Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
This section is about PIP - a UK benefit for people over the age of 16, to help with any additional costs due to having a long-term disability or health condition.
How to apply for PIP
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a UK benefit for people over the age of 16, to help with any additional costs due to having a long-term disability or health condition. This information is designed to help you with the first stage of applying for PIP - making a claim.
How PIP is assessed
An important part of assessing your ability to carry out each activity is assessing whether you are able to do the activity ‘reliably’. Here, ‘reliably’ means that all of the following points apply.
How to fill in your PIP form
It is important that you fill in your form promptly and try not to put it off, even if it looks difficult. There is a short time frame for filling in and returning your form (usually one month), and this should be explained in the information you get from the DWP, which will include the deadline for returning the form.
Daily living and mobility activities
Information about the daily living and mobility activities that form part of your PIP assessment criteria.
How activities are described and assessed
Whether or not you qualify for PIP depends on how your condition affects you in two ways: your 'daily living' and your 'mobility' (how you physically move).
Benefits
If you have epilepsy you may be eligible to apply for benefits. This depends on what your epilepsy is like and how it affects you.
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is a UK benefit for people of working age, who cannot work or who have 'limited capability to work' due to illness or disability, and who are not entitled to Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance or getting Statutory Sick Pay, or Statutory Maternity Pay.
Universal credit
Universal Credit is now available to all new claimants (unless they get, or are entitled to get, Severe Disability Premium). It is a benefit for working-age people (usually 16 to 64 years) who are on a low income, or who are looking for work and will replace some existing benefits, listed below.
Want to know more?
Download the factsheets.
PIP - making a claim factsheet (pdf)
PIP - the assessment criteria factsheet (pdf)
Information produced: July 2019