Introduction

Personal Independence Payment or (PIP) is a benefit which replaced DLA for people of working age from April 2013. It assesses your ability to carry out activities to do with daily living and/or mobility.

The rate you are awarded will be based on the impact of the disability or health condition on your day to day needs and how much help you need.

It is a working age benefit for people aged 16 to State Pension Age. It is non means tested, non contributory and non taxable.

Attendance allowance is for people of state pension age and over.

New claimants

Since June 2013, new claims are for PIP.

If you get DLA, you’ll be invited to claim PIP at some stage. This could be when your award runs out or you have a change of circumstances, but it also includes those people on DLA with lifetime awards.

It is important that you get advice and make the claim for PIP because once you have the invite to claim PIP your award for DLA will end and you could be left with no disability benefit in place.

Initial claims are made:

  • over the phone0800 917 2222
  • textphone 0800 917 7777

Once your claim has been made you should phone 0800 121 4433 if you have any further enquiries.

There are 2 forms

PIP1

The initial claim form is completed over the phone when you make your claim. It asks you to supply your name, contact details, payment details. It also asks you about your nationality, whether you are in hospital or residential care or if you are terminally ill.

Terminal illness claims are fast tracked and get enhanced rate daily living.

Terminal illness is where you have a progressive disease where you are likely to die within 12 months – up to April 2022 the expectation was 6 months. Ask your GP or specialist to complete the DS1500 form which you can submit when you make your claim. You are not expected to complete the (PIP2) questionnaire for your care needs but you will need to complete it if you have mobility needs and want to claim the mobility component.

PIP2

The PIP2 form is a more detailed questionnaire which is used as part of the assessment process carried out by the DWP when working out if you are entitled to PIP.

It is important to spend time filling in the PIP2 questionnaire as your account of your needs is used as evidence throughout the assessment of the claim. If there is sufficient information and evidence with the questionnaire the decision could be made without a consultation with a healthcare professional. The form asks for permission for the DWP to contact your own doctors and other professionals who know about how your health condition affects you.  It is important that those doctor/ professionals are fully informed about difficulties you have in completing the activities in the assessment

The form will have your name and address printed on it and will have an information booklet on how to complete it. There will be a letter explaining that you must return it by a certain date (normally one month this can be extended if you ring them) and that you must not delay it waiting for evidence in support of the claim.

You can request a form that you can fill in online. This can be helpful if you are being assisted to complete the form by someone else. However please note that when you have completed the form you must still print it, sign it, and return by post in the usual way.

If you do have evidence that supports how your disability affects you it is best to send it in with the questionnaire it can also be sent after you have returned the questionnaire but it needs to be before the decision is made. It will also give you an opportunity to discuss your claim with your doctor or consultant or psychiatrist so they can support you with the right evidence.

Existing DLA claimants

If you were 65 or older on 8 April 2013 you will remain on DLA and will not be expected to claim PIP.

Existing claimants will remain on DLA until they are invited to make a claim for PIP. Transfer will not be automatic. You will receive a letter inviting you to claim and giving you 28 days in which to make the claim.  The letter should also tell you that your DLA award will end if you do not make a claim for PIP.  If you have not made a claim within 28 days your claim will be suspended, although the DWP can extend this period if they think it is reasonable to do so.

If your DLA has been suspended because you have not made a PIP claim in time, you will get a letter to say that if you don’t make the claim within a further 28 days your DLA claim will end.

There is now an option to complete the form online if you have digital access. DWP will email you a link and you can share that link with the person who is supporting you to fill in the form. The form still needs to be printed off, but it may allow someone to help you complete it without being face to face. A month to return the form and find help is short so it is important that you do not delay completing it or getting help.

 

How to get PIP

To get PIP you must be aged 16 to State Pension Age

If you claim PIP prior to pension age you can remain on it.

You must satisfy (waiting period) the daily living and/or mobility activities test for 3 months prior to claiming and be likely to continue to satisfy this test for a period of at least 9 months after claiming. You may not have to wait 3 months from the date of the claim if you can show your needs arose prior to the date of claim. DLA claimants will not have to wait 3 months for an award but must show that their condition is likely to remain for a further 9 months.

There are 2 components: a daily living component and a mobility component. Both components have two rates, a standard rate, and an enhanced rate. Unlike DLA there is no lower rate in the daily living category.

Residence and presence conditions

You must:

  • not be subject to immigration control
  • be habitually resident and have been present in Great Britain for 2 of the past 3 years prior to claiming

This can be a hard test to satisfy and if you are in doubt about your right to live in the UK or if you have lived abroad recently you may need expert advice.

These conditions also apply to Attendance Allowance and DLA for children from April 2013.

The residency test does not apply to refugees, if they meet the disability criteria they are able to apply straight away but the waiting period above still applies.

The consultation

Once you have completed the questionnaire (PIP2) and returned it, most people will be invited to participate in a consultation with a healthcare professional.  

This could be by phone or face to face, usually in an assessment centre or occasionally in your own home.

A copy of the questionnaire will be given to the healthcare professional. This could be a doctor, but it might be a physiotherapist, a nurse or CPN.

You should be notified 7 days in advance of this consultation. This can be via a letter or via an email or text if you have agreed.

If you don’t attend the consultation or return the questionnaire your claim could be stopped unless you can show you had ‘good reason’ why you did not attend. If you need to alter the time of the assessment you must contact Independent Assessment Services, who carry out the assessments on behalf of the DWP, on 0800 188 4881.

You can take a friend or family member with you to the consultation for support. You can also request that the interview is recorded. The assessment starts as soon as you enter the building, and you may not always be seen at the time you were expecting. The report is sent to DWP and a decision maker will decide whether to award based on all the evidence that has been sent in.

If you are not able to get to an assessment centre, you must provide evidence to support why you could not attend. They may accept that you need to be assessed at home. It would be helpful to get a letter from you doctor confirming your difficulties or your need for a home visit. The assessment centre has to be within 90 minutes of where you live, and you can claim travel costs if you have asked for them in advance.

The assessment

The assessment looks at whether your ability to carry out daily living activities, mobility activities or both is ‘limited’ or ‘severely limited’ by your physical or mental condition.

Choosing the right descriptor within each activity

You choose the descriptor that applies to you most of the time; if more than one descriptor applies you must decide which one applies the most.

For example if a) applies 40% of the time and c) applies 30% of the time, you choose descriptor a).

You can only apply one descriptor from each activity but the score from each activity can be added together to give an overall score.

In deciding whether a descriptor applies you should consider whether the activity can be done:

  • safely
  • to an acceptable standard
  • repeatedly
  • in a reasonable time

For an award in either component you need to score a minimum of 8. A score of 8 will mean an award at the standard rate, a score of 12 or more, you will get the enhanced rate.

Daily Living Component            

Standard rate - £61.85             

Enhanced rate - £92.30

Mobility Component                   

Standard rate - £24.45              

Enhanced rate - £64.50

There will be no automatic entitlement to PIP - everyone will be assessed on their personal circumstances.

The only exception is for people who are terminally ill and who are not expected to live for more than 12 months. The DWP will deal with these claims quickly and the person will not need a consultation, or to fulfil the three-month waiting period. They will receive the enhanced rate of the daily living component straightaway but will still have to qualify for the mobility component.

People with a lifetime award of DLA who are of working age will still need to be reassessed under PIP.

Scoring

Daily living activities 

1. Preparing food

Points

a. Can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided.

0

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to either prepare or cook a simple meal

2

c. Cannot cook a simple meal using a conventional cooker but can do so using a microwave.

2

d. Needs prompting to either prepare or cook a simple meal.

2

e. Needs supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal.

4

f. Cannot prepare and cook food.

8

2. Taking nutrition

Points

a. Can take nutrition unaided.

0

b. Needs either:

(i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to take nutrition; or

(ii) supervision to be able to take nutrition; or

(iii) assistance to be able to cut up food.

2

c. Needs a therapeutic source to take nutrition.

2

d. Needs prompting to be able to take nutrition (needs to be reminded to eat or needs prompting about portion size).

4

e. Needs assistance to be able to manage a therapeutic source to take nutrition.

6

f. Cannot convey food and drink to their mouth and needs another person to do so.

10

 

3. Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition

Points
  1. Either:
  1. Does not receive medication, therapy or need to monitor a health condition; or
  2. Can manage medication, therapy or monitor a health condition unaided.

0
  1. Needs either:

    1. to use an aid or an appliance to be able to manage medication; or
    2. supervision, prompting or assistance to manage medication or monitor a health condition.

 

 

1

c. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to manage therapy that takes up to 3.5 hours a week.

2

d. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes between 3.5 but no more than 7 hours a week

4

e. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 7 but no more 14 hours a week.

6

f. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 14 hours a week.

8

 

4. Washing and bathing

Points

a. Can wash and bathe unaided

0

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to wash and bathe.

2

c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe

2

d. Needs assistance to be able to wash either their hair or body below the waist

2

e. Needs assistance to be able to get in and out of the bath or shower.

3

f.  Needs assistance to be able to wash their body between the shoulders and waist

4

g. Cannot wash and bathe at all and needs another person to wash their entire body.

8

 

5. Managing toilet needs or incontinence

Points

a. Can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided.

0

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to manage toilet needs or incontinence.

2

c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to manage toilet needs.

2

d. Needs assistance to be able to manage toilet needs.

4

e. Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel.

6

f. Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of both bladder and bowel.

8

 

6. Dressing and undressing

Points

a. Can dress and undress unaided.

0

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to dress or undress.

2

c. Needs either.

(i) prompting to be able to dress, undress or determine appropriate circumstances for remaining clothed; or

(ii) prompting or assistance to be able to select appropriate clothing

2

d. Needs assistance to dress or undress lower body.

2

e. Needs assistance to dress or undress upper body.

4

f. Cannot dress or undress at all.

8

 

7. Communicating verbally

Points

a. Can express and understand verbal information unaided

0

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to speak or hear. (could apply to people who require a hearing aid or an electro larynx)

2

c. Needs communication support to be able to express or understand complex verbal information (may apply to people who require a sign language interpreter).

4

d. Needs communication support to express or understand basic verbal information (may apply to people who require a sign language interpreter).

8

e. Cannot express or understand verbal information at all even with communication support.

12

 

8. Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words

Points

a. Can read and understand basic and complex written information either unaided or using spectacles or contact lenses

0

 

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance, other than spectacles or contact lenses, to be able to read or understand either basic or complex written information. (may apply to people who require low vision aids)

 

2

c. Needs prompting to be able to read and understand complex written information (may apply to people who require another person to explain information to them).

 

2

d. Needs prompting to be able to read or understand basic written information. (may apply to people who require another person to explain information to them)

4

e. Cannot read or understand signs, symbols or words at all (may apply to people who require another person to read everything to them).

8

 

9. Engaging with other people face to face

Points

a. Can engage with other people unaided

0

b. Needs prompting to engage with other people.

2

c. Needs social support to engage with other people.

4

d. Cannot engage with other people due to such engagement causing either:

(i) overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant; or

(ii) the claimant to exhibit behaviour which would result in a substantial risk of harm to the claimant or another person

8

 

10. Making budgeting decisions

Points

a. Can manage complex budgeting decisions unaided

0

b. Needs prompting or assistance to be able to make complex budgeting decisions

2

c. Needs prompting or assistance to be able to make simple budgeting decisions

4

d. Cannot make any budgeting decisions at all

6

Mobility Activities

1. Planning and following a journey

Points

a. Can plan and follow the route of a journey unaided

0

b. Needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant.

4

c. Cannot plan the route of a journey.

8

d. Cannot follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, assistance
    dog or orientation aid.

10

e. Cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant.

10

f. Cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid.

12

 

2. Moving around

Points

a. Can stand and then move more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided.

0

b. Can stand and then move more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided.

4

c. Can stand and then move unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres.

8

d. Can stand and then move using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres.

10

e. Can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided.

12

f. Cannot, either aided or unaided:

(i) stand; or

(ii) move more than 1 metre

12

Notification of award

The award notice will advise you of the rate and the length of the award.  

Awards are normally made for a fixed period –for example, one, 2 or 5 years. 

An indefinite award could be made but this is less likely.

The notice will also detail your responsibility around changes in your circumstances. About halfway through your award period DWP may send out a short form to see if anything has changed. It may be tempting to say that things have got worse but if you do say things have changed, it is likely to trigger a medical and a new decision that could mean you lose the award or have it reduced. Make sure that, if you say you have got worse, you meet the criteria that means that the award will go up otherwise say on the form that things have remained the same.

The award should then continue for the term it was given although this is not guaranteed.

If you fail the assessment - appeals

If the decision maker determines that you are not entitled to PIP, you will be notified in writing and your PIP will not be paid.

DWP will contact you to discuss the decision. If you dispute the decision either because of the rate of award or refusal you will need to request a reconsideration of the decision.

It is mandatory that the initial decision is reconsidered by the department before you are allowed to progress to an appeal. This is called a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR).

To request an MR, or for any other enquiry regarding PIP, phone 0800 121 4433. 

It is important to ask for an MR within a month of the date on the decision letter. You should provide more evidence in support of the descriptors you dispute otherwise the decision maker may not change the decision.

If DWP decide you are still not entitled you can ask for an appeal.

You need to:

  • by fill in form SSCS1
  • printing it off
  • sending it off, enclosing the mandatory reconsideration decision

You can appeal online. Make sure you say why you disagree with the decision and where you should have been given points. Get evidence in support of the descriptors you have chosen.

Your appeal should be heard by an independent tribunal. They will assess you again looking at all the evidence and anything new that you submit to them. 

It is always a good idea to have a representative at a tribunal. You might be able to get help with an appeal from the Welfare Rights Team or one of the other advice agencies in the city.

 

PIP and Motability and Blue Badge, Road Tax

To qualify for the Motability Scheme, you need to be receiving the enhanced rate of the mobility component of PIP for a period of 12 months or more.

An award of 8 to 12 points under the ‘moving around activity’ or 10 points in the ‘planning and following journeys activity’ – because you “cannot undertake any journey because it will cause overwhelming psychological distress” will automatically qualify you to get the Blue Badge. There is an assessed route via the local authority for those people not on the right rate of PIP who have mobility difficulties.

If you get the enhanced rate of the mobility component, you will be exempt from road tax. The standard rate of the mobility component will get you a 50% discount on your road tax.

PIP and Carers

The daily living component of PIP acts as a passport to Carer’s Allowance.

Carer’s Allowance is £69.70 a week and is paid if you are caring at least 35 hours a week for someone who gets either the standard or enhanced rate of the daily living component of PIP.

You can work and claim Carer’s Allowance if you do not earn more than £132 a week. There is a carer’s element of £168.81 a month included within Universal Credit (UC ) for people who have ‘substantial and regular caring responsibilities for a severely disabled person’. This will apply to you if you satisfy the eligibility criteria for Carers Allowance and the person you care for gets the daily living component of PIP.

Carers Allowance will count as other income in the UC calculation so your UC would be reduced accordingly.

Carers have no conditionality under UC, so they are not expected to look for or prepare for work.

PIP and means tested benefits

There are no disability elements within Universal Credit that are awarded on the basis of an award of PIP.

If you get a legacy benefit such as employment and support allowance and PIP you should get advice before you make a claim for Universal Credit as it may mean you lose money.

Contact our Welfare Rights Team

You can:

  • send an email to welfarerights@ brighton-hove.gov.uk 
  • write to Revenues and Benefits, Brighton & Hove City Council, 1st Floor Bartholomew House, Bartholomew, Square, Brighton, BN1 1JE
  • phone the advice Line: 01273 291 116 - open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 10am to 1pm

Get more help or advice

Possability People (Brighton & Hove)

You can:

Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project

You can:

Money Works

You can:

For Occupational Therapy, contact the council’s Access Point on 01273 295 555