Child Disability Payment decision making guide

Preparing a cooked main meal

The purpose of considering if an individual can prepare a cooked main meal (CDP regs, reg. 11(1)) is to determine their ability to perform key daily activities. This involves looking at the individual’s physical and mental ability to perform complex functions.

The purpose is not to consider the individual’s ability to either:

  • cook
  • enjoy a reasonable diet

without attention from another person.

Entitlement to the care component on this basis applies only to individuals who are aged 16 years and above.

Case managers should consider the individual’s ability to perform activities involved in cooking. This might include actions directly connected with cooking like:

  • gripping
  • bending
  • lifting
  • carrying.

The case manager may also consider other activities using the same bodily functions that are normally used in cooking, for example:

  • eating
  • washing
  • driving
  • shopping
  • cleaning
  • being aware of danger
  • any other physical or mental activity using the same bodily functions as are normally used in cooking.

The meal must be freshly prepared from ingredients on a daily basis. It does not involve reheating food by, for example, using a microwave or a ready meal.

Factors such as diet, culture and the type of facilities or equipment available are not relevant considerations.

Relevant factors include:

  • planning a meal
  • motivation to prepare and cook a meal
  • checking food is cooked
  • timing actions
  • handling utensils
  • turning water, electricity and gas taps on and off
  • peeling and chopping vegetables
  • using a cooker
  • coping with hot pans
  • completing all actions in a logical order.

This list is not exhaustive.

Case managers should:

  • take a broad view of the individual’s abilities over a period of time
  • consider all of the available supporting information.

Safety

Individuals who can physically manage all the actions necessary to prepare a cooked main meal could satisfy the eligibility criteria. This is because they could be at risk of injury whilst cooking. The risk must be of real and tangible danger.

Mental health conditions

Individuals who are unable to start to prepare a meal or to complete it once started, will satisfy the criterion. The lack of motivation to cook or fear of cooking must be the result of mental disability. Examples of this would be depression or anorexia.

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