Personal Independence Payment (PIP) 2026 Guide (UK)
PIP is a tax-free, non-means-tested benefit for people whose physical or mental health condition affects daily living or mobility. You can receive it whether you're working or not, and savings do not affect entitlement.
PIP Rates (April 2026–April 2027)
Daily Living
Standard Rate
£76.70/week
Enhanced Rate
£114.60/week
Mobility
£30.30/week
Enhanced Rate
£80.00/week
Maximum award (Enhanced Daily Living + Enhanced Mobility): £194.60 per week (£778.40 every 4 weeks).
How PIP Is Scored
There are two separate sections:
Daily Living
10 activities are assessed.
Mobility
2 activities are assessed.
Each activity has descriptors worth points.
Award Thresholds
Points Award
0–7 No award
8–11 Standard rate
12+ Enhanced rate
Daily Living and Mobility are scored separately. You can receive one, both, or neither.
Daily Living Activities
1. Preparing Food
Can you safely prepare and cook a simple meal?
Examples:
- Need a stool to sit while cooking
- Need supervision because of seizures
- Cannot use knives safely
- Need someone to help
Possible points: 0–8
2. Eating and Drinking
Examples:
- Need prompting to eat
- Need assistance cutting food
- Require feeding tube support
Possible points: 0–10
3. Managing Therapy or Medication
Examples:
- Need reminders for medication
- Require help managing treatments
- Need supervision
Possible points: 0–8
4. Washing and Bathing
Examples:
- Need grab rails
- Need a shower chair
- Need another person helping
Possible points: 0–8
5. Toilet Needs & Incontinence
Examples:
- Need aids
- Need assistance cleaning
- Need help managing continence
Possible points: 0–8
6. Dressing and Undressing
Examples:
- Need help with buttons/zips
- Cannot dress lower body unaided
- Need prompting
Possible points: 0–8
7. Communicating Verbally
Examples:
- Hearing loss
- Speech difficulties
- Need communication support
Possible points: 0–12
8. Reading and Understanding Information
Examples:
- Visual impairment
- Learning difficulties
- Need assistance reading letters
Possible points: 0–8
9. Engaging With Other People
This is often relevant for:
- Autism
- ADHD
- Anxiety
- PTSD
- Depression
- Personality disorders
Examples:
- Need support attending appointments
- Severe distress around strangers
- Cannot engage appropriately
Possible points: 0–8
10. Managing Money
Examples:
- Cannot budget
- Cannot understand bills
- Need another person to manage finances
Possible points: 0–6
Mobility Activities
11. Planning and Following Journeys
Often awarded for:
- Autism
- Anxiety disorders
- PTSD
- Agoraphobia
- Learning disabilities
Examples:
- Cannot undertake unfamiliar journeys
- Need another person with you
- Psychological distress prevents travel
Possible points: 0–12
12. Moving Around
This concerns walking distance.
Current descriptors include:
Distance You Can Walk Reliably
Points
More than 200m
0
50–200m
4
20–50m unaided
8
20–50m with aid
10
1–20m
12
Cannot stand/move >1m
12
The Most Important Rule: "Reliably"
DWP must consider whether you can perform activities:
- Safely
- To an acceptable standard
- Repeatedly
- Within a reasonable time
If you cannot do something reliably, you should generally be treated as unable to do it.
Example:
You might technically walk 100 metres once.
But if:
- you are in severe pain afterwards,
- need a long rest,
- risk falling,
- cannot repeat it,
you may qualify under a higher-scoring descriptor.
Conditions That Can Qualify
PIP is based on how a condition affects you, not the diagnosis itself. Examples include:
- Arthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- ME/CFS
- Chronic pain
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson's
- Stroke
- COPD
- Heart disease
- Autism
- ADHD
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- PTSD
- Bipolar disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Learning disabilities
A diagnosis alone does not guarantee an award. Functional impact is what matters.
PIP Claim Process (2026)
- Start claim with DWP.
- Complete "How your disability affects you" form.
- Submit supporting evidence.
- Assessment (phone, video, face-to-face, or paper-based).
- DWP decision.
- If refused:
- Mandatory Reconsideration (MR)
- Tribunal appeal if needed.
Evidence That Helps Most
Strong evidence includes:
- GP records
- Consultant letters
- Occupational therapy reports
- Mental health team reports
- Physiotherapy reports
- Prescription records
- Care plans
- Statements from carers/family
https://www.gov.uk/pip
https://www.gov.uk/pip/eligibility
https://www.gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim
PIP new claims phone line
Telephone: 0800 917 2222
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 917 2222
The best evidence explains what you cannot do and why, rather than simply naming a diagnosis.
Common Mistakes
❌ Explaining your diagnosis but not its effects.
❌ Saying "I can do it" without explaining pain, fatigue, risk, or support needed.
❌ Describing a "good day" instead of how you are most of the time.
❌ Forgetting that needing prompting, supervision, or aids can score points.