Physical disability test for incapacity benefit
Important
On 27 October 2008 Incapacity Benefit and Income Support on the grounds of sickness or disability were replaced by Employment and Support Allowance for new claims. People who are already on Incapacity Benefit or Income Support will continue to receive those benefits.
You should only continue to refer to these pages if you have an existing claim for Incapacity Benefit or Income Support on the grounds of sickness or disability. Otherwise you should refer to Employment and Support Allowance.
Physical disability test for incapacity benefit
If you score 15 points or more on this test you are incapable of work
-
If you scored less than 15 points, but scored 6 or more points on mental disabilities, these can be added to your physical points to see if you get 15.
You cannot add the scores from walking and using stairs together; you can only use the higher of the two. All other scores can be added together.
Walking on level ground with a walking stick or other aid if such aid is normally used
| Descriptors | Points |
|---|---|
| Cannot walk at all | 15 |
| Cannot walk for 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 for 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
| Descriptors | Points |
|---|---|
| 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 he goes sideways or one step at a time | 3 |
| No problem in walking up and down stairs | 0 |
Sitting in an upright chair with a back, but no arms
| Descriptors | Points |
|---|---|
| Cannot sit comfortably | 15 |
| Cannot sit comfortably for more than 10 minutes 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 minutes 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
| Descriptors | Points |
|---|---|
| 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
| Descriptors | Points |
|---|---|
| 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
| Descriptors | Points |
|---|---|
| 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 and kneeling | 0 |
Manual dexterity
| Descriptors | Points |
|---|---|
| Cannot turn the pages of a book with either hand | 15 |
| Cannot turn a tap or control knobs on a cooker with either hand | 15 |
| Cannot pick up a coin which is 2.5cm 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
| Descriptors | Points |
|---|---|
| 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
| Descriptors | Points |
|---|---|
| Cannot raise either arm to put something in the top pocket of a coat or jacket | 15 |
| Cannot raise either arm to his head to put on a hat | 15 |
| Cannot put either arm behind his back to put on a coat or jacket | 15 |
| Cannot raise either arm above his head to reach for something | 15 |
| Cannot raise one arm to his head to put on a hat, but can with the other | 6 |
| Cannot raise one arm above his head to reach for something, but can with the other | 0 |
| No problems with reaching | 0 |
Speech
| Descriptors | Points |
|---|---|
| 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
| Descriptors | Points |
|---|---|
| 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 problems with hearing | 0 |
Vision in normal daylight or bright electric light with glasses or other aid to vision if such aid is normally worn
| Descriptors | Points |
|---|---|
| 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 that 20cm | 15 |
| Cannot see well enough to recognise a friend across the room | 12 |
| Cannot see well enough to recognise a friend across the road | 8 |
| No problem with vision | 0 |
Continence (other than enuresis (bed wetting))
| Descriptors | Points |
|---|---|
| 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
| Descriptors | Points |
|---|---|
| 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 had 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 purposes of entitlement to any benefit, allowance or advantage | 12 |
| Has had an involuntary episode of lost or altered consciousness once in the 6 months before the day in respect to which it falls to be determined whether he is capable of work for the purposes of entitlement to any benefit, allowance or advantage | 8 |
| Has had an involuntary episode of lost or altered consciousness once in the 3 years before the day in respect to which it falls to be determined whether he is capable of work for the purposes of entitlement to any benefit, allowance or advantage | 0 |
| Has no problem with consciousness | 0 |