The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a benefit for people aged 16 to 64 with a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability. It is designed to help with the extra costs caused by a disability or health condition. There are two components to PIP – the daily living component and the mobility component. Each component can be paid at either the standard or enhanced rates. The weekly amount received depends on the level of help needed as a result of a disability or health condition, not the condition itself.
PIP Assessment
In order to receive PIP, a detailed assessment is required. This is carried out by a health professional who will consider the applicant’s ability to carry out everyday tasks and get around. The assessment aims to gather information about how a person’s condition affects them on a daily basis, rather than just focusing on the medical diagnosis.
The assessment looks at 12 activities – 10 daily living activities and 2 mobility activities. Each activity is considered and scored based on the applicant’s ability to carry it out. The 12 activities are:
Daily Living Activities
- Preparing food
- Taking nutrition
- Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition
- Washing and bathing
- Managing toilet needs or incontinence
- Dressing and undressing
- Communicating verbally
- Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words
- Engaging with other people face-to-face
- Making budgeting decisions
Mobility Activities
- Planning and following journeys
- Moving around
Each activity is considered based on the applicant’s ability to complete it reliably, repeatedly, safely and in a timely manner. They are scored based on whether the applicant can complete it unaided, needs aids or appliances to complete it, needs help from another person or cannot complete it at all.
Daily Living Activity Scores
The scores available for each of the 10 daily living activities are:
- 0 points – can complete unaided
- 2 points – needs aids or appliances to complete
- 4 points – needs help from another person to complete
- 8 points – cannot complete at all
The scores for each activity are added together to determine entitlement for the daily living component:
| Daily Living Score | PIP Daily Living Rate |
|---|---|
| 0 to 7 points | No award |
| 8 to 11 points | Standard rate |
| 12 points or more | Enhanced rate |
So for the daily living component, 8 to 11 pointsqualifies for the standard rate and 12 points or more qualifies for the enhanced rate.
Daily Living Examples
Here are some examples of how the daily living activities could be scored:
Washing and bathing
- 0 points – can wash and bathe unaided
- 2 points – needs to use grab rails or a shower seat
- 4 points – needs prompting or supervision
- 8 points – cannot wash or bathe at all
Managing toilet needs
- 0 points – can manage toilet needs unaided
- 2 points – needs a commode
- 4 points – needs assistance with managing clothes
- 8 points – unable to manage toilet needs
Dressing and undressing
- 0 points – can dress unaided
- 2 points – needs aids like modified buttons, zip pulls
- 4 points – needs prompting or assistance
- 8 points – unable to dress at all
So someone who scored 2 points for washing, 4 points for managing toilet needs and 2 points for dressing would have a total daily living score of 8 points. This would qualify them for the standard daily living rate.
Mobility Activity Scores
The two mobility activities are scored as follows:
- 0 points – can complete unaided
- 4 points – needs an aid or appliance to complete
- 8 points – needs help from another person to complete
- 12 points – cannot complete at all
The total mobility score determines entitlement to the mobility component:
| Mobility Score | PIP Mobility Rate |
|---|---|
| 0 to 7 points | No award |
| 8 to 11 points | Standard rate |
| 12 points or more | Enhanced rate |
So a score of 8 to 11 points qualifies for the standard mobility rate, while 12 points or more qualifies for the enhanced mobility rate.
Mobility Examples
Some examples of mobility scoring:
Planning and following journeys
- 0 points – can plan and follow unaided
- 4 points – needs prompting or assistance
- 8 points – unable to plan or follow
Moving around
- 0 points – can move around unaided
- 4 points – needs to use a manual wheelchair
- 8 points – needs supervision or assistance
- 12 points – virtually unable to move around
Someone who scored 4 points for planning journeys and 8 points for moving around would have a total mobility score of 12 points. This would qualify them for the enhanced mobility rate.
PIP Assessment Overview
To summarize, the PIP assessment considers 10 daily living activities and 2 mobility activities. Each is scored between 0 and 8 points for daily living, or 0 to 12 points for mobility.
The total scores are:
Daily Living
- 8 to 11 points – Standard rate
- 12+ points – Enhanced rate
Mobility
- 8 to 11 points – Standard rate
- 12+ points – Enhanced rate
Higher points are awarded the greater the impact of the disability or health condition on completing each activity.
The PIP assessment aims to evaluate how a person’s condition affects their daily living and mobility, rather than just considering the medical condition itself. Evidence from a medical professional will be considered as part of the overall assessment.
PIP Award Length
If awarded PIP, most people will need to have periodic reviews of their award. This is to ensure the level of support given remains appropriate as circumstances can change over time.
The length of the PIP award before a review is needed depends on:
- The age of the claimant
- Whether the condition is likely to improve
- Whether the condition will get worse
Some example PIP award lengths:
- 18 years old, unlikely to improve – 2 years
- 65 years old, could improve or get worse – 3 years
- Fixed condition unlikely to change – 10 years
Reviews can happen sooner if a change of circumstance is reported. PIP awards can be stopped if a claimant no longer meets the eligibility criteria.
PIP Assessment Process
The standard process for a PIP assessment is:
- Initial claim – the PIP claim form is completed
- Consideration of any supporting evidence – from a medical professional etc
- PIP assessment booked – either telephone, video call or face-to-face
- PIP assessment – the 12 activities are discussed and scored
- DWP decision – the assessment is reviewed and a decision made
- PIP award – successful claimants are awarded standard or enhanced rates
There are special rules that allow certain conditions to qualify automatically for PIP, without needing an assessment. These include:
- Terminally ill – where life expectancy is less than 6 months
- Severely visually impaired
- Regularly using dialysis, chemotherapy etc
Where a claimant disagrees with a PIP decision, they have the right to ask the DWP to reconsider the decision or to appeal the decision.
Conclusion
The PIP assessment aims to evaluate the actual impact of a disability or health condition through scoring 12 daily living and mobility activities. Higher scores signify greater levels of need and lead to higher rates of PIP being awarded.
PIP provides essential financial support to help people with disabilities and long-term health conditions cover the extra costs they face. The detailed assessment process ensures this support is targeted to those most in need. Periodic reviews allow levels of support to be adjusted over time in line with any changes in needs.