The latest figures from The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence show that there are now 5.4 million people across the UK receiving treatment for asthma, including 68,000 people (one in 14) living in Scotland.
The statistics also show that approximately 160,000 people across the country are diagnosed with asthma every year and that roughly 250,000 adults and children are living with severe asthma.
Severe asthma can count as a disability, according to the charity Asthma UK, and if it’s making your daily life difficult, whether that’s inside the home completing simple tasks or moving around independently outside it, you may be eligible for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and receive financial support.
The Asthma UK website states: “PIP is paid because of how severe asthma affects you, not because you have severe asthma, so you may be asked to see a health professional for an assessment.”
The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that at the end of January, 2022, there were 21,240 people across the UK receiving PIP for asthmatic conditions.
This includes:
- Scotland claimants: 2,339
- England claimants: 16,977
- Wales claimants: 1,927
You do not need to have a carer or have someone helping you to qualify for PIP and you could receive between £24.45 and £156.90 each week.
PIP is paid every four weeks so that amounts to between £97.80 and £627.60 every payment period.
The benefit will be replaced by the Adult Disability Payment (ADP) for new and existing claimants living in Scotland over the coming months, but will continue to follow similar eligibility rules and award the same payment rates as DWP.
If you are awarded PIP or ADP you may also be able to claim extra money on top of your existing benefits, Council Tax reductions and discounts on travel.
The DWP guidance states: "Entitlement to PIP provides a gateway or passport to other benefits, such as Carer’s Allowance, and schemes sponsored by other departments, such as the Blue Badge scheme."
You will need your PIP award letter before you can apply for any extra help, this is often referred to as a 'PIP award notice', and is sent to you when the DWP has made a decision about your claim.
If you're a new claimant living in Scotland, you will receive this from Social Security Scotland.
Find out if you can claim PIP by looking at the criteria set out by the DWP below.
What is PIP?
PIP is a benefit which is gradually replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
If you need extra help because of an illness, disability or mental health condition you could be eligible for PIP.
You will be assessed by a health professional to work out the level of help you can get and your rate will be reviewed to make sure you are getting the right support.
Who is eligible for PIP?
If you are over 16 and under State Pension age, you could be eligible for PIP.
You do not need to have worked or paid National Insurance contributions to qualify for PIP, and it does not matter what your income is, if you have any savings or if you’re in or out of work - or on furlough.
You must also have a health condition or disability where you:
-
have had difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for three months
-
expect these difficulties to continue for at least nine months
The DWP will determine the eligibility of your PIP claim on a period of 12 months, looking back for three months and forward for nine months - they must consider if your illness changes over time.
You usually need to have lived in Scotland, or anywhere else in the UK for at least two of the last three years and be in the country when you apply.
PIP daily living and mobility test
If you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying for PIP:
-
preparing, cooking or eating food
-
managing your medication
-
washing, bathing or using the toilet
-
dressing and undressing
-
engaging and communicating with other people
-
reading and understanding written information
-
making decisions about money
-
planning a journey or following a route
-
moving around
What is classified as ‘help’ for a PIP claim
You are classified as needing help to do an activity if you need a person or a device to:
-
Do it for you
-
Do it with you
-
Remind you to do it
-
Watch you do it to keep you safe
You may also be classified as needing help if you do an activity yourself but:
-
You are not safe
-
You cannot complete the task well enough
-
You cannot complete the task often
-
It takes you a long time
PIP test scoring criteria
The PIP scoring criteria awards points for a statement which applies to you for each activity
The DWP will decide which statement best fits your situation most of the time. You will get a set amount of points ranging from 0 -12 for each activity.
The total number of points you get for each group of activities will decide whether you are entitled to PIP, and how much money you will receive.
To get the standard rate daily living component, you need to score between 8 to 11 points in total for the daily living activities. You need 12 points to get the enhanced rate.
To get the standard rate mobility component, you need to score between 8 to 11 points in total for the mobility activities. You need 12 points to get the enhanced rate.
How is PIP paid?
PIP is usually paid every four weeks unless you are terminally ill, in which case it is paid every week.
PIP will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account.
PIP payment rates for 2022
PIP is made up of two components - daily living and mobility.
You could receive the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances:
Daily living
-
Standard rate - £61.85
-
Enhanced rate - £92.40
Mobility
-
Standard rate - £24.45
-
Enhanced rate - £64.50
How you are assessed
You will be assessed by an independent healthcare professional to help the DWP determine the level of financial support, if any, you need.
Face-to-face consultations for health-related benefits are offered alongside video calls, telephone and paper-based assessments - it's important to be aware that there is no choice here, it's up to the health professional and DWP.
Adult Disability Payment assessments will not involve face-to-face assessments, unless this is preferred by the claimant - find out more about the changes here.
You can find out more about DWP PIP assessments here.
How do you make a claim for PIP?
You can make a new claim by contacting the DWP, you will find all the information you need to apply on the GOV.UK website here.
Before you call, you will need:
-
your contact details
-
your date of birth
-
your National Insurance number - this is 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 abroad, in a care home or hospital
Once you have contacted the DWP, they will send you a document to complete which consists of 14 questions. This includes space for any additional information you feel is relevant to your claim.
The questions focus on how your condition affects you, so put as much detail in as you can to help the assessor understand your physical or mental health needs.
If you have difficulty filling in your form or understanding the questions, contact your local council and ask for help or Citizens Advice Scotland.
We have a breakdown of all 14 questions here and you can take an anonymous self-test online at Benefits and Work to see how many points you would be awarded for each response.
There is also an online PIP toolkit with examples of all the questions to help you answer fully with the most relevant information, find out more about this here.
Even if you don't qualify for financial support, you could be eligible for a National Entitlement Travel Card, which offers free or reduced travel across Scotland on most public transport links.
For more information about PIP, visit GOV.UK here.
To keep up to date with the latest PIP and Adult Disability Payment news, join our Money Saving Scotland Facebook group here, follow Record Money on Twitter here, or subscribe to our twice weekly newsletter here.
