How to apply

To make a claim: Call: 0800 917 2222

Make sure you have the following:

• 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

1: Healthcare contacts

You need to provide the contact details and the date of your last appointment for any health professional you've seen about your condition.

These could include:

• GP, nurse

• Psychiatrist, psychologist or occupational therapist

• Care co-ordinator

• Community psychiatric nurse (CPN)

• Social or support worker

• Hospital consultant

If you don’t know the exact date, you last saw them it's ok to just give the year. If a family member cares for you, you can add their details in question 15.

2a: Your health conditions

You are required to list the physical and mental health conditions you have and the date they started. You should give your most recent diagnosis first, and list any previous conditions if they are relevant.

You are not required to go into detail as to how it affects you as questions 3-15 will cover this.

For example:

• Health condition or disability - Anxiety and depression: Year started - 2019

• Health condition or disability - Arthritis - Year started - 2017
  
  

If you do not have a diagnosis, explain why and give the main symptoms of your condition.

2b: Your medication or treatment

You should list all paid for or prescribed, tablets, medications, treatments and therapies you use or are about to start – you are not required to explain the frequency, dosage or reason.

If you have been prescribed medication but can’t take it because of the side effects, you should include this.

The NHS  site has these helpful A to Z guides to help you with spelling medical terms, the definition of your condition and the type of treatment and or medication you are taking:

• A to Z of health conditions

• A to Z Medicines

3: Preparing food

Explanation

This question is about how your condition impacts your ability to make a simple meal. It’s created to assess whether you need any help to make yourself regular cooked food daily. For example, can you:

• open packaging

• peel, chop and serve food

• use a cooker, hob or microwave for cooking or heating food.

It does not consider your cooking skills but does look at any required help you need to make meals safely. This includes physical help or needing someone else to prompt you.

Definitions

Simple meal: a cooked one-course meal for one using fresh ingredients.

Aid or appliance: any device which improves, provides or replaces your impaired physical or mental function. For this question, that could be a stool or lightweight pans, or an electric cooker instead of gas.

Questions

PIP question

3a: Do you use an aid or appliance to prepare or cook a simple meal?

Answer: Yes/no/sometimes

3b: Do you need help from another person to prepare or cook a simple meal?

Answer:  Yes/no/sometimes

Extra information

This is your chance to explain how your condition affects your ability to prepare and cook a meal.

Preparing food PIP descriptors

Activity/Descriptors/Points

1. Preparing food

a. Can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided. (0)

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal. (2)

c. Cannot cook a simple meal using a conventional cooker but is able to do so using a microwave. (2)

d. Needs prompting to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal. (2)

e. Needs supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal. (4)

f.  Cannot prepare and cook food. (8)

PIP preparing food mental health considerations

You should consider how your mental health condition affects your ability to prepare and cook a meal.

If any of the following apply to you, you should explain this in detail in the extra information section of the question:

• Do you need to sit down while preparing or cooking - a stool or similar counts as an aid?

• Do you need someone to remind or help you to make meals?

• Do you need someone to cook for you?

• Do you need help to follow cooking instructions?

• Does your illness or medication affect your ability to make or prepare a meal?

• Do you often lack the motivation to make meals?

• Do you become distracted when cooking?

4: Eating & drinking

Explanation

This question is about how your condition impacts your ability to eat or drink. For example, can you:

• Cut food,

• Put food in your mouth,

• Chew and swallow,

• Recognise when, and how much, you need to eat and drink.

Definitions

Aid or appliance: any device which improves, provides or replaces your impaired physical or mental function.

For this question that could include a straw or cutlery that has been modified for your needs.

Questions

PIP question/Answer

4a: Do you use an aid or appliance to eat and drink?

Answer: Yes/no/sometimes

4b: Do you use a feeding tube or similar device to eat or drink?

Answer: Yes/no/sometimes

4c: Do you need help from another person to eat and drink?

Answer: Yes/no/sometimes

Extra information

This is your chance to explain how your condition affects your ability to eat and drink.

Taking nutrition PIP descriptors

Activity/Descriptors/Points

2. Taking nutrition

a. Can take nutrition unaided. (0) 

b. Needs – (i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to take nutrition; or (ii) supervision to be able to take nutrition; or (iii) assistance to be able to cut up food. (2) 

c. Needs a therapeutic source to be able to take nutrition. (2)

d. Needs prompting to be able to take nutrition. (4)

e. Needs assistance to be able to manage a therapeutic source to take nutrition. (6)

f. Cannot convey food and drink to their mouth and needs another person to do so. (10)

PIP nutrition mental health considerations

You should consider how your mental health condition affects your ability to eat and drink. If any of the following apply to you, you should explain this in detail in the extra information section of the question:

• Do you often miss meals?

• Do you refuse or forget to eat?

• Do you need someone to remind, prompt, supervise or help to make sure you eat and drink?

• Do you need someone near you to make sure you’re safe or not a risk?

• Do you have an eating disorder?

• Does your medication cause tremors or spasms which make eating or drinking difficult?

• Do the difficulties you have eating or drinking cause you any physical or mental symptoms such as anxiety or panic attacks?

Explanation

• This question is about how your health condition makes it difficult for you to:

• Manage your treatments or therapy

• Monitor your health condition, including your mental health

• Act to stop your condition getting worse

Definitions

Aid or appliance: any device which improves, provides or replaces your impaired physical or mental function. For this question that could include a pill box or organiser.

Questions

PIP question/Answer

5a: Do you use an aid or appliance to monitor your health conditions, take medication or manage home treatments?

Answer: Answer: Yes/no/sometimes

5b: Do you need help from another person to monitor your health conditions, take medication or manage home treatments?

Answer: Yes/no/sometimes

Extra information

This is your chance to explain how your condition affects your ability to manage your treatments.

Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition PIP descriptors

Activity/Descriptors/Points

3. Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition

a. Either – (i) does not receive medication or therapy or need to monitor a health condition; or (ii) can manage medication or therapy or monitor a health condition unaided. (0)

b. Needs either – (i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage medication; or (ii) supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage medication or monitor a health condition. (1)

c. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes no more than 3.5 hours a week. (2)

d. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 3.5 but no more than 7 hours a week. (4)

e. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 7 but no more than 14 hours a week. (6)

f. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 14 hours a week. (8)

PIP managing therapy mental health considerations

You should consider how your mental health condition affects your ability to manage your therapy or monitor your health.

If any of the following apply to you, you should explain this in detail in the extra information section of the question:

• Do you notice when your mental health changes?

• Can you get help to avoid becoming more unwell?

• Can you manage your medication or home therapies (such as relaxation techniques or meditation)?

• Do you need a pill organiser to remind you what medication to take?

• Do you need an alarm or someone to remind you to make sure you take your medication at the right time?

• Does someone need to supervise you to make sure you take the right medication?

• Do you often forget to take medication?

• Have you taken a deliberate overdose?

• Do you self-harm?

Explanation

This question is about how your health condition makes it difficult for you to:

• Wash or bathe in a standard bath or shower

Definition

Aid or appliance: any device which improves, provides or replaces your impaired physical or mental function. For this question that could be a shower seat or handrail.

Questions

PIP question/Answer

6a: Do you use an aid or appliance to wash and bathe yourself, including using a bath or shower?

Answer: Yes/no/sometimes

6b: Do you need help from another person to wash or bathe?

Answer: Yes/no/sometimes

Extra information

This is your chance to explain how your condition affects your ability to wash and bathe.
Washing and bathing PIP descriptors

Activity/Descriptors/Points

4. Washing and bathing

a. Can wash and bathe unaided. (0)

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to wash or bathe. (2)

c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe. (2)

d. Needs assistance to be able to wash either their hair or body below the waist. (2)

e. Needs assistance to be able to get in or out of a bath or shower. (3) 

f. Needs assistance to be able to wash their body between the shoulders and waist. (4)

g. Cannot wash and bathe at all and needs another person to wash their entire body. (8)

PIP washing and bathing mental health considerations

You should consider how your mental health condition affects your ability to wash or bathe. If any of the following apply to you, you should explain this in detail in the extra information section of the question:

• Does your illness or medication mean you do not regularly wash and bathe?

• Do you often lack the motivation to wash or bathe?

• Do you need to sit down in the shower because your medication causes light-headedness?

• Do you need someone to remind or help you to wash or bathe?

• Do you wash too much, for example, if you have a condition like OCD?

• Do symptoms of your mental health condition mean you don’t wash and bathe every day?

Explanation

• This question is about how your health condition makes it difficult for you to:

• Get on and off a toilet seat

• Clean yourself afterwards

• manage incontinence (if applicable)

People who have a mental illness only and not a physical condition do not usually score any points in this section.

Questions

PIP question/Answer

7a: Do you use an aid or appliance to go to the toilet or manage incontinence?

Yes/no/sometimes

7b: Do you need help from another person to go to the toilet or manage incontinence?

Yes/no/sometimes

Extra information

This is your chance to explain how your condition affects your ability manage your toilet needs.

Managing toilet needs or incontinence PIP descriptors

Activity/Descriptors/Points

5. Managing toilet needs or incontinence

a. Can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided. (0)

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage toilet needs or incontinence. (2)

c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to manage toilet needs. (2)

d. Needs assistance to be able to manage toilet needs. (4)

e. Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel. (6)

f. Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of both bladder and bowel. (8)

PIP managing toilet needs mental health considerations

You should consider how your mental health condition affects your ability to manage your toilet needs. If any of the following apply to you, you should explain this in detail in the extra information section of the question:

• It may be possible to score points if your illness or medication causes incontinence.

• You may score points if you have a physical health condition that affects your toilet needs.

Explanation

This question is about how your health condition makes it difficult for you to choose, put on and take off appropriate, un-adapted clothing.

Definitions

1. Appropriate clothes: clothing appropriate for the weather, occasion and time of day.

Questions

PIP question/Answer

8a: Do you use an aid or appliance to dress or undress?

Answer: Yes/no/sometimes

8b: Do you need help from another person to dress or undress?

Answer: Yes/no/sometimes

Extra information

This is your chance to explain how your condition affects your ability to dress and undress.

Dressing and undressing PIP descriptors

Activity/Descriptors/Points

6. Dressing and undressing

a. Can dress and undress unaided. 0

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to dress or undress. 2

c. Needs either - (i) prompting to be able to dress, undress or determine appropriate circumstances for remaining clothed; or (ii) prompting or assistance to be able to select appropriate clothing. 2

d. Needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their lower body. 2

e. Needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their upper body. 4

f. Cannot dress or undress at all. 8

PIP dressing and undressing mental health considerations

You should consider how your mental health condition affects your ability to dress and undress. If any of the following apply to you, you should explain this in detail in the extra information section of the question:

• Does your illness affect your ability or motivation to dress yourself?

• Do you need someone to prompt you to get dressed or undressed?

• Do you find it difficult to decide what clothing is appropriate for the time of day or weather conditions?

• Can you keep your clothes clean so that you can dress appropriately?

Explanation

This question is about how your health condition makes it difficult for you to:

• Speak to others, so they understand you

• Hear and understand what other people are saying

You will be assessed in your first language.

Definitions

• Basic verbal information: giving information in a single sentence.

• Complex verbal information: giving information in more than one sentence, or a complicated single sentence.

• Communication support: help from a person that is trained or experienced in helping people with communication needs, for example, a sign language interpreter.

Questions

PIP question/Answer

9a: Do you use an aid or appliance to communicate with others?