Personal Independence Payment - or PIP for short - is a benefit that is awarded to people who may need extra help with day-to-day activities due to an illness, disability or mental health condition.
It is paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) but you normally need to complete an assessment before your claim for PIP is approved. If you are required to have an assessment, this can take place in person, over the phone or by video call. During an assessment, you'll be asked to explain how your condition affects your life.
During your assessment, national charity Turn2Us says a health professional may ask you to do simple movements, or ask you questions to test your cognitive ability. But Turn2Us says it is important not to force yourself to do any physical activity that you can't normally do, and to tell the health professional if you're in pain.
Halide Kalfaoglu, benefits expert at Turn2us: “The main source of evidence for the decision is the information provided in the form. PIP is awarded based on a list of criteria known as 'legal descriptors', and points are allocated accordingly. The award is based on how the applicant's disability or health condition affects their daily life, as assessed against these PIP descriptors.
“During the assessment (the duration of an assessment can vary but usually takes around one to two hours) a health assessor will ask questions and take notes. They may ask the applicant to complete some basic movements and will often request information already provided on the form. This process can include repeating questions from the form to confirm the details.”
If you don’t go to the medical assessment, the DWP may refuse your claim unless you have a good reason for not going. Those who have a terminal illness likely won't need a PIP assessment. PIP comes in two parts and you can be entitled to both or just one of these, depending on how your condition affects your life. There is a daily living rate, which is worth either £72.65 or £108.55 a week, and a mobility rate, which is worth either £28.70 or £75.75 a week.
During your assessment, you'll be awarded points for the daily living and mobility parts of PIP. If you score between eight and 11 points for your daily living needs in the PIP test, you get the standard rate of the daily living component. You get the higher rate of daily living component if you score 12 points or more.
If you score between eight and 11 points for your mobility needs, you get the standard rate of the mobility component. If you score 12 points or more, you get the higher rate of mobility component. Ms Kalfaoglu said: “After the assessment, the health assessor will write up a report and send it to the DWP. Although the assessor recommends what award should be given, they do not make the final decision.”
On average, it takes the DWP 20 weeks from the date you started your claim to make a decision. PIP is usually paid directly to your bank account every four weeks, so if you qualify for the higher rates, this means you'll get up to £737.20 every four weeks. PIP can be paid weekly if you are terminally ill.
To be eligible for PIP, you have to be aged 16 and above. If you’re already getting PIP and you reach state pension age, your claim will normally continue - however, most people can’t make a new PIP claim once they reach state pension age. You may be able to make a new claim at state pension age if you were eligible for PIP in the last 12 months.
PIP claims generally last for a period of time before they’re reviewed - normally this is between one year to ten years. There are different rules if you are terminally ill - see the GOV.UK website for more information.