Personal Independence Payment (PIP) guide

Although many people may be able to perform all the tasks involved in preparing a cooked main meal, things like fatigue, tiredness and weakness in the muscles may mean it would take them considerable time.

It is a measurement of your physical and mental capacity to carry out complex functions. The answers you give should show whether you are capable of performing certain necessary skills such as:

• manipulating or using cooking utensils
• turning taps on or off
• opening tins
• opening food packaging
• peeling or chopping vegetables
• lifting or moving hot pans and dishes safely

Think about all the different tasks involved preparing a main meal:

• does an inability to concentrate or think clearly make it difficult for you to plan a meal or perhaps you have difficulty remembering everything in the correct order or timings?
• do you use any aids to assist your memory and have you had any accidents or incidents such as burning food or pans?
• while peeling or chopping vegetables do you have difficulty gripping the knife and do you experience pain or discomfort?
• can you see what you are doing whilst preparing food and do you use aids and adaptions to assist you do this?
• do you need a perching stool whilst preparing food?
• do you have problems using various cooking utensils because of pain or discomfort and can you see to use them?
• do you use aids and adaptions to assist you to cook?
• if because of pain, fatigue or exhaustion you have to rest after completing a task, say so and for how long
• do you have to take a rest when preparing food?
• do you have problems with balance or dizziness which would make it dangerous for you, for example, when lifting or carrying pans and dishes containing hot liquids?
• have you had any accidents such as burns or scalds?
• do you have problems lifting pans or dishes due to pain, fatigue or weakness in your arms?
• do you need to use lightweight or adapted pans?
• do you have difficulty using the controls on the cooker and microwave or using water taps?
• do you use single lever taps or other aids or adaptions?
• do you have visual problems that make it difficult for you to read labels, instructions or use a cooker safely and do you use any aids or adaptions?
• do you have problems with memory or concentration that may mean you forget that you have turned on the gas or electricity?
• do you need to be told when food is cooked and do you use any aids to assist your memory?
• do you need supervision when preparing and cooking a meal or is it safe for you to cook a meal on your own?
• do you need to be told if food is fit to eat, for example, past its best by date?
• do you need motivating or prompting to cook and why?

Go into as much detail as possible and give an estimate of how much time it would take you to prepare a cooked meal, including the times you have to sit down and rest.