The Personal Capacity Assessment and Bending and/or Kneeling.

This activity has four descriptors. The figures in brackets are the points scored for each descriptor.

• Cannot bend to touch 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)

The guidance says that the first descriptor implies a very severe condition with spine and/or hip movements severely restricted or restricted by pain. The second and third descriptors look at the activity of bending and/kneeling as if to pick up something from the floor which involves flexing the lumbar spine, flexxing the hip joints and bending the knees to a squatting posistion.

The handbook states that the claimant's ability to squat should be looked at when considering the second and third descriptors even though this is not included in the wording.

The following are listed as relevant activities of daily living for these descriptors-

• Dressing and undressing, especially footwear;
• Getting in and out of the bath;
• Bending to reach the oven, front loading washing machine, low cupboards or shelves;
• Hanging laundry to dry;
• Carrying out household cleaning chores;
• Bending to tend to babies and toddlers;
• Gardening;
• Tending to pets.

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