Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

PIP is a state benefit that helps people under State Pension age deal with some of the extra costs associated with long-term illness or disability.

The benefit isn’t means tested, so it doesn’t matter if you have a job or another source of income.

There are two parts to PIP – the daily living component and the mobility component. You might be eligible for one or both components depending on your needs and how much you’re affected by your condition. You’ll be assessed to work out what level of help you need.

• The daily living component assessment includes such things as your ability to prepare food and drink, wash, dress, go to the toilet, manage health conditions and make financial decisions.
• The mobility component assessment includes such things as your ability to ‘plan and follow a journey’ and ‘move around’.

For each component, you are assessed as being eligible for a standard or enhanced weekly rate.

Daily living component

• Standard rate for those with a limited ability to carry out daily living activities: £76.70 a week.
• Enhanced rate for those who are severely limited with carrying out daily living activities: £114.60 a week.

Mobility component

• Standard rate for those with limited mobility: £30.30 a week.
• Enhanced rate for those who have severely limited mobility: £80 a week.

PIP is tax free. The amount you get is not affected by your income or savings.

To apply for PIP, you must:

• be aged between 16 years and State Pension age; if you’re over State Pension age and claiming for the first time, you must apply for Attendance Allowance (see above)
• have difficulty with daily living activities or mobility because of a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
• have had the condition or disability for three months and expect it to continue for at least nine months (unless you’re terminally ill with less than six months to live)

To qualify, you usually must have lived in the UK for at least two out of the last three years and be in the country when you claim.

• If you already receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA), you will usually continue to receive it unless you are asked to move to PIP.
• If you have mobility problems and you’re approaching State Pension age, apply for PIP as soon as possible, as this can include an additional payment for mobility problems. After this age you won’t be eligible to claim this component.
• If you are in hospital or in a care home where the NHS or local authority pays towards your care, the daily living component is usually stopped after 28 days.

To apply, call the PIP new claims phoneline to request an application form on 0800 917 2222 (Mon–Fri, 8am–6pm).

Before you call, you’ll need to have the following information to hand:

• your contact details and date of birth
• National Insurance number
• bank or building society details
• GP’s or health worker’s name
• details of any time spent abroad or in a care home or hospital.

If someone is caring for you, they can call on your behalf, but you’ll need to be with them when they call.

After the initial call, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will post you a form called ‘How your condition affects you’, which you or your carer will need to complete and return.

They will next arrange for you to be assessed by an independent health professional at a local PIP assessment centre.

More information about applying for PIP can be found on the GOV.UK website .

If you have a terminal illness and are not expected to live for more than 12 months, you will automatically receive the enhanced rate of the daily living component. The mobility component is assessed separately.

To claim, contact the PIP claims line as above to start your claim. When calling the number, there is a special option for making the claim under the special rules. Ask a medical professional for form SR1, which they will fill in to give to you or send it to the DWP.

You won’t need the face-to-face assessment.

• For further information about applying for PIP, including tips for filling in the form, go to the Personal Independence Payment pages on Independent Age.
• If you live in Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire or Warwickshire and need help with a benefits claim, contact the Banburyshire Advice Centre, this independent charity provides advice on benefits.
• Visit Citizens Advice, which provides information on your rights, including employment issues. If you live in Cherwell or west Northamptonshire, go to Citizens Advice West Northants & Cherwell.

Related pages

• How to pay for end-of-life care: living with a terminal illness or caring for someone who is terminally ill can be expensive; find out what financial help is available.
• Your rights and benefits at work: find out what you might be eligible to receive following a diagnosis of an incurable illness, including Statutory Sick Pay and New Style Employment and Support Allowance.
• Coping with change and uncertainty at the end of life: a practical guide for both patients and their families to help guide them through a difficult time of adjustment.