Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
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What is it, who is it for and how can it help?
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a welfare benefit in Wales, England, and Norther Ireland for working age adults (people aged 16 to 65). It is intended to help with care and mobility needs, together with extra living costs if you have an illness, disability or medical condition that is a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, and which makes it difficult for you to do certain everyday tasks or get around. Additionally, your needs must have lasted for the past three months and be expected to continue for the next nine months.
PIP is tax free. It is not ‘means tested’, therefore, your eligibility to claim it and how much money you receive does not depend on your income or how much capital you have. This means that you can get PIP even if you’re working, have savings or are getting most other benefits. If you’re not a British citizen you must normally live in or show that you intend to settle in the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands, and not be subject to immigration control (unless you’re a sponsored immigrant).
Getting PIP does not reduce other benefits, in fact, it may even increase them. If you have a carer then claiming PIP may help them to qualify for certain benefits (such as Carers Allowance). PIP may also entitle you and/or your carer to further help with council tax.
There are no restrictions on how you can spend your PIP money, and you do not have to spend it on paying for the care that you need. However, your council or trust can take PIP into account when calculating how much you might need to pay for any care services you receive.
There are two parts to PIP – a ‘Daily Living Part’ and a ‘Mobility part’. These are both divided into a lower rate weekly payment and higher rate weekly payment. Whether you get one or both parts, and how much you get, all depends on how difficult you find everyday tasks and getting around. Your answers on the claim form will amount to a score for each of the two parts. These scores will determine which of the two (if not both) of the parts you are entitled to, and whether the money you are entitled to will be at the lower or higher rate.
Daily living part
You might get the daily living part of PIP if you need help with:
- preparing food and cooking
- eating and drinking
- managing your medicines or treatments
- washing and bathing
- using the toilet
- dressing and undressing
- reading and understanding
- managing and handling your money
- socialising and being around other people
- speaking, listening, and understanding
Remember, it doesn’t matter if you are currently getting the help you need or not. Help can include things like encouraging or reminding you to do something.
The lower weekly rate for the Daily Living part is currently £68.10. The higher weekly rate is currently £101.75.
Mobility part
You do not have to have a physical disability to get the mobility part. You might be eligible if you have difficulty getting around because of a cognitive or mental health condition, like anxiety or autism. You might get the mobility part of PIP if you need help with working out a route and following it, physically moving around, and/or leaving your home.
You may have mobility needs if you need help to get around outside your home independently. For example, you may count as having mobility needs if you need help to plan and follow a journey because of a learning difficulty, a mental health issue or a sensory impairment. Additionally, you may count as having mobility needs if you have difficulty walking or are unable to walk. You count as needing help to do an activity if you need a person or a thing to do it for you and/or with you; if you need someone to remind you to do it; if you need someone to watch you do it to keep you safe. You may also count as needing help if you need help but do not actually get it. For example, if you do an activity yourself but it isn’t safe; if you can’t do it well enough; if you can’t do it often enough; if it takes you a long time.
The lower weekly rate for the Mobility part is currently £26.190. The higher weekly rate is currently £71.00
How to apply and what you will need
There are three different ways to apply to claim PIP:
You’ll need to provide:
- your contact details, for example telephone number
- your date of birth
- your National Insurance number, if you have one (you can find this on letters about tax, pensions, and benefits)
- your bank or building society account number and sort code
- your doctor or health worker’s name, address, and telephone number
- dates and addresses for any time you’ve spent in a care home or hospital
- dates for any time you spent abroad for more than 4 weeks at a time, and the countries you visited
Personal Independence Payment New Claims
Post Handling Site B
Wolverhampton
WV99 1AH
In return, you’ll be sent a form asking for your personal information, such as your address and your age. Fill in and return the form. You’ll then be sent another form which asks about your disability or condition.
You can only apply for PIP online in some areas. You’ll need to check your postcode when you start your application. To start your claim online you’ll need your:
- National Insurance number
- email address
- mobile phone
Completing and returning the form about your condition – if you apply by phone or post, you’ll usually get a form called ‘How your disability affects you’ within 2 weeks, together with an information booklet to help you fill in the form. Fill in the form using the guidance that comes with it and return it to the address on the form.
Take your time when filling out the form. The questions will vary but some of them will ask you for the same information in a different question format in a different section of the form. Answer the questions as if you were experiencing your worst day of symptoms related to your disability (i.e., when your needs are at their highest).
Include supporting documents if you have them – for example, prescription lists, care plans, or information from your doctor or others involved in your care. Only send copies of these, not the originals. Write your name and National Insurance number on each supporting document you send in with your form.
You have 1 month to return the form. Contact the PIP enquiry line if you need more time or have any questions.You can also read Citizens Advice’s help on filling in the form.
If you need to have an assessment
You will hear from Independent Assessment Services or Capita to arrange a medical assessment by a health professional if more information is needed. You may be asked to go to an appointment at an assessment centre or be invited to have your assessment over the phone or by video call. The health professional will ask you about how your condition affects your daily living and mobility tasks, and about any treatments you’ve had or will have. They might ask you to do some simple movements to show how you manage some activities. It usually takes 1 hour. You can read Citizens Advice’s help on preparing for an assessment.
You can take someone with you to your assessment. It is important that you go, unless you have a good reason not to. If you cannot go, you need to tell the assessment provider why you can’t go and ask them to move the appointment or arrange an assessment that accommodates your disability needs.You can request your assessment to be recorded. You need to ask the health professional at the start of your assessment.
Getting a decision
You’ll get a letter that tells you whether you’ll get PIP and the date of your first payment. If you qualify for PIP, you normally get it for a fixed amount of time. Awards can be made for periods between one and ten years depending on when the DWP think it is likely that your needs may change. Payments are usually made every four weeks into your bank account.
If you disagree with a decision
You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for ‘mandatory reconsideration’. You can ask for mandatory reconsideration if any of the following apply:
- you think the office dealing with your claim has made an error or missed important evidence
- you disagree with the reasons for the decision
- you want to have the decision looked at again
Some decisions cannot be reconsidered. Others can go straight to an appeal. Your original decision letter will say if this applies to you. You need to ask for mandatory reconsideration within one month of the date of the decision.
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