How to write effective evidence for a PIP application or appeal

A guide for GPs, medical staff, social workers, and other professionals. It explains how to write more effective evidence for PIP so that your patient gets the right support first time. Includes explanations of PIP descriptors, and Regulation 4 guidance to save time and better support patients.

This information applies in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Last updated: February 2026

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Key requirements

Entitlement to PIP is decided by the difficulties experienced and help needed with very specific tasks - not a diagnosis. This includes help they need but do not get, or help they give themselves like taking a rest, or using an appliance.
The legal test is can they do a task

safely,
to an acceptable standard,
repeatedly, and
in a reasonable time.

PIP entitlement is based on whether they have these difficulties more than 50% of the time.
The best evidence is mapped to specific PIP activities and descriptors (listed and explained below).

Why take the time to provide effective evidence?

Evidence from medical staff and other professionals enables the DWP or the tribunal to come to the right decision.

Equipping your patient with effective evidence helps them to avoid the cycle of poverty associated with not getting the correct amount of benefit.

Providing useful evidence reduces the likelihood of repeated requests, saving you time in the long run.

The activities and descriptors that entitlement to PIP is based on are listed and explained below. To be entitled to support, your patient requires 8 points or more for the lower rate, and 12 points or more for the higher rate.

Regulation 4 guidance confirms that in order to count as being able to do a task, the person must be able to do it:

safely - without risk of injury or significant pain, fatigue, breathlessness, or making their condition worse.
repeatedly - which means as often as reasonably required throughout the day.
to an acceptable standard - which means correctly and completely.
in a reasonable time - which means that no more than twice as long as a person without the disability.

For example, if a patient can walk 20 metres once but cannot do it again as frequently as it might be needed, clinical evidence should state they cannot perform the task 'repeatedly'.

If your patient cannot grip a knife, they will not be able to cook a meal safely or to an acceptable standard.

Fluctuating conditions

The legal test is based on what they can do most of the time. It doesn’t matter that they can sometimes get up and dress themselves without help. If they could not do it for more than 50% of the time, they meet the descriptors that says they cannot do it.

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Providing evidence for patients with mental health conditions

Those with severe mental health problems and no other difficulties may be entitled to PIP because they need prompting, reminding, or encouraging to

cook a proper meal,
eat,
take their medication,
wash and/or dress, or
engage with others face-to-face.

Others might need supervision to keep them safe or others safe - either because of a history of self-harm (or harming others when distressed), or because of a lack of concentration, confusion, erratic behaviour, or poor decision making.

Many might not be able to go to unfamiliar places without support from another person, others cannot make any journeys because it would make them feel so anxious or distressed that they cannot function.

How many points are needed for an award?

Award	Daily living activities	Mobility activities
Standard	8-11 points	8-11 points
Enhanced	12 or more	12 or more

What about the recent changes to PIP?

Despite the government’s ‘Modernising Support’ white paper, there are have been no changes to the way PIP works. The proposals were dropped due to a public backlash. There are currently no potential changes to PIP in the pipeline. For more see What changes to disability benefits are happening now?

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The most helpful evidence will confirm which activities the patient has difficulty with and why.

If you are able to confirm which descriptor they meet, even better.

If you have seen evidence of poor self-care (for example, they have come to appointments unwashed, or in dirty clothes), or have failed to come to appointments at all, it is useful to include that too.

If you are writing evidence for an appeal, the appeal is about a decision that was made probably 6 months to a year ago. Your evidence needs to be about how their illness, treatment or disability affected them at that time.

If your patient has told you what descriptors they meet

If your patient has told you what descriptors they meet, please confirm all those you can in your evidence.

If you cannot confirm a descriptor your patient has indicated they meet, but can confirm another in that activity, please include that.

If you cannot confirm any from that activity, please just leave it out as your patient may have evidence from someone else who knows more about their problems with this activity.

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Activity 1: Preparing food The DWP wants to know if they can safely prepare a simple meal for one person from scratch. Being able to warm up a ready meal does not count.
	Descriptor	Score
a.	Can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided	0
b.	Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal	2
c.	Cannot cook a simple meal using a conventional cooker but is able to do so using a microwave	2
d.	Needs reminding or encouraging to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal	2
e.	Needs supervision to stay safe or physical help to either prepare or cook a simple meal (this includes chopping, stirring, moving full pans, telling when it is cooked, etc)	4
f.	Cannot prepare and cook food (this includes chopping, stirring, moving full pans, telling when it is cooked, etc)	8

Activity 2: Taking nutrition The DWP wants to know if they need any help to eat or drink.
	Descriptor	Score
a.	Can take nutrition unaided	0
b.	Needs to use an aid or appliance, or supervision to help them stay safe, or physical help to be able to cut up food to be able to eat or drink.	2
c.	Needs a therapeutic source to be able to eat or drink	2
d.	Needs reminding or encouraging to eat or drink	4
e.	Needs physical help to be able to manage a therapeutic source to take nutrition	6
f.	Cannot get food and drink to their mouth and needs another person to do so	10

Activity 3: Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition The DWP wants to know if they need help to take medication, do therapy, or be aware of changes to their conditon.
	Descriptor	Score
a.	Can manage medication or therapy and monitor their health condition without help	0
b.	Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage their medication, or needs supervision to help them stay safe, or reminding or encouraging, or physical help to manage their medication or monitor a health condition	1
c.	Needs supervision to help them stay safe, or reminding or encouraging, or physical help to be able to manage therapy that takes no more than 3.5 hours a week	2
d.	Needs supervision to help them stay safe, or reminding or encouraging, or physical help to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 3.5 but no more than 7 hours a week	4
e.	Needs supervision to help them stay safe, or reminding or encouraging, or physical help to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 7 but no more than 14 hours a week	6
f.	Needs supervision to help them stay safe, or reminding or encouraging, or physical help to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 14 hours a week	8

Activity 4: Washing and bathing The DWP wants to know if they can safely wash or bathe without help from another person.
	Descriptor	Score
a.	Can wash and bathe without help	0
b.	Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to wash or bathe	2
c.	Needs supervision, reminding, encouraging, or reassuring to be able to wash or bathe	2
d.	Needs physical help to be able to wash either their hair or body below the waist	2
e.	Needs physical help to be able to get in or out of a bath or shower	3
f.	Needs physical help 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

Activity 5: Managing toilet needs or incontinence The DWP wants to know if they can go to the toilet or manage their incontinence without help.
	Descriptor	Score
a.	Can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided	0
b.	Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage toilet needs or incontinence	2
c.	Needs supervision to help them stay safe or reminding or encouraging to be able to manage toilet need	2
d.	Needs physical help to be able to manage toilet needs	4
e.	Needs physical help to be able to manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel	6
f.	Need physical help to be able to manage incontinence of both bladder and bowel	8

Activity 6: Dressing and undressing The DWP wants to know if they can get dressed or undressed (appropriately) without help.
	Descriptor	Score
a.	Can dress and undress unaided	0
b.	Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to dress or undress	2
c.	Needs reminding or encouraging to be able to dress, undress or not undress inappropriately, or needs reminding or encouraging, or physical help to be able to choose appropriate clothing	2
d.	Needs physical help to be able to dress or undress their lower body	2
e.	Needs physical help to be able to dress or undress their upper body	4
e.	Cannot dress or undress at all	8

Activity 7: Communicating verbally The DWP wants to know about physical or cognitive impairments, or side effects of medication, that affect their ability to speak, hear or understand (rather than difficulties related to depression or anxiety, which are covered in activity 9).
	Descriptor	Score
a.	Can express and understand verbal information unaided	0
b.	Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to speak or hear	2
c.	Needs need help from someone trained or experienced in helping them to be able to express or understand complex verbal information	4
d.	Needs help from someone trained or experienced in helping them to be able to express or understand basic verbal information	8
e.	Cannot express or understand verbal information at all even with help from someone trained or experienced in helping them	12

Activity 8: Reading and understanding signs, symbols, and words The DWP want to know if they have difficulty reading written or printed information in their first language. Ability to read braille is not relevant for this activity.
	Descriptor	Score
a.	Can read and understand basic and complex written information either unaided or using glasses or contact lenses	0
b.	Needs to use an aid or appliance, other than glasses or contact lenses, to be able to read or understand either basic or complex written information	2
c.	Needs reminding, encouraging, or reassuring to be able to read or understand complex written information	2
d.	Needs reminding, encouraging, or reassuring to be able to read or understand basic written information	4
e.	Cannot read or understand signs, symbols, or words at all	8

Activity 9: Engaging with other people face to face The DWP want to know their ability to reliably interact with other people face to face in an appropriate manner, understand body language, and establish relationships.
	Descriptor	Score
a.	Can engage with other people without help from an aid or appliance or a person	0
b.	Needs reminding, encouraging, or reassuring to be able to engage with other people	2
c.	Needs help from someone trained or experienced in helping them to be able to engage with other people	4
d.	Cannot engage with other people because it either makes them feel so anxious or distressed that they cannot function, or because it causes them to behave dangerously, and either they or another person might get hurt	8

Activity 10: Making budgeting decisions The DWP want to know if they are able to manage money, and make simple budgeting decisions (like understanding if they have enough to pay for things they need to buy and what change to expect) or complex decisions (like managing bills and planning future purchases).
	Descriptor	Score
a.	Can manage complex budgeting decisions without help from an aid or appliance or a person	0
b.	Needs reminding, encouraging, or reassuring, or physical help to be able to make complex budgeting decisions	2
c.	Needs reminding, encouraging, or reassuring, or physical help to be able to make simple budgeting decisions	4
d.	Cannot make any budgeting decisions at all	6

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Activity 1: Planning and following journeys The DWP wants to know they need help to go places from another person, an assistance dog or an aid. Aids or appliances for this activity could be navigation apps, reminders set on their phone, or something similar.
	Descriptor	Score
a.	Can plan and follow the route of a journey without help from an aid or appliance or a person	0
b.	Needs reminding, encouraging, or reassuring to be able to undertake any journey to avoid it making them feel so anxious or distressed that they cannot function	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 make them feel so anxious or distressed that they cannot function	10
f.	Cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog, or an orientation aid	12

Activity 2: Moving around The DWP wants to know if they can stand and walk without severe discomfort - using a walking stick, a frame, or by themselves.
	Descriptor	Score
a.	Can walk more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided	0
b.	Can walk more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided	4
c.	Can walk unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres	8
d.	Can walk using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres	10
e.	Can walk more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided	12
f.	Cannot, either aided or unaided: stand, or move more than 1 metre	12

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Disclaimer

This information applies in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The law is complicated. We have simplified the wording of the descriptors to make this page easier to use. If you prefer, you can find the exact wording of the legislative tests on pipinfo.net.

Acknowledgements

This guide was written and produced by Advicenow. This version of the guide was updated thanks to funding from the Ministry of Justice via the Online Advice and Support grant.

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How to write effective evidence for a PIP application or appeal