What is PIP and who can apply for it

Personal Independence Payment, known as PIP, is a benefit paid to people aged 16 to State Pension age who have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability that affects their ability to carry out daily activities or get around. It is not means-tested, which means it does not matter how much you earn or what other income or savings you have. It is paid on the basis of how your condition affects you, not your financial situation.

This makes PIP one of the more widely applicable benefits, and one of the most underclaimed. Many people with conditions that genuinely qualify have never applied, often because they do not think of themselves as disabled, because they are in work, or because they assume the condition is not severe enough.

What conditions are covered

There is no fixed list of qualifying conditions. PIP is assessed based on how a condition affects your ability to do everyday tasks, not on the diagnosis itself. Conditions that commonly result in successful PIP claims include chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia and arthritis, mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, and PTSD, neurological conditions such as MS, epilepsy, and Parkinson's disease, diabetes where it causes complications, visual impairments, and many others. Two people with the same diagnosis may receive different PIP outcomes depending on how the condition affects them specifically.

The two components

PIP has two parts. The daily living component is for people who need help with activities such as preparing food, washing, dressing, managing medication, or communicating. The mobility component is for people who have difficulty getting around, including planning and following journeys. You can be awarded one or both components, and each has a standard rate and an enhanced rate depending on the level of need.

The assessment process

Applying for PIP involves completing a detailed form about how your condition affects you on a day-to-day basis. Most applicants are then asked to attend or arrange a telephone or video assessment with a healthcare professional appointed by the DWP. The assessment focuses on what you can and cannot do reliably, safely, and as often as needed. It is important to describe your worst days rather than your best, and to be specific about how tasks affect you physically and mentally, including fatigue, pain, and the time it takes.

Getting support with the claim

Citizens Advice and disability charities such as Scope, Mind, and Mencap can help with PIP applications and appeals. Research consistently shows that people who get help completing the form and preparing for the assessment have higher success rates. If a claim is refused, there is a formal reconsideration and appeal process, and many initially refused claims succeed on appeal. A refusal on first application is not necessarily the end of the process.