Whether or not you are entitled to PIP is based on how your illness and treatment affects you and what help you need with very specific things. Here, we explain everything you need to understand about how PIP works - whether you are applying for it, preparing for an assessment, or trying to work out if you should challenge an unfair decision. Below we explain the PIP points system and what points you get for each activity or difficulty.

PIP is broken up into two parts:

1. Daily living component - this part looks at the difficulties you have with daily tasks like cooking or washing.
2. Mobility component - this part looks at the difficulties you have when moving around outdoors. 

How it works

PIP uses a points system. For example, if you need help from another person to wash your hair, you get 2 points. If you need help to get into the shower or bath you get 3 points, etc. 

You can score points for only one descriptor within each activity. (For example, if you meet two descriptors in 'washing and bathing', select the one with the highest points).

It doesn't matter if you actually get this help or not. (For example, if you need someone else’s help to cook a proper meal with fresh ingredients, you are entitled to those points. It doesn’t matter if, in reality, nobody helps you so you don’t cook meals). 

It is not only physical difficulties that should be considered, the impact of any mental health conditions or medication should be too. For example, while you may have no physical difficulty that prevents you from washing without help, you may need prompting, reminding, or encouraging to wash due to a mental health condition or a side-effect of your medication.

You must show how your difficulties meet one of the descriptors for each activity. If a difficulty does not fall within any of the listed descriptors, you will not get any points for it.

PIP reliability test

You must be able to do each task reliably, which means safely, repeatedly and in a reasonable time. So if the only way you can do something is to do it badly, unsafely, or slowly, the correct descriptor is the one that says you can’t do it. Similarly, if doing it causes you pain, tiredness, breathlessness, nausea, or makes your condition worse, the correct descriptor is the one that says you can’t do it.

PIP majority of days rule 

If your condition is not always the same, the correct descriptor is the one you meet for more than 50 percent of the time.
 

Standard rate vs enhanced rate

The daily living and mobility components can be paid at either a standard or enhanced rate, depending on how many points you are assessed as getting.

Daily living activities and descriptors

1 - Preparing a meal from fresh ingredients

The DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) wants to know if you can safely prepare a simple meal for one person using fresh ingredients.

a. Can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided. – Score 0

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal.   - Score 2

c. Cannot cook a simple meal using a conventional cooker but is able to do so using a microwave.     - Score 2

d. Needs reminding or encouraging to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal. - Score 2

e. Needs supervision to help me stay safe or physical help to either prepare or cook a simple meal. - Score 4

f. Cannot prepare and cook food. – Score 8

2 -  Eating and drinking

The DWP wants to know if you need any help to eat or drink.

a. Can take nutrition unaided. - Score 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. - Score 2

c. Needs a therapeutic source to be able to eat or drink. - Score 2

d. Needs reminding or encouraging to eat or drink. - Score 4

e. Needs physical help to be able to manage a therapeutic source to take nutrition. - Score 6

f. Cannot convey get food and drink to their mouth and needs another person to do so. Score 10

3 - Managing therapy, medication, or monitoring a health condition    

This is about whether you need help to take your medication, do therapy, or be aware of changes to your condition. Therapy includes things like wound care, stoma care, or using a machine like a nebuliser, TENS machine, or home dialysis, as well as physiotherapy or psychotherapy.

a. Can manage medication or therapy, and monitor their health condition without help. Score 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. - Score 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. - Score 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. - Score 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. - Score 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- Score 8

4 - Washing and bathing

The DWP wants to know if you can safely wash or bathe yourself without help from another person.

a. Can wash and bathe unaided. - Score 0

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to wash or bathe. - Score 2

c. Needs supervision, reminding, encouraging, or reassuring to be able to wash or bathe. - Score 2

d. Needs physical help to be able to wash either their hair or body below the waist. - Score 2

e. Needs physical help to be able to get in or out of a bath or shower. - Score 3

f. Needs physical help to be able to wash their body between the shoulders and waist. - Score 4

g. Cannot wash and bathe at all and needs another person to wash their entire body. - Score 8

5 - Managing incontinence or toilet needs

The DWP wants to know if you can go to the toilet or manage your incontinence by yourself.

a. Can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided. - Score 0

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage toilet needs or incontinence. - Score 2

c. Needs supervision to help them stay safe or reminding or encouraging to be able to manage toilet needs. - Score 2

d. Needs physical help to be able to manage toilet needs. - Score 4

e. Needs physical help to be able to manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel. - Score 6

f. Need physical help to be able to manage incontinence of both bladder and bowel. - Score 8

6 - Dressing and undressing

The DWP wants to know if you can get dressed or undressed appropriately by yourself.  

a. Can dress and undress unaided. - Score 0

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to dress or undress.  - Score 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.  - Score 2

d. Needs physical help to be able to dress or undress their lower body. - Score 2

e. Needs physical help to be able to dress or undress their upper body. - Score 4

f. Cannot dress or undress at all. Score 8

7 - Speaking, hearing, and understanding what is said

The DWP wants to know about physical or cognitive impairments, or side effects of medication, that affect your ability to speak, hear or understand - rather than difficulties related to depression or anxiety, which are covered in activity 9.

a. Can express and understand verbal information unaided. - Score 0

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to speak or hear. - Score 2

c. Needs need help from someone trained or experienced in helping me to be able to express or understand complex verbal information. - Score 4

d. Needs help from someone trained or experienced in helping them to be able to express or understand basic verbal information. - Score 8

e. Cannot express or understand verbal information at all even with help from someone trained or experienced in helping them. - Score 12

8 - Reading and understanding signs, symbols, and words

The DWP wants to know if you have difficulty reading written or printed information in your first language. The ability to read braille is not relevant for this activity.

a. Can read and understand basic and complex written information either unaided or using spectacles glasses or contact lenses. – Score 0

b. Needs to use an aid or appliance, other than spectacles glasses or contact lenses, to be able to read or understand either basic or complex written information. - Score 2

c. Needs reminding, encouraging or reassuring to be able to read or understand complex written information. - Score 2

d. Needs reminding, encouraging or reassuring to be able to read or understand basic written information. - Score 4

e. Cannot read or understand signs, symbols or words at all. - Score 8

9 - Engaging with other people face to face

The DWP wants to know about your ability to reliably interact with other people face to face in an appropriate manner, understand body language, and establish relationships. 

a. Can engage with other people without help from an aid or appliance or a person.- Score 0

b. Needs reminding, encouraging, or reassuring to be able to engage with other people. - Score 2

c. Needs help from someone trained or experienced in helping them to be able to engage with other people.- Score 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.  - Score 8

10 - Making budgeting decisions

The DWP wants to know if you are able to manage money, and make simple budgeting decisions - like understanding if you have enough to pay for things you need to buy and what change to expect - or complex decisions, like managing bills and planning future purchases.

a. Can manage complex budgeting decisions without help from an aid or appliance or a person. – Score 0

b. Needs reminding, encouraging, or reassuring, or physical help to be able to make complex budgeting decisions. - Score 2

c. Needs reminding, encouraging, or reassuring, or physical help to be able to make simple budgeting decisions. - Score 4

d. Cannot make any budgeting decisions at all. - Score 6

Mobility activities and descriptors

 1 - Planning and following journeys

They want to know if you 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 your phone, or something similar.

a. Can plan and follow the route of a journey without help from an aid or appliance or a person. - Score 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. - Score 4

c. Cannot plan the route of a journey - Score 8

d. Cannot follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, assistance dog, or orientation aid. - Score 10

e. Cannot undertake any journey because it would make them feel so anxious or distressed that they cannot function. - Score 10

f. Cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog, or an orientation aid. - Score 12

2 - Moving around on your feet

The DWP wants to know if you can stand and walk without severe discomfort - using a walking stick, a frame, or by yourself.

a. Can walk more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided. - Score 0

b. Can walk more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided. - Score 4

c. Can walk unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres. - Score 8

d. Can walk using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres. - Score 10

e. Can walk more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided. - Score 12

f. Cannot, either aided or unaided, (i) stand; or (ii) move more than 1 metre. - Score 12

Acknowledgements

Advicenow is grateful to the Ministry of Justice for funding the update of this guide under the Online Support and Advice Grant.

Advicenow would like to thank everyone who provided advice and feedback on this guide, particularly Samantha Scarlett, and Sekayi Stara from Brixton Advice Centre.