Long Covid sufferers could receive financial help from the Department Work and Pensions.
Those who have long term physical or mental illness or disability can be eligible for Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
A range of conditions can qualify and as a result, claimants can get up to £608 a month.
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According to reports, it is estimated around 1.3 million people in the UK are living with prolonged symptoms of Covid-19.
And as BirminghamLive reports, if your Long Covid symptoms are so severe they prevent you working or you face additional difficulties you could be entitled to a Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
The most common complaint is fatigue and can be so severe that it stops people from carrying out normal daily tasks.
Long Covid has been recognised by officials since March 2021 says DWP documents.
Covid-related medical cases prior to that could still have been awarded PIP but their claim would have been recorded under the symptoms it caused, such as respiratory difficulties, rather than being listed as coronavirus itself.
The notes attached to statistics for PIP say: "A change has been made to include the category 'Coronavirus COVID-19' in all low-level disability breakdowns in all published series which offer this level of detail.
"This reflects an operational change made in March 2021 to include this code on the PIP Computer System. Due to the nature of the qualifying period for PIP claims, these cases will all be 'long COVID' or 'post-COVID syndrome' cases rather than initial COVID-19 infections.
"Any individuals with long COVID-19 as their primary reason for claiming PIP prior to March 2021 will not be classified as 'Coronavirus COVID-19.' These cases will remain classified according to the main disabling condition identified at the time (for example, respiratory illness, fatigue)."
There are currently 315 people claiming PIP for whom long Covid is cited as their main disabling condition.
At present, that's only a fraction of the 2.8 million people across the UK who get PIP.
Figures show that 82 per cent of PIP claims are recorded as having one of these five most common disabling conditions:
- Psychiatric disorders (which includes mixed anxiety and depressive disorders) - 994,018 total claims as of October 2021
- Musculoskeletal disease (general) - 897,803 total claims for musculoskeletal disease as a whole (general and regional) as of October 2021
- Musculoskeletal disease (regional)
- Neurological disease - 364,477 claimants as of October 2021
- Respiratory disease - 124,757 claimants as of October 2021
The two most commonly recorded conditions in claims are psychiatric disorders (36 per cent of claims), and musculoskeletal disease (general) (a further 21 per cent of claims).
To get PIP, you need to be aged 16 or over and expect your health issues to last for at least 12 months from when they started.
The benefit scheme has two components - daily living and mobility - and after being assessed you may be awarded the standard or enhanced rates of one or both.
PIP Daily Living Component
You might get the daily living part of PIP if you need help with:
- eating, drinking or preparing food
- washing, bathing and using the toilet
- dressing and undressing
- reading and communicating
- managing your medicines or treatments
- making decisions about money
- socialising and being around other people
As part of the benefits uprating of 3.1 per cent for the next financial year, PIP allowances will increase from April 11, 2022. These are as follows:
Standard amount for daily living - increasing from £60 a week to £61.85 a week
Enhanced amount for daily living - increasing from £89.60 a week to £92.40 a week
PIP Mobility Component
You might get the mobility part of PIP if you need help with:
- working out a route and following it
- physically moving around
- leaving your home
The April increases for this element of PIP are:
Standard allowance for mobility - increasing from £23.70 a week to £24.45 a week
Enhanced allowance for mobility - increasing from £62.55 a week to £64.50 a week
The maximum you can get is the enhanced rate of both components, which is currently up to £608.60 a month, increasing in April 2022 to £627.60.
Unlike other benefits, you can still get PIP if you have savings or getting other benefits.
To start a claim for PIP, call the helpline on 0800 917 2222 on Monday to Friday, between 8am and 5pm.
Other benefits you can get for long Covid
you may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if you are employed but unable to work because of ongoing Covid-related problems.
If you’re not eligible or your SSP ends, you may be able to apply for Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
ESA gives you money to help with living costs and support to get back into work.
Find out more at the GOV.UK page for long Covid here.
