If you are living with an illness or disability that impacts your day-to-day life, then a little extra financial support to help with increased daily expenses which come as a result of your condition, could make life a little easier. Personal Independence Payment, or PIP as it is often referred to, is a benefit that is gradually replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and could provide that cash boost we are talking about.
Various conditions mean you qualify for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) distributed support. In fact, you many be eligible to apply for an award if you suffer from one of the 547 conditions listed under the main disability categories for the benefit. One such category is Neurological disorders - conditions which affect the brain and nervous systems. According to homecare.co.uk, whilst one of the most commonly known neurological disorders is dementia, there are many other examples which could mean you qualify for PIP. These include:
- Motor neurone disease
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Epilepsy
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s
- Narcolepsy
Neurological conditions vary in terms of severity and how a person experiences the disorder, this will affect the level of support they need in their day-to-day life. Nottinghamshire Live reported that there were some 384,832 claimants of PIP who suffered from Neurological disabling conditions, according to a report in April 2022.
Who is eligible for PIP
PIP is designed to provide help with extra living costs if you have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and therefore need extra help. Depending upon your condition's severity and how it impacts your day-to-day life, then PIP could be the benefit that you are eligible for. You will be assessed by a health professional to work out the level of help you can get and your rate will be reviewed to make sure you are getting the right support.
To be eligible for PIP, you must by over 16 and have a long term physical or mental health condition or disability which means you have difficulties doing certain everyday tasks or getting around. Claimants should expect their difficulties to continue for at least 12 from when they started.
If you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying.
- 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
Assessments will be made on how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they will 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
There are different rules if you are terminally ill, you will find these on the GOV.UK website.
How much you'll get
How much you get will depend on how difficult you find certain activities. There are two parts to the payment - daily living, and mobility - you will need an assessment to work out the level of financial help you will receive. Whether you get one or both of these and how much depends on how severely your condition affects you. Your rate will be regularly reviewed to make sure you are getting the right support.
You will be paid the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances:
Daily living
Standard rate: £61.85
Enhanced rate: £92.40
Mobility
Standard rate: £24.45
Enhanced rate: £64.50
In April 2023, certain benefit amounts are increasing. The boost comes after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt's, Autumn Statement. The news was delivered alongside confirmation that State Pension and benefits will increase by 10.1%, in line with the September Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate.
The proposed payment rate changes have been published by DWP on the government website - GOV.UK. It means people in receipt of PIP or DLA - Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment for those living in Scotland, which is the replacement for PIP north of the border - could receive regular payments every four weeks of between £107.60 and £691. At present, claimants can receive between £97.80 and £627.60 every payment period.
How is PIP paid?
PIP is usually paid every four weeks unless you are terminally ill, in which case it is paid weekly. PIP will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account.
Other help you can get
According to the Goverment website, if you get the mobility part of PIP, you might be eligible for a:
- Blue Badge
- vehicle tax discount or exemption
- Motability Scheme vehicle, if you get the higher mobility rate of PIP
Visit the government website for details of other help that you may to eligible for.
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