Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can help with extra living costs if you have both:
• a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
• difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition
You can get PIP even if you’re working, have savings or are getting most other benefits.
How PIP works
There are 2 parts to PIP:
a daily living part - if you need help with everyday tasks
a mobility part - if you need help with getting around
Whether you get one or both parts and how much you get depends on how difficult you find everyday tasks and getting around.
Daily living part
You might get the daily living part of PIP if you need help with:
eating, drinking or preparing food
washing, bathing and using the toilet
dressing and undressing
reading and communicating
managing your medicines or treatments
making decisions about money
socialising and being around other people
Mobility part
You might get the mobility part of PIP if you need help with:
working out a route and following it
physically moving around
leaving your home
You do not have to have a physical disability to get the mobility part. You might also be eligible if you have difficulty getting around because of a cognitive or mental health condition, like anxiety.
How difficulty with tasks is assessed
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they’ll look at:
whether you can do it safely
how long it takes you
how often your condition affects this activity
whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment
Your carer could get Carer’s Allowance if you have substantial caring needs.
Eligibility
You can get Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if all of the following apply to you:
you’re 16 or over
you have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
you have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around
you expect the difficulties to last for at least 12 months from when they started
You must also be under State Pension age if you’ve not received PIP before.
If you’re over State Pension age, you can apply for Attendance Allowance instead. Or if you’ve received PIP before, you can still make a new claim if you were eligible for it in the year before you reached State Pension age.
Assess your ability to get awarded PIP by scoring yourself against the below criteria:
1. Preparing food.
a. Can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided. 0 points.
b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal. 2 points.
c. Cannot cook a simple meal using a conventional cooker but is able to do so using a microwave. points. 2 points
d. Needs prompting to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal. 2 points.
e. Needs supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal. 4 points.
f. Cannot prepare and cook food. 8 points.
2. Taking nutrition.
a. Can take nutrition unaided. 0 points.
b. Needs –
(i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to take nutrition; or
(ii) supervision to be able to take nutrition; or
(iii) assistance to be able to cut up food. 2 points.
c. Needs a therapeutic source to be able to take nutrition. 2 points.
d. Needs prompting to be able to take nutrition. 4 points.
e. Needs assistance to be able to manage a therapeutic source to take nutrition. 6 points.
f. Cannot convey food and drink to their mouth and needs another person to do so. 10 points.
3. Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition.
a. Either –
(i) does not receive medication or therapy or need to monitor a health condition; or
(ii) can manage medication or therapy or monitor a health condition unaided. 0 points.
b. Needs either –
(i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage medication; or
(ii) supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage medication or monitor
a health condition. 1 point.
c. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes no more than 3.5 hours a week. 2 points.
d. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 3.5 but no more than 7 hours a week. 4 points.
e. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 7 but no more than 14 hours a week. 6 points.
f. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 14 hours a week. 8 points.
4. Washing and bathing.
a. Can wash and bathe unaided. 0 points.
b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to wash or bathe. 2 points.
c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe. 2 points.
d. Needs assistance to be able to wash either their hair or body below the waist. 2 points.
e. Needs assistance to be able to get in or out of a bath or shower. 3 points.
f. Needs assistance to be able to wash their body between the shoulders and waist. 4 points.
g. Cannot wash and bathe at all and needs another person to wash their entire body. 8 points.
5. Managing toilet needs or incontinence.
a. Can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided. 0 points.
b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage toilet needs or incontinence. 2 points.
c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to manage toilet needs. 2 points.
d. Needs assistance to be able to manage toilet needs. 4 points.
e. Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel. 6 points.
f. Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of both bladder and bowel. 8 points.
6. Dressing and undressing.
a. Can dress and undress unaided. 0 points.
b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to dress or undress. 2 points.
c. Needs either -
(i) prompting to be able to dress, undress or determine appropriate circumstances for remaining clothed; or
(ii) prompting or assistance to be able to select appropriate clothing. 2 points.
d. Needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their lower body. 2 points.
e. Needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their upper body. 4 points.
f. Cannot dress or undress at all. 8 points.
7. Communicating verbally.
a. Can express and understand verbal information unaided. 0 points.
b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to speak or hear. 2 points.
c. Needs communication support to be able to express or understand complex verbal information. 4 points.
d. Needs communication support to be able to express or understand basic verbal information. 8 points.
e. Cannot express or understand verbal information at all even with communication support. 12 points.
8. Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words.
a. Can read and understand basic and complex written information either unaided or using spectacles or contact lenses. 0 points.
b. Needs to use an aid or appliance, other than spectacles or contact lenses, to be able to read or understand either basic or complex written information. 2 points.
c. Needs prompting to be able to read or understand complex written information. 2 points.
d. Needs prompting to be able to read or understand basic written information. 4 points.
e. Cannot read or understand signs, symbols or words at all. 8 points.
9. Engaging with other people face to face.
a. Can engage with other people unaided. 0 points.
b. Needs prompting to be able to engage with other people. 2 points.
c. Needs social support to be able to engage with other people. 4 points.
d. Cannot engage with other people due to such engagement causing either –
(i) overwhelming
psychological distress to the claimant; or
(ii) the claimant to exhibit behaviour which would result in a substantial risk of harm to the claimant or another person. 8 points.
10. Making budgeting decisions.
a. Can manage complex budgeting decisions unaided. 0 points.
b. Needs prompting or assistance to be able to make complex budgeting decisions. 2 points.
c. Needs prompting or assistance to be able to make simple budgeting decisions. 4 points.
d. Cannot make any budgeting decisions at all. 6 points.
MOBILITY ACTIVITIES
1. Planning and following journeys.
a. Can plan and follow the route of a journey unaided. 0 points.
b. Needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant. 4 points.
c. Cannot plan the route of a journey. 8 points.
d. Cannot follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, assistance dog or orientation aid. 10 points.
e. Cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant. 10 points.
f. Cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid. 12 points.
2. Moving around.
a. Can stand and then move more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided. 0 points.
b. Can stand and then move more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided. 4 points.
c. Can stand and then move unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres. 8 points.
d. Can stand and then move using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres. 10 points.
e. Can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided. 12 points.
f. Cannot, either aided or unaided, –
(i) stand; or
(ii) move more than 1 metre. 12 points.
To get an award of the daily living component or mobility, you need to score:
8 points for the standard rate
12 points for the enhanced rate
To claim PIP, you need to:
Call to start your claim. You’ll then be sent a form that asks about your condition.
Complete and return the form.
You might need to have an assessment, if more information is needed.
Call the ‘PIP new claims’ phone line. Telephone: 0800 917 2222
You’ll need to give the following information:
your contact details, for example telephone number
your date of birth
your National Insurance number, if you have one (you can find this on letters about tax, pensions and benefits)
your bank or building society account number and sort code
your doctor or health worker’s name, address and telephone number
dates and addresses for any time you’ve spent in a care home or hospital
dates for any time you spent abroad for more than 4 weeks at a time, and the countries you visited
Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance helps with extra costs if you have a disability severe enough that you need someone to help look after you.
It’s paid at 2 different rates and how much you get depends on the level of care that you need because of your disability.
You could get £60 or £89.60 a week to help with personal support if you’re both:
physically or mentally disabled
State Pension age or older
It does not cover mobility needs.
The other benefits you get can increase if you get Attendance Allowance.
You do not have to have someone caring for you in order to claim.
Eligibility
You can get Attendance Allowance if you’ve reached State Pension age and the following apply:
you have a physical disability (including sensory disability, for example blindness), a mental disability (including learning difficulties), or both
your disability is severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, for your own or someone else’s safety
you have needed that help for at least 6 months (unless you’re terminally ill)
You must also:
be in Great Britain when you claim - there are some exceptions, such as members and family members of the armed forces
have been in Great Britain for at least 2 of the last 3 years (this does not apply if you’re a refugee or have humanitarian protection status)
be habitually resident in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands
not be subject to immigration control (unless you’re a sponsored immigrant)
Your savings and investments
If you have £10,000 or less in savings and investments this will not affect your Pension Credit.
If you have more than £10,000, every £500 over £10,000 counts as £1 income a week. For example, if you have £11,000 in savings, this counts as £2 income a week.
Disability Living allowance
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children may help with the extra costs of looking after a child who:
is under 16
has difficulties walking or needs much more looking after than a child of the same age who does not have a disability
Usually, to qualify for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children the child must:
be under 16 - anyone over 16 must apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
need extra looking after or have walking difficulties
be in England, Wales, a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland when you claim - there are some exceptions, such as family members of the Armed Forces
have lived in Great Britain for at least 6 of the last 12 months, if over 3 years old
be habitually resident in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands
not be subject to immigration control
Carers allowance
You could get £67.60 a week if you care for someone at least 35 hours a week and they get certain benefits.
You do not have to be related to, or live with, the person you care for.
You do not get paid extra if you care for more than one person.
If someone else also cares for the same person as you, only one of you can claim Carer’s Allowance.
