The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently confirmed that almost three million people across the UK are in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefits, but the amount of help a claimant gets depends on the type of condition they have. The DWP then has to made a judgement on how it think this condition impacts a claimant's life.
PIP payments are paid every four weeks, with claimants receiving anything from £97.80 to £627.60 per month. The benefit also comes into two parts, comprising a daily living part for people struggling with everyday tasks and mobility support for those needing help moving around, the Mirror reports.
Both parts of the benefit come with a standard rate and an enhanced rate. Being eligible to claim either one or both of these depends on how difficult people find everyday tasks and getting around.
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According to the DWP's recent quarterly review, 35% of all claimants get the highest level of award. This report also highlighted the five more common disabling conditions people claim for, which are:
Psychiatric disorders
Statistics released this year show that 37% of people claiming PIP are reviewed for having a psychiatric disorder. This makes it the most common condition people are claiming for.
Psychiatric conditions can include anxiety, stress, depressive and mood disorders, OCD and cognitive disorders.
Musculoskeletal disease (general)
This includes conditions that affect the muscles, bones, and or joints. It includes conditions such as arthritis.
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Musculoskeletal disease (regional)
This includes a group of conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system, including muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and joints in a particular part of the body.
Neurological diseases
Anyone who suffers from muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, headache, multiple sclerosis, neuropathy, and other movement disorders comes under this category.
Respiratory diseases
Conditions include asthma, diseases of the upper respiratory tract, pulmonary fibrosis, and cystic fibrosis.
What are the PIP pay rates?
All payments vary depending on the condition a claimant has and how the DWP thinks it affects their daily life.
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There are two rates for each component, including:
Daily living tasks
- Standard rate - £61.85 a week (2022/2023). Equivalent to £247.40 a month or £3,216.20 a year
- Enhanced rate - £92.40 a week (2022/2023). Equivalent to £369.60 a month or £4,804.80 a year.
Mobility tasks
- Standard rate - £24.45 a week (2022/2023). Equivalent to £97.80 a month or £1,271.40 a year
- Enhanced rate - £64.50 a week (2022/2023). Equivalent to £258 a month or £3,354 a year.
Benefits and Work say the decision about a person's entitlement to the daily living component and the rate depends on the number of points scored in the following activities:
- Preparing food
- Taking nutrition
- Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition
- Washing and bathing
- Managing toilet needs or incontinence
- Dressing and undressing
- Communicating verbally
- Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words
- Engaging with other people face-to-face
- Making budgeting decisions
Claimants are given points for each of the 10 categories.
To be eligible for the daily living component, people need to score:
- Eight points for the standard rate
- 12 points for the enhanced rate.
The decision about whether a person should get the mobility component, and at what rate, is based on the number of points they score for:
- Planning and following journeys
- Moving around outside the home
Both of these activities are divided into a number of point-scoring descriptors.
Claimants can get an award for the mobility component if they score:
- Eight points for the standard rate
- 12 points for the enhanced rate
To be eligible for PIP, all of the following must apply to the claimant:
- They’re 16 or over
- They have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
- They have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around
- They expect the difficulties to last for at least 12 months from when they started
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