People with certain respiratory conditions could get weekly benefit payments of up to £156 from the Department of Work and Pensions.
The government's Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefit is available to Brits with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
The payment is worth between £24.25 and £156.90 per week and is paid every four weeks, meaning it is worth up to £627.60 per month, reports Nottinghamshire Live.
Nearly three million people across the country are entitled to the payment, but some may not realise they qualify.
You can access the benefit if you have a number of medical conditions, including respiratory illnesses such as cystic fibrosis, emphysema and COPD.
There are a total of 24 respiratory conditions on the list that could entitle you to PIP. Currently more than 105,000 people in England claim support from the DWP for the condition.
The benefit can only be claimed if you are over 16 and under State Pension age, and if your ability to work is limited due to your symptoms.
In these cases you could also be eligible for ‘new style’ Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Here are the 24 respiratory conditions that could earn you PIP:
Diseases of the upper respiratory tract
- Sleep apnoea - obstructive
- Upper respiratory tract - Other diseases of / type not known
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Chronic bronchitis
- Emphysema
Bronchiectasis
Cystic Fibrosis
Asthma
Pulmonary fibrosis
- Extrinsic allergic alveolitis
- Fibrosing alveolitis
- Pulmonary fibrosis - Other / type not known
Pneumoconiosis
- Asbestosis
- Pneumoconiosis - coalworkers
- Pneumoconiosis - Other / type not known
- Silicosis
Granulomatous lung disease and pulmonary infiltration
- Granulomatous lung disease and pulmonary infiltration - Other / type not known
- Sarcoidosis
Disease of the pleura
- Empyema
- Pleura - Other diseases of / type not known
- Pleural effusion
- Pneumothorax
Lung transplantation
Heart and lung transplantation
Pulmonary embolus
Pneumonia
Lower respiratory tract - Other diseases of / type not known
How much PIP you get depends on how difficult it is for you to carry out certain everyday tasks.
This includes preparing and eating food, washing and getting dressed, basic toilet needs and moving around.
A DWP PIP assessor will decide this by asking questions of would-be claimants.
PIP awards can be indefinite, but are normally for a fixed period of time and are reviewed - some every 12 months.
A DWP PIP assessor will decide this by asking questions of would-be claimants.
PIP awards can be indefinite, but are normally for a fixed period of time and are reviewed - some every 12 months.
The length of the award is meant to take into account that claimants' mobility and living needs change over time.
In September the DWP confirmed that it will automatically extend existing PIP awards awaiting review from the current three months by up to 12 months.
This is due to long waiting lists for DWP decisions on PIP.
