Living with a long term illness, disability or health condition can create extra costs that many people do not expect. Personal Independence Payment, commonly known as PIP, is designed to help with those additional daily living and mobility expenses, regardless of whether you work or receive other benefits.
Understanding how to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can seem complicated at first. However, once you understand the eligibility rules, application process and assessment criteria, the process becomes much easier to follow.
This guide explains everything you need to know about claiming PIP in clear, straightforward language.
To claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP), you must usually be aged 16 or over and below State Pension age when making a new claim, have a long term health condition or disability that affects your daily living or mobility for at least three months and be expected to continue for at least another nine months. Most people begin their claim by contacting the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), completing a detailed application form and attending an assessment if required.
Personal Independence Payment is a non means tested benefit that helps people with the extra costs associated with living with a disability, long term illness or physical or mental health condition.
Unlike some benefits, PIP is not based on your income, savings or employment status. Instead, it focuses on how your condition affects your ability to carry out everyday activities safely and independently.
PIP has replaced Disability Living Allowance for most adults.
The benefit has two separate parts.
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Daily Living Component | Helps with everyday activities such as washing, dressing, eating and managing medication |
| Mobility Component | Helps if you have difficulty moving around or planning and following journeys |
You may receive one component or both depending on your circumstances.
You may qualify if your physical or mental health condition affects your daily life or ability to get around.
Common qualifying conditions include:
The diagnosis itself does not guarantee an award.
The DWP looks at how your condition affects your everyday life rather than simply what condition you have.
You normally need to meet several conditions.
You must normally:
If you already receive PIP before reaching State Pension age, you may continue receiving it while you remain eligible.
Your condition must have:
You generally must:
Separate arrangements apply in Scotland through Adult Disability Payment.
No.
PIP is not means tested.
Your entitlement is not affected by:
This means someone earning a full time salary may still qualify if their health condition significantly affects daily living or mobility.
| Income Source | Affects PIP? |
| Employment income | No |
| Pension income | No |
| Savings interest | No |
| Partner’s earnings | No |
| Rental income | No |
No.
There is no savings limit for PIP.
Whether you have:
your savings do not affect eligibility.
This makes PIP different from benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit.
PIP consists of two separate components.
Each component has:
You may receive:
| Daily Living | Mobility | Possible Award |
| Standard | None | Daily Living only |
| Enhanced | None | Daily Living only |
| None | Standard | Mobility only |
| None | Enhanced | Mobility only |
| Standard | Standard | Both components |
| Enhanced | Enhanced | Maximum award |
The amount awarded depends entirely on your assessment score rather than your medical diagnosis.
Awards are usually reviewed periodically, although some people receive longer term awards.
The DWP uses a points based assessment.
Daily living activities include:
Mobility activities include:
Points are awarded according to how much support you reasonably need.
Evidence is extremely important.
Most people follow these steps.
Start your claim by contacting the DWP.
You will provide:
Complete the detailed disability questionnaire.
This form asks how your condition affects daily activities.
Provide detailed real life examples.
Instead of saying:
“I struggle walking.”
Explain:
“I can usually walk about 30 metres before severe pain forces me to stop and rest.”
Specific examples often provide much stronger evidence.
Provide supporting evidence.
Useful evidence includes:
Attend an assessment if requested.
Assessments may be:
Receive your decision.
The DWP will send a written decision explaining:
Providing strong evidence can improve your application.
Helpful documents include:
Evidence should focus on how your condition affects your daily life rather than simply confirming your diagnosis.
Many unsuccessful claims result from incomplete information rather than ineligibility.
Avoid these common mistakes.
Explain exactly what happens on both good and bad days.
Many people try to stay positive and unintentionally minimise the impact of their condition.
Be honest about what you cannot do safely.
Anxiety, depression and cognitive difficulties can be just as important as physical symptoms.
Return forms promptly and attend appointments.
Medical evidence strengthens your claim considerably.
| Mistake | Better Approach |
| Writing one sentence answers | Give detailed examples |
| Saying “I am fine most days” | Describe your typical daily challenges honestly |
| No supporting documents | Include medical and professional evidence |
| Missing assessment | Rearrange if necessary rather than failing to attend |
Sarah has rheumatoid arthritis.
She struggles preparing meals because she cannot grip kitchen utensils safely.
She also needs help getting dressed on many mornings.
Following her assessment and supporting evidence, she receives the Daily Living Component.
David has severe anxiety and autism.
He cannot travel unfamiliar routes without significant distress and support.
He receives the Mobility Component.
Michael has multiple sclerosis.
His condition affects both walking and daily personal care.
Following assessment, he qualifies for both the Daily Living and Mobility Components.
Yes.
Tell the DWP if:
Reporting changes helps ensure your payments remain accurate.
You can ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration if you disagree with the decision.
If the decision remains unchanged, you may appeal to an independent tribunal.
Many appeals succeed because additional evidence is provided or the tribunal reaches a different conclusion after reviewing the facts.
Receiving PIP may increase entitlement to other support.
These may include:
Receiving PIP may also increase the amount paid under some other benefits.
Useful sources include:
This article has been reviewed against current UK Government guidance available at the time of writing.
Benefit rules, payment rates and eligibility criteria may change following Government policy updates or annual benefit reviews.
Always refer to official Government guidance before making financial decisions or submitting a claim.
Yes. Employment does not prevent you claiming PIP if your health condition affects your daily living or mobility.
Yes. Many people receive both benefits at the same time.
PIP can increase entitlement to some benefits and support rather than reduce them.
No. Personal Independence Payment is tax free.
Times vary depending on demand, assessments and supporting evidence.
Not always. Some claims are decided using paper evidence alone, although many applicants are assessed.
Yes. Mental health conditions are assessed in exactly the same way as physical conditions.
Yes. Eligibility depends on how autism affects your daily life and mobility rather than the diagnosis itself.
Report significant changes to the DWP. Your award may be reviewed.
Yes. Family members, carers, welfare advisers and charities can all help you complete the forms.
Although not always mandatory, providing medical evidence usually strengthens your application considerably.
Knowing how to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is an important first step towards accessing financial support for the additional costs of living with a disability or long term health condition.
The key to a successful application is providing detailed information about how your condition affects your daily life, submitting as much relevant supporting evidence as possible and answering every question honestly and thoroughly.
Remember that PIP is based on the impact of your condition rather than the name of your diagnosis. Even if you work or have savings, you may still qualify if your daily living or mobility is significantly affected.
Benefits Advice UK provides free information to help people better understand the UK benefits system. Always check the latest Government guidance before making financial decisions.
Information on this site is based on official UK guidance.
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