Five new guides to help people understand the complete process for making a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claim have been published. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has released information covering topics such as what to expect during a PIP assessment and the kinds of supporting information that may be needed.
In Scotland, Adult Disability Payment (ADP) has replaced PIP for new claimants living there, but the new guides can act as a checklist for anyone making a claim for that payment too. PIP is a payment to support those who may have a particular illness, disability or mental health condition, the Daily Record reports.
People have to go through an assessment with a health professional to determine the level of help they can get. The new guides from DWP are available on GOV.UK.
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Who is eligible for PIP or ADP?
To be eligible for PIP or ADP, you must have a health condition or disability where you:
have had difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for 3 months
expect these difficulties to continue for at least 9 months
You usually need to have lived in the UK for at least two of the last three years and be in the country when you apply.
In addition to what we have outlined above if you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying for PIP or ADP.
Daily living activities:
- preparing food
- taking nutrition
- managing therapy or monitoring a health condition
- washing and bathing
- managing toilet needs or incontinence
- dressing and undressing
- communicating verbally
- reading and understanding signs, symbols and words
- engaging with other people face to face
- making budgeting decisions
Mobility activities:
- planning and following journeys
- moving around
There are different rules if you are terminally ill, you will find these on the GOV.UK website here.
DWP or Social Security Scotland will assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they will look at:
- whether you can do it safely
- how long it takes you
- how often your condition affects this activity
- whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment
PIP Easy-Read Guides
The information is spread across five publications which are short and easy to understand. These are:
- Get help from Personal Independence Payment
- How to claim Personal Independence Payment
- Supporting information for Personal Independence Payment
- What to expect at your Personal Independence Payment assessment
- Important things to know about your Personal Independence Payment decision
The final guide, ‘Important things to know about your Personal Independence Payment decision’, includes abridged information on ‘How we decide if you can, or cannot, get Personal Independence Payment’ which is elaborated on in the April 2023 version of the PIP Handbook.
The guidance states: “The DWP decision maker will make a reasoned decision on entitlement. If the claimant is entitled to PIP, they will also decide the level of award and the length of any award. In all cases the decision maker will make a decision based on all the available evidence.”
This includes:
- the report from the assessment provider
- the ‘How your disability affects you’ form
- any additional evidence that the claimant has provided, or
- further evidence that the assessment provider has given
The guidance continues: “If the decision maker is not satisfied with the report from the assessment provider or has any queries about the report or the evidence, they will be able to discuss the issue with the assessment provider.”
It adds that sometimes a decision can be made by using just the written information a claimant has given, but some people will be asked to attend a face-to-face consultation with a health professional.
You can read the guides on GOV.UK here.
The latest figures from the DWP show that at the end of January 2023, there were 3.25 million people claiming PIP, including 319,336 living in Scotland. However, that figure does not include the 23,660 Scots now in receipt of ADP.
Processing times for new ADP applications is an average of 79 working days (16 weeks), while new PIP claims are now being processed in 14 weeks.
Disabling conditions and number of claimants in January 2023
These are the main disability categories, the umbrella term by which a total of 547 other conditions fall under. This list is only an overview of conditions, disorders and diseases and how the DWP lists the main disabilities being claimed for.
- Haematological Disease - 7,577
- Infectious disease - 10,962
- Malignant disease - 100,863
- Metabolic disease - 4,782
- Psychiatric disorders - 1,206,838
- Neurological disease - 411,887
- Visual disease - 57,180
- Hearing disorders - 34,399
- Cardiovascular disease - 83,568
- Gastrointestinal disease - 29,036
- Diseases of the liver, gallbladder, biliary tract -11,770
- Skin disease - 21,375
- Musculoskeletal disease (general) - 649,780
- Musculoskeletal disease (regional) - 387,128
- Autoimmune disease (connective tissue disorders) - 17,997
- Genitourinary disease - 24,777
- Endocrine disease - 43,288
- Respiratory disease - 136,757
- Multisystem and extremes of age - 1,235
- Diseases of the immune system - 1,081
- Unknown or missing - 10,547
- Total - 3,252,818
Even though PIP is being replaced in Scotland by Adult Disability Payment, it will follow the same eligibility criteria, but take a more ‘people-centric’ approach, according to Social Security Scotland.
How are PIP and ADP paid?
PIP and ADP are usually paid every four weeks in arrears unless you are terminally ill, in which case it is paid weekly in advance. It will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account.
ADP is paid at the same rates as PIP.
What are the PIP and ADP payment rates?
You will need an assessment to work out the level of financial help you will receive and your rate will be regularly reviewed to make sure you are getting the right support.
You will be paid the following amounts per week from April 10 depending on your circumstances:
Daily living component
Standard rate: £68.10
Enhanced rate: £101.75
Mobility component
Standard rate: £26.90
Enhanced rate: £71.00
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, for PIP.
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.
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.
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