What Is Personal Independence Payment (PIP)?

Personal Independence Payment, usually called PIP, is a benefit for people with a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability that makes certain everyday activities or getting around more difficult.

It is designed to help with the additional costs that can come with living with a long-term condition or disability.

PIP is not based simply on the name of your diagnosis.

What matters is how your condition affects you.

Who can claim PIP?

You may be able to claim PIP if you:

• are aged 16 or over
• have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
• have difficulty with certain everyday activities or getting around
• expect those difficulties to last for at least 12 months from when they started

You also usually need to be under State Pension age when making a new claim.

There are additional residence and immigration rules.

If you live in Scotland, you normally apply for Adult Disability Payment instead.

Northern Ireland has its own PIP arrangements.

Do I need a particular diagnosis?

No.

PIP is not awarded simply because somebody has a particular medical condition.

Two people with the same diagnosis can be affected very differently.

Instead, the assessment looks at how your condition affects your ability to carry out particular activities.

This can include the effects of:

• physical conditions
• mental health conditions
• sensory impairments
• learning disabilities
• cognitive difficulties
• more than one condition at the same time

The important question is not simply:

“What condition do I have?”

It is:

“How does my condition affect what I can do in everyday life?”

What does PIP look at?

PIP has two parts, usually called components:

Daily living

and

Mobility

You may qualify for one component or both.

What does the daily living part look at?

The daily living assessment considers particular everyday activities.

These include areas such as:

• preparing food
• eating and drinking
• managing treatments or monitoring a health condition
• washing and bathing
• managing toilet needs
• dressing and undressing
• communicating
• reading and understanding written information
• mixing with other people
• making decisions about money

It is not a general assessment of whether life is difficult.

PIP looks at specific activities using defined assessment criteria.

What does the mobility part look at?

The mobility component considers two broad areas:

Planning and following journeys

and

Moving around

This means mobility is not limited to whether somebody can physically walk.

Some mental health, cognitive or sensory difficulties can also be relevant to the journey-planning activity.

How is PIP decided?

Different levels of difficulty with the PIP activities are described using criteria known as descriptors.

Descriptors carry points.

The points you receive for the daily living activities are considered separately from the points for mobility.

Depending on the points awarded, you may receive:

• no award for that component
• the standard rate
• the enhanced rate

This is why simply having a medical diagnosis does not automatically determine whether PIP will be awarded.

Does PIP look at whether I can do something safely?

Yes.

An important part of the PIP assessment is not simply whether you can perform an activity once.

The assessment can consider whether you can carry it out:

safely

to an acceptable standard

repeatedly

and

within a reasonable time period

This can be important if you technically can do something but doing it causes significant difficulty, takes much longer, creates a risk or cannot reasonably be repeated when needed.

What if my condition changes from day to day?

Many health conditions fluctuate.

You may have better days and worse days.

PIP assessment rules take account of how your condition affects you over time rather than looking only at how you happen to feel on one particular day.

When explaining your difficulties, it can therefore be useful to describe:

• how often the problem happens
• what happens on difficult days
• whether you need prompting, supervision or assistance
• whether you use an aid or appliance
• how long activities take
• whether doing something causes pain, fatigue, distress or another difficulty

Give an accurate picture of how your condition usually affects you rather than describing only your best or worst day.

Can I claim PIP if I’m working?

Yes.

PIP is not an unemployment benefit.

You can potentially receive it while working.

Your earnings do not determine whether you qualify.

There is a separate MH360 guide specifically answering this question.

What if I have savings?

Savings do not prevent you from claiming PIP.

PIP is not means-tested.

Your income and savings do not determine the amount of PIP you receive.

Again, this is different from means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit.

How much is PIP?

Each component has a standard and an enhanced weekly rate.

For 2026/27, the rates are:

Daily living

• Standard: £76.70 a week
• Enhanced: £114.60 a week

Mobility

• Standard: £30.30 a week
• Enhanced: £80.00 a week

PIP is tax-free and is usually paid every four weeks.

Rates can change, so check current information rather than relying on an older figure.

How do I claim?

A PIP claim normally begins by contacting the Department for Work and Pensions.

You will then provide information about how your condition or disability affects you.

This includes completing a form about your difficulties.

Supporting information can also be provided.

Depending on the information available, you may be asked to take part in an assessment with a health professional.

Assessments can take place in different ways, including in person, by telephone or by video.

There is a separate MH360 guide explaining what happens at a PIP assessment.

What information might be useful?

When making a claim, think about evidence that helps explain how your condition affects you, rather than simply proving that you have a diagnosis.

Depending on your circumstances, useful information could include:

• prescription lists
• care plans
• information from healthcare professionals
• information from people involved in your care or support
• details of aids or equipment you use
• examples of difficulties you experience with everyday activities

The information that is useful will depend on your individual circumstances.

What if my PIP claim is refused?

A refusal does not necessarily mean that there is nothing further you can do.

If you disagree with a PIP decision, you can ask the DWP to reconsider it.

This is called a Mandatory Reconsideration.

There may then be a right of appeal if you still disagree with the decision.

There are separate MH360 guides explaining these processes.

Can PIP affect other help?

Receiving PIP can sometimes be relevant to other financial or practical support.

Depending on the component and rate you receive, this might include eligibility for or access to things such as:

• certain disability-related additions to other benefits
• Blue Badge arrangements
• vehicle-tax support
• the Motability Scheme
• Disabled Persons Railcard
• some local concessions

It may also affect benefits that somebody caring for you could potentially claim.

If you receive PIP, it can therefore be worth completing a wider benefits check rather than looking at the PIP award in isolation.

Where should I start?

If you think PIP might be relevant, start by thinking about the everyday activities you find difficult.

Ask:

What do I struggle to do?

Do I need help, prompting, supervision or equipment?

Can I do it safely and repeatedly?

Does it take me much longer than it would normally take somebody without my difficulties?

How often does the difficulty affect me?

This can help you understand why PIP focuses on the impact of your condition, rather than simply its name.

MH360 Entitled can also help people explore benefits and financial support they may be missing.

7.14: What Financial Support Is Available if I Have a Disability or Long-Term Health Condition?

7.19: Can I Claim PIP if I’m Working?

7.20: Can I Get PIP if I Have Savings?

7.21: Can I Claim PIP for a Mental Health Condition?

7.22: How Does PIP Look at How My Condition Affects Me?

7.23: What Happens at a PIP Assessment?

7.24: My PIP Claim Has Been Refused, What Can I Do Next?

7.25: What Is a PIP Mandatory Reconsideration?

7.26: How Do I Challenge a PIP Decision?

7.27: What Is Attendance Allowance?

Important information

This guide provides general information and is not intended to provide benefits, financial, legal, medical or other professional advice. PIP rules, rates and assessment criteria can change, and individual circumstances can be different. Check current information from official sources or seek advice from an appropriately qualified benefits adviser before making important decisions.