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Daily Record

Lifestyle

Linda Howard

PIP providing 35,000 people with diabetes across the UK with up to £627 each month

DWP diabetes United Kingdom Disability Scotland Daily Record

Nearly 35,000 working age adults across the UK are currently receiving up to £627.60 every four weeks to help with the additional costs of daily living or mobility needs as a result of diabetes. Approximately 276,000 people living in Scotland have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, yet only 3,741are claiming additional financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Thousands of people living with diabetes may not be aware of the financial support available from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) through PIP, however, those living in Scotland should be aware the benefit is being replaced by Adult Disability Payment(ADP). The devolved disability benefit will follow similar eligibility criteria and payment rates, but anyone making a new claim for PIP in Scotland should apply for ADP instead - find out more about this here.

Recent statistics from Diabetes UK show that more than 4.9 million people in the UK have diabetes with around 90 per cent of those living with Type 2 diabetes and around 8 per cent with Type 1 diabetes.

The latest figures from the DWP show that at the end of Ausgut, 2022 there were more than three million people across the UK claiming support through PIP, with just over one in three claimants (35%) receiving the highest level of award.

Of the overall total, 322,387 people living in Scotland are now receiving financial support of between £24.45 and £156.90 each week and as the benefit is paid every four weeks, this amounts to between £97.80 and £627.60 every payment period.

Breakdown of PIP claimants with diabetes

The DWP statistics also show there are 34,840 people in the UK claiming PIP for diabetes.

This includes:

Scotland: 3,741 claimants
England: 29,107 claimants
Wales: 1,989 claimants

Diabetes conditions supported through PIP

Diabetes mellitus Type 1 (insulin dependent): 11,109
Diabetes mellitus Type 2 (non insulin dependent): 12,592
Diabetes mellitus (category unknown): 11.140

Below is a simplified guide to the terminology used by the DWP with an explanation of the elements involved in a claim including components, rates and how the application is scored, which in turn determines the level of award a person receives.

If you’re in Scotland, find out more about Adult Disability Payment here.

We also have a dedicated section on the Daily Record website which offers help in understanding the process from start to finish and includes questions on the form, what happens during an assessment and a comprehensive breakdown of the questions you will need to answer - these and more can be found here.

Financial support is available from DWP (Shared Content Unit)

What is PIP?

PIP is a benefit which is gradually replacing DLA.

If you need extra help because of an illness, disability or mental health condition you could be eligible for PIP.

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.

Who is eligible for PIP?

To be eligible for PIP, you must have a health condition or disability where you:

have had difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for 3 months
expect these difficulties to continue for at least 9 months

You usually need to have lived in the UK for at least two of the last three years and be in the country when you apply.

In addition to what we have outlined above if you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying for PIP - or Adult Disability Payment, depending on where you live.

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, you will find these on the GOV.UK website here.

The DWP will assess 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

How is PIP or ADP paid?

Adult Disability Payment will be paid at the same rates as PIP.

PIP and ADP are usually paid every four weeks unless you are terminally ill, in which case it is paid weekly.

Bothe benefits will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account.

What are the payment rates?

You will need an assessment to work out the level of financial help you will receive and your rate will be regularly reviewed to make sure you are getting the right support.

In Scotland, this assessment will be done through the information provided in your application form along with evidence submitted by a health professional such as your doctor, carer or specialist. Supporting information can also come from a family member or someone who sees you regularly - ind out more about the changes here.

In the rest of the UK, claimants will need to attend an assessment either in person, over the phone or video call - more about this is detailed in the next section.

PIP is made up of two components:

Daily living
Mobility

Whether you get one or both of these and how much depends on how severely your condition affects you.

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

How you are assessed

If you are claiming PIP, you will be assessed by an independent healthcare professional to help the DWP determine the level of financial support, if any, you need.

Face-to-face consultations for health-related benefits are offered alongside video calls, telephone and paper-based assessments - it's important to be aware that there is no choice here, it's up to the health professional and DWP.

You can find out more about DWP PIP assessments here.

How do you make a new claim for PIP?

You can make a new claim for PIP by contacting the DWP, you will find all the information you need to apply on the GOV.UK website here.

Before you call, you will need:

your contact details
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. This includes space for any additional information you feel is relevant to your claim.

The questions focus on how your condition affects you, so put as much detail in as you can to help the assessor understand your physical or 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.

There is also an online PIP toolkit with examples of all the questions to help you answer fully with the most relevant information, find out more about this here.

Even if you don't qualify for financial support, you could be eligible for a National Entitlement Travel Card, which offers free or reduced travel across Scotland on most public transport links.

For more information about PIP, visit GOV.UK here.

Making a new claim for ADP

You can only make a claim for Adult Disability Payment if it is open in your area, if it is not, you will need to wait until August 29 - or make a claim for PIP instead.

It's worth noting that new claims for PIP currently take around 20 weeks to process.

ADP is open to new applications in:

Aberdeen City
Aberdeenshire
Angus
Dundee City
East Ayrshire
Fife
Moray
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
Perth and Kinross
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
Western Isles

For more content on ADP, check out the Daily Record’s dedicated section on it here.

Check online if you qualify for Adult Disability Payment

You can check if you meet the eligibility requirements to qualify for ADP before you start an application.

The simple online tool asks questions about:

where you live
any restrictions on your right to live in the UK
if you're on other benefits
your age

You will not be asked about your disability or health condition.

If you do not qualify for ADP, the Social Security Scotland tool will tell you what other benefits you may be able to claim.

Check if you qualify for Adult Disability Payment here.

To keep up to date with the latest benefits news, join our Money Saving Scotland Facebook group here, follow Record Money on Twitter here, or subscribe to our twice weekly newsletter here.