To qualify for PIP, you must:

• be aged 16 or over and below State Pension age

• have a health condition or disability that affects your daily living and/or mobility

• have had these difficulties for at least 3 months and expect them to continue for at least 9 months

• meet the residence and immigration conditions

If you are already receiving PIP, you can continue to receive it after reaching State Pension age, as long as you remain eligible.

If you are a carer

If you care for someone and receive Carer’s Allowance, you can still claim PIP for your own needs.

• Claiming PIP will not affect your Carer’s Allowance

• If you receive PIP, someone who cares for you may be able to claim Carer’s Allowance

• You may also qualify for additional support, including help with Council Tax

PIP is made up of two components:

• A daily living component; and

• A mobility component 

Each of the components can be paid at either: 

1. The standard rate 

This relates to your ability to carry out daily living/ mobility activities is limited by the physical or mental condition you have.

2. The enhanced rate

This relates to your ability to carry out daily living/ mobility activities is severely limited by the physical or mental condition you have.

The rates for standard and enhanced daily living component is £68.10 and £114.60. For the mobility component it is £30.30 and  £76.70. 

To start a new claim for PIP you will need to telephone the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 0800 917 2222 (textphone 0800 917 7777). Lines will be open between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. 

Someone can make the call on your behalf, but you must be present at the time. 

The purpose of the initial claim is to check basic eligibility criteria and taking administrative information from you. If the eligibility conditions are not satisfied, you will be sent a disallowance letter. 

If you satisfy the eligibility conditions an individually barcoded form is sent to you ‘How your disability affects you’. You can also request a digital pack instead of a paper form. This may be helpful if you have someone else helping you with the form.

The PIP form will ask for information about how your condition affects you and you can also provide supporting evidence to support your claim. On the form there is a section for ‘additional information’, which can be completed by a carer or medical professional or friend. 

Evidence to include could be a report from an occupational therapist or consultant, information from your doctor or a support worker, or a statement from a carer/friend/ family member.  It is important to keep a copy of your form and any evidence you send. 

The form is long and complex, so you should take your time to complete it, and remember that you don’t have to complete it all in one go. 

Look at the 12 activities that are listed and work out which tests you satisfy before you fill in the form. It may be a good idea to get your carer to do the same to make sure that you don’t miss anything out. What is important to remember when answering the questions is ‘whether you need the help, not whether you are already getting it’.

You may want to consider contacting a local advice agency to locate an experienced welfare benefits adviser in your area to help you with the form. 

Time limits 

You have one month to return the completed PIP form, otherwise if you don't return it without good cause, this can result in the claim being terminated. You can request an extension if you have good reasons. To do this, you will need to contact the DWP PIP helpline again.

• Always use the ‘extra information’ boxes to explain exactly how your illness affects you.
  
  

• Do not feel you have to fit your answer into the box provided. You can use the space at the end of the form or extra sheets of paper if you need to.
  
  

• When you use extra paper, add your name and National Insurance number and staple it to the form securely.
  
  

• Try to give clear, short explanations and examples that are relevant to the activity.
  
  

• You do not have to get treatment or support to meet the criteria for PIP. If you don’t get all the support you need, think about how your life could be improved if someone could encourage, help or prompt you with the activity.
  
  

• Think about how you can do each activity.

a. Safely: Can you do the activity without causing danger to yourself or someone else?

b. Well enough: For example, you may be able to make a meal, but you will not be able to eat it if it is undercooked.

c. More than once: Can you repeat the activity as many times as you need to?

d. In a reasonable time: Does it take you longer to do the activity than it would take most people?

• To qualify for PIP,  you need to show that you need help with the activities on more than half the days in a year. Make it clear on the form how often you have problems with the activities.
  
  

• If your health changes,, explain how often this happens and the effect it has on you. It may help to keep a diary.

Definitions

• Supervision means you need another person watching over you all the time to make sure you are safe.
  
  

• Prompting means another person must remind or encourage you to do something or explain something to you.
  
  

• Assistance means another person is there to help you to do something physically. This does not include someone else speaking for you.
  
  

• Psychological distress means mental distress such as anxiety, confused emotions, hallucination, rage or depression.

Each of the PIP form questions is based on an activity in the daily living and mobility test.

You should answer them carefully and thoroughly.

• Questions 3–12 are for the daily living component.
  
  

• Question 13 and 14 are for the mobility component
  
  

• Question 15 is for additional information. You can write any extra information here which you think will help support your claim.
  
  

Please visit our web page 'PIP Application Questions  Guide'.

The form and any supporting evidence are then sent to a health professional. If enough information has been provided the assessment can be completed at this stage but most people will be asked to attend a face-to-face consultation. 

The health professional will then send a report to the decision maker. 

In order to qualify for PIP you will have to score a certain number of points. There are twelve activities and ten of these activities assess daily living and two of these activities assess mobility.

For each activity there are a set of ‘descriptors’ or tests.

To qualify for each component you will need:

• Standard rate of the daily living component
  
  

• You will need a score of at least eight points from the ten activities that assess daily living (activities 1-10).
  
  

• Enhanced rate of the daily living component
  
  

• You will need a score of at least twelve points from the ten activities that assess daily living.
  
  

• Standard rate of the mobility component
  
  

• You will need a score of at least eight points from the two activities that assess mobility (activities 11-12).
  
  

• Enhanced rate of the mobility component
  
  

• You will need a score of at least twelve points from the two activities that assess mobility.

There are special rules for claiming PIP if you have a terminal illness. You are considered terminally ill if you have a progressive condition and your life expectancy may be less than six months.

Key points:

• It can be difficult to predict life expectancy, and some people who claim under these rules may live longer than six months

• You do not need to meet the usual qualifying period (having the condition for 3 months and expecting it to last a further 9 months)

• You do not need to meet the usual past presence test (104 weeks in the last 156 weeks), but you must be in Great Britain when you claim

• Your claim should include an SR1 form, completed by a GP, consultant or other healthcare professional

• You will be given a freepost address for the SR1 form when you make your claim

• You do not need to complete the “How your disability affects you” form (PIP2) or attend a face-to-face assessment

• You or your representative will be asked some questions over the phone about your condition and mobility

• You will automatically receive the enhanced rate of the daily living component

• The mobility component will depend on how your condition affects your ability to get around

• You or someone on your behalf can make a claim by calling 0800 917 2222

Daily Living Activities

You are assessed across the following activities. Each activity has a range of descriptors with different points. Only the highest scoring descriptor that applies is counted for each activity.

• Preparing food (0–8 points)

• Taking nutrition (0–10 points)

• Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition (0–8 points)

• Washing and bathing (0–8 points)

• Managing toilet needs or incontinence (0–8 points)

• Dressing and undressing (0–8 points)

• Communicating verbally (0–12 points)

• Reading and understanding written information (0–8 points)

• Engaging with other people face to face (0–8 points)

• Making budgeting decisions (0–6 points)
  
  

Mobility Activities

• Planning and following journeys (0–12 points)

• Moving around (0–12 points)

How points are awarded

• Daily Living component

• 8-11 points = standard rate

• 12+ points = enhanced rate

Points are added from activities 1 to 10.

Only one descriptor per activity counts (the highest that applies).

Mobility component

8-11 points = standard rate

12+ points = enhanced rate

Points are added from the two mobility activities.

Fluctuating conditions

Your ability is assessed over a 12 month period.

A descriptor applies if it reflects your ability on more than 50% of days

If multiple descriptors apply, the one that applies most often is used

If no single descriptor applies over 50%, the one that applies most frequently is chosen

Awaiting treatment

If you are waiting for treatment, your assessment is based on your current condition, not the possible outcome of future treatment.

Reliability criteria

You must be able to complete an activity:

• safely

• to an acceptable standard

• repeatedly

• within a reasonable time (no more than twice as long as someone without your condition)

If not, you are treated as unable to complete the activity.

Risk and safety

An activity is considered unsafe if there is evidence that it is likely to cause harm, either to you or another person.

Aids, appliances and support

The assessment considers:

• aids (e.g. walking stick, glasses)

• appliances (e.g. wheelchair, prosthetics, stoma equipment)

• support from another person

You may score points if you:

• use aids

• could reasonably be expected to use them

• need help from another person

• Types of support

• Assistance: physical help with the task

• Prompting: reminders or encouragement

• Supervision: someone present to prevent risk

Support dogs

Guide, hearing and assistance dogs are recognised and considered where needed for mobility.

Unaided

“Unaided” means:

• no aids or appliances

• no help, prompting or supervision

Epilepsy and similar conditions

For fluctuating conditions such as epilepsy:

• assessment is based on overall impact

• risk of harm is a key consideration

• factors include seizure type, frequency, behaviour, recovery, and warning signs

A descriptor applies if there is evidence that a serious adverse event is likely when carrying out the activity.

To appeal a decision made that you do not agree with, you need to request a mandatory reconsideration, you can download a form here.

You usually have 30 days in which to do so, however it is possible to negotiate an extension to this time limit.

Please visit our web page ‘Challenging Benefit Decisions’ for further information.