Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is financial support to help with extra living costs if you have both:

• A long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
• Difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition

You can apply for PIP if all the following apply to you:

• Aged 16 or over
• Have a disability or long-term physical or mental health condition
• Have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around
• You expect these difficulties to last at least 12 months from when they began

You must also be under State Pension age if you’ve not received PIP before.

You can get PIP even if you’re working, have savings, or are getting most other benefits.

In Scotland, Adult Disability Payment has replaced PIP. Visit our Adult Disability Payment page to find out more or get in touch if you need some help.

If you live in Northern Ireland, PIP has replaced Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Find out about who can apply and how on nidirect.

If you already get benefits

If you get any of the following benefits, you may also get a disability premium (a top-up) – this is an extra amount added to your benefit.

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Housing Benefit

If you’re eligible, you may also get the disability element of Working Tax Credit.

You can get PIP at the same time as most other benefits, except:

• You cannot get Armed Forces Independence Payment and PIP at the same time.
• If you get Constant Attendance Allowance, the daily living part of PIP may be reduced.
• If you get War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement, you cannot get the mobility part of PIP.

If you get Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

PIP is replacing DLA for most adults. You’ll keep getting DLA if:

• You’re under 16
• You were born on or before 8 April 1948

If you were born after 8 April 1948, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will write to invite you to apply for PIP. You do not need to do anything until the DWP writes to you. But, if your circumstances change before they contact you, you need to let the DWP know.

There are two parts to PIP:

• Daily living – if you need help with everyday tasks
• Mobility – if you need help getting around

Whether you get one or both parts, how much, and for how long you’ll get PIP depends on how difficult you find carrying out everyday activities or getting around.

Examples of daily living tasks include:

• Preparing meals
• Eating and drinking
• Getting dressed or undressed
• Washing and bathing
• Using the toilet
• Managing your money

Examples of how you’ll be assessed for the mobility part of PIP include if you need help with:

• Physically moving around
• Planning a route and following it
• Leaving your home

If you get the mobility part of PIP, you may be eligible for a Blue Badge or a Motability Scheme vehicle.

PIP is usually paid every four weeks into your bank account. For the current PIP rates for both daily living and mobility parts, visit GOV.UK.

You can apply for PIP by phone, by post, or online (in some areas).

It’s usually best to start your application by phone – it’s quicker and you’ll be paid from the date you started your claim.

There are two forms for PIP. You only need to fill in the second form if you meet the basic conditions for PIP. You may also need to go to an assessment if the DWP need more information.

Apply by phone

Start your claim by calling the Personal Independence Payment claim line. When you call the DWP, you’ll need to give your:

• Name, address, and phone number
• Date of birth
• National Insurance number
• Bank or building society details
• GP contact details (or any other health professionals involved in your care)
• Dates and details of any hospital or residential care stays
• Nationality or immigration status
• Dates and details if you’ve been abroad for more than four weeks at a time in the last three years

If the DWP thinks you meet the basic conditions for PIP, they’ll send you the PIP2 form ‘How your disability affects you’ to complete. They may send the form by post or online.

Visit GOV.UK’s How to claim PIP page to find the phone number and more information.

Apply by post

It’s usually better to apply by phone. But if you want to apply by post, send a letter to this freepost address:

Freepost DWP PIP 1

You do not need a postcode or a stamp. In your letter, ask for the PIP1 form to start your claim.

When you get the PIP1 form, fill it in and send it to the address on the form as soon as possible. You must send it back within one month from when the DWP received your first letter (not the date that you got the form).

Apply online

You may be able to apply for PIP online, but it depends on where you live. You’ll need to check your postcode when your start your application.

To start your claim online you’ll need your:

• National Insurance number
• Email address
• Mobile number

Completing and returning the form

Whether you apply by phone or post, it usually takes around two weeks to get the PIP2 form, which is called How your disability affects you.

Use the guidance provided with the form to fill it in. Send it back to the address on the form and include any supporting documents about your muscle wasting condition that will help the DWP make their decision. This might include:

• Letters or reports from your GP or specialists
• Test results
• Care or support plans
• A list of medications or prescriptions

You have one month to return the form, but you can request more time if needed. If you need help with filling out the form, contact your local Citizens Advice or get in touch with us for advice.

It’s a good idea to make a copy of the form. If you’re asked to have an assessment, you can take it with you so you can refer to it and you do not forget anything you might want to mention.

If you’re waiting for supporting information

You should not delay sending the form, even if you’re still waiting for supporting information – such as a letter from your hospital.

Send the form back on time (within one month) and call the DWP to tell them you’re waiting for supporting information or include a letter with your form to let them know that more evidence will follow.

If you’re sending extra documents later, make sure to write your National Insurance number on each one so the DWP can link them to your claim. This helps avoid delays or missing information.

You may be asked to go for an assessment with a health professional if the DWP needs more information to make a decision.

The assessment may happen:

• At an assessment centre
• Over the phone or by video call
• At your home (if needed)

You can ask for reasonable adjustments, such as a home visit or longer appointment if that would help. You can also have someone with you for support, like a friend, family member, or carer.

You will be asked:

• How your muscle wasting condition affects your daily life and your ability to move around
• If you’ve had any treatments or have any coming up

For more detailed advice about what to expect at your assessment and how to prepare, visit the Citizens Advice guide to the PIP assessment.

After the assessment, they’ll write a report for the DWP. This report will help them to decide whether to award you PIP – at what rate and for how long.

The DWP will send you a letter that tells you whether you’ve been awarded PIP. The letter will tell you:

• If you’re getting PIP
• Which part(s) you’ve been awarded
• The rate you’ll get
• When your payments will start

If you’ve been refused PIP, you did not get the rate you were expecting, or you think your award is not long enough, you can challenge the decision.

If you’re unhappy with the decision, you can ask the DWP to look at it again. This is called a mandatory reconsideration.

Read our detailed guide on how to challenge a PIP decision. You can also contact your local Citizens Advice or speak to us if you need help with challenging a decision.