People making new claim for PIP need to know these five things before applying

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently released a series of four new videos about Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to help people understand what the benefit is, who it is for, how to claim and the assessment process.

The YouTube videos are accompanied by a an online document that explains five key things people should know about PIP, however, there is one more, essential thing people in Scotland need to know about the non-means tested benefit.

New claims for PIP have been replaced by Adult Disability Payment for people living north of the border only. The devolved disability benefit for those over 16 and under State Pension age follows similar eligibility criteria to PIP, so the other five key points may be useful in helping you make a decision on whether or not you should make a claim – find out more here.

The DWP’s YouTube videos signpost to the dedicated PIP pages on GOV.UK where there is more detailed information, including the process for people nearing the end of life. People watching the videos on the official DWP YouTUbe channel are advised to consult the website to ensure they have information about PIP eligibility before making a new claim.

The latest statistics from the DWP show that there were more than 3.5 million people across Great Britain claiming PIP at the end of April, including 172,954 living in Scotland. The number of Scottish claimants will decrease over the coming months as more existing awards are transferred to Adult Disability Payment.

A phased migration from the DWP to the Social Security Scotland welfare system is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

Top five things to know about PIP before making a claim

DWP also shared five things everyone thinking about making a claim for PIP should know:

1. Entitlement to PIP is not based on an individual’s health condition or disability alone but on how much a long-term health condition or disability impacts an individual’s daily life or mobility.
2. To qualify for PIP, the impacts of a health condition or disability must have been present for 3 months and be expected to last at least a further 9 months.
3. PIP claimants will have a functional assessment considering how their health condition or disability impacts on 12 key everyday activities which are fundamental to living an independent life.
4. If an individual can manage the PIP daily living and mobility activities safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time period, without being supported by someone or using equipment, it is unlikely they will get PIP.
5. When applying for PIP, individuals should provide any relevant information they already have about how their health condition affects them. This may mean that a health professional can assess the claim using this information, and not need a face to face or virtual consultation, and a decision can be made more quickly. DWP says people should not request new documents for their application as these can incur a fee – for example, from GPs.

12 PIP activities considered within the assessment

• Preparing food
• Eating and drinking
• Managing treatments
• Washing and bathing
• Managing toilet needs
• Dressing and undressing
• Communicating
• Reading
• Mixing with other people
• Making decisions about money
• Going out
• Moving around

The DWP or Social Security Scotland will assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks.

For each task they will look at:

• whether you can do it safely
• how long it takes you
• how often your condition affects this activity
• whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment

PIP and ADP payment rates

A successful claim for PIP or ADP is worth between £28.70 and £184.30 each week in additional financial support and as the benefit is paid every four weeks, this amounts to between £114.80 and £737.20 every payment period.

You will be paid the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances:

Daily living

• Standard rate: £72.65

• Enhanced rate: £108.55

Mobility

• Standard rate: £28.70

• Enhanced rate: £75.75

How you are assessed

For PIP, you will be assessed by an independent healthcare professional to help the DWP determine the level of financial support, if any, you need.

Face-to-face consultations for health-related benefits are offered alongside video calls, telephone and paper-based assessments – it’s important to be aware that there is no choice here, it’s up to the health professional and DWP. You can find out more about DWP PIP assessments here.

Adult Disability Payment assessments will not involve face-to-face assessments, unless this is preferred by the claimant – find out more about the changes here.

How do you make a claim for PIP?

You can make a new claim by contacting the DWP, you will find all the information you need to apply on the GOV.UK website here.

Before you call, you will need:

• your contact details

• your date of birth

• your National Insurance number – this is on letters about tax, pensions and benefits

• your bank or building society account number and sort code

• your doctor or health worker’s name, address and telephone number

• dates and addresses for any time you’ve spent abroad, in a care home or hospital

Even if you don’t qualify for financial support, you could be eligible for a National Entitlement Travel Card, which offers free or reduced travel across Scotland on most public transport links. For more information about PIP, visit GOV.UK here.

How to apply for Adult Disability Payment

People can apply ADP, over the phone, by post or in-person. To find out more or apply, visit the dedicated pages on mygov.scot here or call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222.

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