Personal Independence Payment (PIP) activities, descriptors and points

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.

PIP is broken up into two parts - one that looks at your needs when moving around outdoors, one that looks at the help you need with daily tasks like cooking or washing.

PIP points system

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 only score one set of points from each activity (for example, washing). It doesn't matter if you actually get this help or not. You have to fit the difficulties you have with each activity to one of the descriptors - you don't get any points for having a different difficulty.

For help to challenge an unfair or incorrect decision see our guide which shows you how to prepare your case to win a PIP tribunal. Our Personal Independence Payment Mandatory Reconsideration Tool will also help you set out your case for why you should have received a higher award, using the PIP points system. 

If you need help with the online appeal form, you can get help from We Are Digital. Find out more about how We Are Digital can help.

You need 8 points to get the standard rate of the daily living component, or 12 points for the enhanced rate. 

You also need 8 points for the standard rate of the mobility component and 12 points for the enhanced rate. 

If the only way you can do something is to do it badly, unsafely, slowly or only occasionally, the correct descriptor is the one that says you can’t do it. Similarly if you can’t do a task as many times as you might need, or 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.

If you have applied and been given a decision you do not think is right, check what rate of PIP you should be getting. Our tool will help you work out if the DWP has given you the right decision. And if they haven’t, get help to write a letter asking for a mandatory reconsideration and explaining why you are entitled, point by point.  If you are already at the appeal stage, you can use the wording created by the PIP MR tool on the appeal form. The tool also provides helpful examples of explanations other people have used.

Daily living activities and descriptors

Activity 1. Preparing food. 

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

Activity 2. Taking nutrition.

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

Activity 3. Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition.  

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 s 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

Activity 4. Washing and bathing.

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

Activity 5. Managing toilet needs or incontinence.       

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

Activity 6. Dressing and undressing.   

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

Activity 7. Communicating verbally. 

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

Activity 8. Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words.  

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

Activity 9. Engaging with other people face to face. 

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

Activity 10. Making budgeting decisions.  

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

Activity 1. Planning and following journeys.  

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

Activity 2. Moving around. 

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

The DWP make wrong decisions all the time. If you have applied and they have said you are not entitled, you should challenge the decision. Before you can take a PIP case to tribunal, you need to ask the DWP to look at their decision again. Use Advicenow's interactive PIP mandatory reconsideration tool to write a really good letter asking for a PIP MR.  If you are already at the appeal stage, you can use the wording created by the tool on the appeal form. The tool also provides helpful examples of explanations other people have used.

 For more help, see Advicenow's award-winning step-by-step help with each stage of a PIP appeal.

January 2023

5
2 Reviews

Pip

Excellent service for disabled people

5
on the 21 / 10 / 2023

This is great- and the

This is great- and the mandatory reconsideration tool and appeal guide even better. I use them to train advisers and always recommend them to my clients.

5
on the 03 / 01 / 2023

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