouth. Conditions causing severe upper limb impairment such as in severe neurological conditions may be relevant, and severe disorders of mood may also result in difficulty managing to effectively maintain nutrition, for example in severe anorexia nervosa.
Descriptors
The descriptors that relate to Activity 15 are -
- Cannot convey food or drink to the claimant's own mouth without receiving physical assistance from someone else;
- Cannot convey food or drink to the claimant's own mouth without repeatedly stopping or experiencing breathlessness or severe discomfort;
- Cannot convey food or drink to the claimant's own mouth without receiving regular prompting given by someone else in the claimant's presence; or
- Owing to a severe disorder of mood or behaviour, fails to convey food or drink to the claimant's own mouth without receiving: (i) physical assistance from someone else; or (ii) regular prompting given by someone else in the claimant's presence.
Sources:
- Schedule 3 to the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008 (SI.No.794/2008) and Schedule 3 to SR.No.280/2008 in Northern Ireland (apply to income-related and old-style contributory ESA).
- Schedule 3 to the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2013 (SI.No.379/2013) and Schedule 3 to SR.No.219/2016 in Northern Ireland (apply to new-style contributory ESA).
- Schedule 7 to the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 (SI.No.376/2013) and Schedule 7 to SR.No.216/2016 in Northern Ireland (apply to universal credit).
See also section 2.3.1.9 of the DWP’s Work Capability Assessment handbook: for healthcare professionals.
Case law
The Upper Tribunal is yet to publish any significant case law in relation to Activity 15.