Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a benefit administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to people with a disability or long-term physical or mental health condition.
It is intended to offer financial support for those over the age of 16 and under the State Pension age who require help with day-to-day living costs as a result of their condition.
Claimants receive between £97.80 and £627.60 every four weeks through the benefit, dependent on the extent to which their health affects their life.
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It consists of two separate components — a daily living component and a mobility component — and claimants may be eligible to receive one or both of them.
As reported by the Daily Record, you do not need to be in work or have paid National Insurance contributions in order to be eligible for PIP, and your income is not considered.
In order to be eligible for PIP, you must have had difficulties with daily living and/or getting around for three months, and expect that these difficulties will persist for at least nine more months.
In addition, claimants normally must have lived in the UK for at least two of the last three years and be in the country when they apply.
If you require or already receive help with any of the following tasks as a result of your disability or condition, you may be eligible 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
There are different rules if you are terminally ill, which you can find on the GOV.UK website here.
PIP test online
If you believe you may be entitled to PIP, you can quickly check whether you may qualify by competing a self-test on the Benefits and Work website.
Benefits and Work shares in independent and free guides for making benefits claims, helping people get the best chance of succeeding in their application.
The self-test has questions plus the points awarded for each descriptor answer and will help you determine:
Whether you would score enough points to receive PIP for each component (daily living and mobility)
Whether you would qualify for the standard or enhanced rate of each component
You can also be sent an email with your results which may help you fill out the 'How your disability affects you' evidence form from the DWP if you decide to apply for PIP.
According to the Benefits and Work website: “Your email address will not be used for any other purpose and will be deleted when we do our regular housekeeping.”
Emails come from noreply@mybenefitsandwork.co.uk.
Cheek your spam folder if it doesn't arrive within a few minutes of clicking 'submit'.
When you are assessing yourself, the law says that you only count as being able to do something if you can do it:
Safely - meaning in a manner unlikely to cause harm to you or to another person, either during or after completion of the activity
To an acceptable standard - For example, in 'preparing food', the meal you make should not be burnt or for 'planning and following journeys', you should get to your intended destination
Repeatedly and in a reasonable time period - meaning as often as the activity is reasonably required to be completed, where applicable
Guidance also states that 'pain, fatigue, breathlessness, nausea and motivation' should all be taken into account.
How many points do you need to be awarded PIP?
If you receive a score of between eight and 11 points for the daily living needs part of the test, you will be given the standard rate of the daily living component, and if you have a score of 12 or more you will get the enhanced rate.
If you receive a score of between eight and 11 points for the mobility needs needs part of the test, you will be given the standard rate of the mobility component, and if you have a score of 12 or more you will get the enhanced rate.
It is important to note that if you are visually impaired and require a long white cane — not the shorter, symbol one — to move around outside your home, you may be eligible for the enhanced rate of the mobility component.
That is because this immediately scores 12 points on the PIP claim form if the adaptive aid is required on any familiar or unplanned route.
What are the PIP payment rates for 2022/23
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
Additional payment
If you qualify for PIP, you will also receive a Christmas bonus which is £10 each year - this is paid automatically and it does not affect any other benefits which you may be receiving.
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
You can take the self test here and start the PIP claim process on the GOV.UK website here.
