Terminology
This section defines a number of terms used in this guide.
| Attention | Some personal service of an active nature, which is reasonably required in connection with bodily functions, carried out in the presence of the disabled person. This can include help by means of the spoken word, for example, persuading a person to do something like eating, or warning a visually impaired person of danger outdoors. Attention to enable a disabled person to take part in a reasonable level of social activity can be included, but the attention must be in connection with bodily functions. |
| Attention for a significant portion of the day | Means help required only at certain times of the day, not on-going throughout the day. The help may be needed all at once or on a number of occasions. What may amount to a ‘significant portion of the day’ will depend largely on a person’s individual circumstances, although attention required for an hour in total is likely to be sufficient. Attention required for a total of less than an hour may be sufficient if providing the attention required disrupts the carer’s life because it is needed often or if it is of a very intense nature. |
| Awake and watching over | Means that another person has to:
It is not enough for the person to be asleep and ready to wake up and intervene when required. The risk of substantial danger must be such that the person has to stay awake for a time or make arrangements to wake up several times to prevent or deal with the danger. |
| Bodily functions | Include such things as:
Help with bodily functions can include help with laundry where this forms part of a continuous episode of attention of a personal and intimate nature in connection with a bodily function. |
| Children | Persons aged under 16, or aged 16–18 in full-time education up to A-level standard or equivalent, or aged 19 and in full-time, non-advanced education or approved training provided they began the course before reaching 19; and some persons aged 16–17, not in full-time education or on a training course, who are registered for employment, training or education with a qualifying body. |
| Continual supervision throughout the day | Means supervision going on all the time, subject to brief interruptions only. Supervision means staying close to people in order to be able to prevent or deal with substantial danger. It often means having to stay in the same room. Just being on hand does not count as supervision unless by being on hand someone could prevent an accident or other danger which is likely to happen or cause substantial harm. |
| European Economic Area (EEA) | The European Economic Area (EEA) is made up of all European Union (EU) countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Gibraltar and Switzerland are treated like EEA countries for social security purposes. |
| Frequent attention throughout the day | The words have their normal meaning – the need for care may be continuous or it may be at frequent intervals. A person may not get Attendance Allowance (AA), or the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), if the only help they need is with getting in and out of bed during the day, or they need only a little help when dressing and undressing. |
| Great Britain (GB) | Great Britain (GB) means England, Scotland and Wales. |
| Inability to prepare a cooked main meal | This is a “hypothetical” test of whether someone would have the ability to carry out the various tasks necessary to make a meal for themselves, if they had the ingredients. This includes the mental ability to plan a meal. It has nothing to do with the person’s actual domestic arrangements. |
| Needs guidance or supervision outdoors | Most of the time the person needs help to make their way safely because of a physical or mental disability. They are treated as needing this help even if they can make their way on a familiar route. |
| Partner | Husband, wife, civil partner, or a person you are living with as if you are married or civil partners. |
| Prolonged or repeated attention during the night | Means that a person must need help at night for more than a few minutes, or that it is needed several times. ‘Prolonged’ has been interpreted as meaning 20 minutes or more; ‘repeated’ as twice or more. |
| Severe behavioural problems | Disruptive behaviour which is extreme and unpredictable, requiring someone on hand ready to intervene physically on a regular basis to prevent physical injury or damage to property whenever the person is awake. |
| Severely mentally impaired | Suffering from arrested or incomplete development of the brain, to the extent that the person will never gain more than the most basic skills. |
| Unable or virtually unable to walk | A person’s walking ability, having regard to the distance or speed at which, length of time for which, or manner in which a person can walk without severe discomfort. It also takes account of whether walking would put a person’s health or life at risk. It does not take account of where they live or work, or the nature of their work. |
| United Kingdom (UK) | United Kingdom (UK) means GB and Northern Ireland, but not Jersey or Guernsey or the Isle of Man. |