People across the UK can now make a claim for financial support through the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to help with the additional costs of living with long-Covid symptoms.
PIP is a benefit delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and helps cover the extra costs you may face if you need help with daily tasks or moving. The latest figures from the DWP show that by January 31 2022, there were almost 2.9million people across the nation claiming PIP for a long-term illness, disability or health condition - including 305,279 Scots.
However, included in those statistics are 850 claimants from Scotland, England and Wales who are now receiving PIP with long-Covid attributed as their main disabling condition.
While these figures may seem low, it's worth noting it's an increase of 137 cases with entitlement since October, 2021.
People living with long-Covid may not be aware they could be entitled to extra financial support of between £23.70 and £152.15 every week. PIP is paid every four weeks, so this amounts to between £94.80 and £608.60 each pay period.
PIP payment rates will increase on Monday, April 11 - more details about the new rates can be found below.
As of January 2022, the DWP figures show there have been:
- 726 claimants awarded PIP in England for Coronavirus COVID-19
- 96 claimants awarded PIP in Wales for Coronavirus COVID-19
- 28 claimants awarded PIP InScotland for Coronavirus COVID-19
However, the key thing to understand is that if you have been affected solely by long-Covid, or if it has made an existing condition worse, then you could be entitled to PIP if you have never claimed before or an enhanced payment rate if you are an existing claimant.
Find out if you can claim PIP by looking at the criteria set out by the DWP below.
What are the long-term effects of coronavirus?
The NHS website states : “For some people, coronavirus (Covid-19) can cause symptoms that last weeks or months after the infection has gone. This is sometimes called post-Covid-19 syndrome or ‘long-Covid’.”
About long-COVID
How long it takes to recover from Covid-19 is different for everybody.
Many people feel better in a few days or weeks and most will make a full recovery within 12 weeks, but for some people, symptoms can last longer.
The chances of having long-term symptoms does not seem to be linked to how ill you are when you first get Covid-19. People who had mild symptoms at first can still have long-term problems.
Symptoms of long-Covid
There are lots of symptoms you can have after a Covid-19 infection.
Common long COVID symptoms include:
- extreme tiredness (fatigue)
- shortness of breath
- chest pain or tightness
- problems with memory and concentration ('brain fog')
- difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- heart palpitations
- dizziness
- pins and needles
- joint pain
- depression and anxiety
- tinnitus, earaches
- feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
- a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
- Rashes
Who is eligible for PIP?
You do not need to have worked or paid National Insurance contributions to qualify for PIP, and it does not matter what your income is, if you have any savings or if you’re in or out of work - or on furlough.
You must also have a health condition or disability where you:
have had difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for three months
expect these difficulties to continue for at least nine months
The DWP will judge the eligibility of your PIP claim on a period of 12 months, looking back for three months and forward for nine months - they must consider if your illness changes over time.
You usually need to have lived in Scotland for at least two of the last three years and be in the country when you apply.
PIP daily living and mobility test
If you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying for PIP:
preparing, cooking or eating food
managing your medication
washing, bathing or using the toilet
dressing and undressing
engaging and communicating with other people
reading and understanding written information
making decisions about money
planning a journey or following a route
moving around - outside the home
What is classified as ‘help’ for a PIP claim
You are classified as needing help to do an activity if you need a person or a device to:
Do it for you
Do it with you
Remind you to do it
Watch you do it to keep you safe
You may also be classified as needing help if you do an activity yourself but:
You are not safe
You cannot complete the task well enough
You cannot complete the task often
It takes you a long time
PIP test scoring criteria
The PIP scoring criteria awards points for a statement which applies to you for each activity
The DWP will decide which statement best fits your situation most of the time. You will get a set amount of points ranging from 0 -12 for each activity.
The total number of points you get for each group of activities will decide whether you are entitled to PIP, and how much money you will receive.
To get the standard rate daily living component, you need to score between 8 to 11 points in total for the daily living activities. You need 12 points to get the enhanced rate.
To get the standard rate mobility component, you need to score between 8 to 11 points in total for the mobility activities. You need 12 points to get the enhanced rate.
How is PIP paid?
PIP is usually paid every four weeks unless you are terminally ill, in which case it is paid every week.
PIP will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account.
What are the PIP payment rates?
PIP is made up of two components - daily living and mobility.
Whether you get one or both of these and how much depends on how severely your condition affects you.
You could receive the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances:
Daily living
Standard rate - £60.00 (£61.85 from April 11)
Enhanced rate - £89.60 (£92.40 from April 11)
Mobility
Standard rate - £23.70 (£24.45 from April 11)
Enhanced rate - £62.55 (£64.50 from April 11)
How you are assessed
You will be assessed by an independent healthcare professional to help the DWP work out the level of help you need.
Face-to-face consultations are offered alongside telephone and video based assessments. All assessments will follow strict public health guidelines and put the safety of the claimant first - we have a full guide on how to prepare for assessments here.
How do you make a claim for PIP?
You can make a new claim by contacting the DWP, you’ll find all the information you need to apply on the gov.uk website here.
Before you call, you will need:
your contact details, for example telephone number
your date of birth
your National Insurance number - this is 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 abroad, in a care home or hospital
Once you have contacted the DWP, they will send you a document to complete which consists of 14 questions and a section for any additional information.
The questions focus on how your condition affects you - put as much relevant detail in as you can to help the assessor understand your physical and mental health needs.
If you have difficulty filling in your form or understanding the questions, contact your local council and ask for help or Citizens Advice Scotland.
We have a breakdown of all 14 questions here and you can take an anonymous self-test online at Benefits and Work to see how many points you would be awarded for each response.
For more information about PIP, visit GOV.UK here.
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