PIP cooking Q

kamabiki

1. c. Cannot cook a simple meal using a conventional cooker but is able to do so using a microwave. points. 2 points

What if a person is able to use a microwave but only to cook a microwave "ready" meal? But is unable to actually prepare anything without assistance (eg unable to safely use a knife)

antrobus

kamabiki wrote: »

What if a person is able to use a microwave but only to cook a microwave "ready" meal? But is unable to actually prepare anything without assistance (eg unable to safely use a knife)

Needs supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal. - 4 points

teddysmum

It's more generous than AA which only gives credit for being unable to actually eat the food. Hard luck if the person can eat but is not able to prepare.

Cpt.Scarlet

Penitent wrote: »

A ready meal is a simple meal, so cooking one in a microwave would be cooking a simple meal. It doesn't mention preparation.

No it isn't. A simple meal is legally defined as "cooked one-course meal for one using fresh ingredients"

antrobus

Cpt.Scarlet wrote: »

No it isn't. A simple meal is legally defined as "cooked one-course meal for one using fresh ingredients"

Basically, yes. CAB cite the example of "peel, chop and boil 2 large potatoes, open a tin of sweetcorn and fry a small piece of meat or fish".

If the OP requires "supervision or assistance" to do so they get 4 points. I don't think it matters whether or not they would use a conventional cooker or a microwave to do so.

kamabiki

I have found a tribunal case report from the pipinf website that basically confirms this. I can't post links but here is a quote

23. The mention of microwave cooking in descriptor 1c does not mean the heating of ready prepared microwave meals. It is still necessary for the claimant to be able to prepare and cook the food from fresh ingredients, the definition in the Schedule of a ‘simple meal’ being ‘a cooked one-course meal for one using fresh ingredients’. His inability to cut up fresh food in order to cook is evident from the finding that he cannot cut up cooked food; it means that he satisfies descriptor 1e "needs supervision or assistance to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal". This scores 4 points.

Prinzessilein

I was awarded 4 points for this descriptor...

In order to reheat a microwave meal, you do not simple pop the dish into the microwave....you need to be able to read/understand the instructions on the pack....you need to be able to remove the package from the cardboard sleeve...you need to (for most meals) pierce the plastic covering with a knife...you need to be able to set the power/timer...you need to be able to lift the hot dish out of the microwave and onto a tray/table...you need to be able to remove the hot plastic covering.

For me, the two big issues would be the use of a knife for piercing the plastic covering and the taking out of the hot dish and removing the hot plastic covering.

Remember for each task you need to be able to do it safely, repeatedly and reliably...otherwise you are deemed s unable to complete it.

Alice_Holt

As an aside - it's best to up from the highest points descriptor when assessing an activity, rather than down the list and stopping at the first descriptor that applies.