Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

What PIP is for?

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can help with extra living costs if you have both
• a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
• difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition
• you can get PIP even if you're working, have savings or are getting most other benefits.

How PIP works

There are two parts to PIP:

• a daily living part - if you need help with everyday tasks
• a mobility part - if you need help with getting around

Whether you get one or both parts and how much you get depends on how difficult you find everyday tasks and getting around.

If you might have less than 12 months to live, you'll automatically get the daily living part. Whether you get the mobility part depends on your needs. Find out how to claim and how much you'll get if you might have 12 months or less to live.

Daily living part

You might get the daily living part of PIP if you need help with:

• preparing food
• eating and drinking
• managing your medicines or treatments
• washing and bathing
• using the toilet
• dressing and undressing
• reading
• managing your money
• socialising and being around other people
• talking, listening and understanding

Mobility part

You might get the mobility part of PIP if you need help with:

• working out a route and following it
• physically moving around
• leaving your home

You do not have to have a physical disability to get the mobility part. You might also be eligible if you have difficulty getting around because of a cognitive or mental health condition, like anxiety.

How difficulty with tasks is assessed

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they'll 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

Help with PIP

If you need help understanding or applying for PIP, you can get help from Citizens Advice.

Citizens Advice can help with the following: 

• check if you're eligible for PIP
• how much PIP you can get and for how long
• extra money and help PIP entitles you to
• moving from Disability Living Allowance to PIP
• getting PIP after you've reached State Pension age
• help with your PIP claim
• how to claim PIP
• how to claim PIP if you have a terminal illness
• check how to fill in your claim form
• getting evidence to support your PIP claim
• sending your PIP claim form
• preparing for your PIP assessment
• how the Department for Work and Pensions decides on PIP claims
• PIP changes and reviews
• reporting changes that affect your PIP
• help with your PIP review form
• if your PIP is stopped or reduced
• if you struggle to get around and you got PIP before 28 June 2018
• PIP appeals
• challenging a PIP decision - mandatory reconsideration
• challenging a PIP decision - appealing against the decision
• challenging a PIP decision - the tribunal hearing

Before you claim PIP, and to check if you're eligible for PIP, you can find out more information on the GOV website:  https://www.gov.uk/pip