PIP Points Information

Why might it be of interest?

Completing a PIP application can feel very daunting.  However, I can say from personal experience and from what other families have told me it is better than completing a DLA form!

This is a document that I have written to give you insight into the questions asked and the points awarded for each of the descriptors of each activity.  Each activity has between 4 and 7 descriptors each of which has a number of points allocated – from 0 points up to 10 points.  You may feel that the description of your needs does not align well with the descriptors.  Don’t worry about this – these descriptors are about establishing a level of need.

The guidance that comes with the PIP application is quite helpful and I would recommend that you use their language in your responses.

I have access to a document from Benefits and Work about completing the PIP application which I can send to you on request.  It is a long document – 140+ pages – but you can dip in and out and may only need to refer to it to help you come up with examples and explanations.

PIP POINTS – DAILY LIVING ACTIVITIES

Take into account whether you can do each of the descriptors:

• safely
• to an acceptable standard, eg when you cook is the food properly cooked
• as often as you need to, eg can you do it as many times in the day as needed
• in a reasonable time, eg do you need to take breaks, go slowly

You need to describe the difficulty; how often you have good and bad days; how your condition can vary over the day, week or year; when the difficulties started.

Then you need to say how you manage each activity, for example:

• aids or specialist equipment
• help from another person – this includes prompting, encouragement and supervision as well as intervention
• help you need but don’t currently have, eg with dress or undressing

Provide evidence – this means doctors’ reports, consultants’ reports, etc, for example.  Use the space provided to describe how your condition affects you.  Don’t be afraid to continue on additional sheets.  Evidence is key.

Some helpful advice can be found here:  https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/fill-in-form-pip/

And here:  https://www.mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org/en/welfare-benefits/pip-mental-health-guide/help-with-your-pip-claim/how-to-fill-in-the-pip-form/

Sample PIP form: 

There are 2 PIP forms that you will need to complete – these are links to the government website where you can download samples of the PIP1 and PIP2 form.  These are SAMPLES – you cannot print them off to complete – you must request the form from the DWP:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/example-pip1-claim-form

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/example-pip2-how-your-disability-affects-you

Questions 1 and 2 are about your contact details and your health conditions.  Question 3 onwards is about how your disability or health need affects your daily living skills.

3. Preparing food

a. Can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided.  0 points

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

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

d. Needs prompting to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal.  2 points

e. Needs supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal.  4 points

f. Cannot prepare and cook food.  8 points

4. Taking nutrition

a. Can take nutrition unaided.  0 points

b. Needs –

(i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to take nutrition; or

(ii) supervision to be able to take nutrition; or

(iii) assistance to be able to cut up food.  2 points

c. Needs a therapeutic source to be able to take nutrition.  2 points

d. Needs prompting to be able to take nutrition.  4 points

e. Needs assistance to be able to manage a therapeutic source to take nutrition.  6 points

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

5. Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition

a. Either –

(i) does not receive medication or therapy or need to monitor a health condition; or

(ii) can manage medication or therapy or monitor a health condition unaided.  0 points

b. Needs any one or more of the following –

(i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage medication;

(ii) supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage medication.

(iii) supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to monitor a health condition.  1 point

c. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes no more than 3.5 hours a week.  2 points

d. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 3.5 but no more than 7 hours a week.  4 points

e. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 7 but no more than 14 hours a week. 6 points

f. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 14 hours a week.  8 points

6. Washing and bathing

a. Can wash and bathe unaided.  0 points.

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

c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe.  2 points

d. Needs assistance to be able to wash either their hair or body below the waist.  2 points

e. Needs assistance to be able to get in or out of a bath or shower.  3 points

f. Needs assistance to be able to wash their body between the shoulders and waist.  4 points

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

7. Managing toilet needs or incontinence.

a. Can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided.  0 points

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

c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to manage toilet needs.  2 points

d. Needs assistance to be able to manage toilet needs.  4 points

e. Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel.  6 points

f. Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of both bladder and bowel.  8 points

8. Dressing and undressing

a. Can dress and undress unaided.  0 points

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

c. Needs either –

(i) prompting to be able to dress, undress or determine appropriate circumstances for remaining clothed; or

(ii) prompting or assistance to be able to select appropriate clothing.  2 points

d. Needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their lower body.  2 points

e. Needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their upper body.  4 points

f. Cannot dress or undress at all.  8 points

9. Communicating verbally

a. Can express and understand verbal information unaided.  0 points

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

c. Needs communication support to be able to express or understand complex verbal information.  4 points

d. Needs communication support to be able to express or understand basic verbal information.  8 points

e. Cannot express or understand verbal information at all even with communication support. 12 points

10. Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words

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

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

c. Needs prompting to be able to read or understand complex written information.  2 points

d. Needs prompting to be able to read or understand basic written information.  4 points

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

11. Engaging with other people face to face

a. Can engage with other people unaided.  0 points

b. Needs prompting to be able to engage with other people.  2 points

c. Needs social support to be able to engage with other people.  4 points

d. Cannot engage with other people due to such engagement causing either –

(i) overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant; or

(ii) the claimant to exhibit behaviour which would result in a substantial risk of harm to the Claimant or another person. 8 points

12. Making budgeting decisions

a. Can manage complex budgeting decisions unaided. 0 points

b. Needs prompting or assistance to be able to make complex budgeting decisions.  2 points

c. Needs prompting or assistance to be able to make simple budgeting decisions.  4 points

d. Cannot make any budgeting decisions at all.  6 points

PIP POINTS – MOBILITY ACTIVITIES

There are two further questions specifically around your ability to make and follow a journey and your physical ability to move around.

1. Planning and following journeys

a. Can plan and follow the route of a journey unaided.  0 points

b. Needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant.  4 points

c. Cannot plan the route of a journey.  8 points

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

e. Cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant.  10 points

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

2. Moving around

a. Can stand and then move more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided.  0 points

b. Can stand and then move more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided.  4 points

c. Can stand and then move unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres.  8 points

d. Can stand and then move using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres.  10 points

e. Can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided.  12 points

f. Cannot, either aided or unaided, –

(i) stand; or

(ii) move more than 1 metre.  12 points

Think about what help you need most of the time to move around:

• Safely
• Well enough
• Often enough
• Fast enough

You score the points for the sentence that is true for most or over half of the time. If more than one sentence is true, you normally only get points for the sentence that is true for the most time. You can only score one set of points for moving around, do not add them together.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) daily living component points scores

To get an award of the daily living component, you need to score:

8 points for the standard rate

12 points for the enhanced rate

The current rates (April 2023) are:

Standard Daily Living: £68.10

Enhanced Daily Living: £101.75

For daily living, the points need to be scored from activities 3-12 above.

You can only score one set of points from each activity, if two or more apply from the same activity only the highest will count.  So, for example, if:

d. Needs assistance to be able to wash either their hair or body below the waist.  2 points

f. Needs assistance to be able to wash their body between the shoulders and waist.  4 points

If both apply you will receive only the 4 points for the ‘Washing and bathing’ activity.  These can then be added to points for other activities, such as ‘Dressing and undressing’

This is from the gov.uk website and is very in depth about what each descriptor means and how it should be assessed:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria

There is a lot of information on this website and it is intended for use by health professionals (HPs) who are carrying out an assessment.  However, it is worth going through to see what information they are using during the assessment.  You probably don’t need to read the whole document in depth but some parts may help you organise your thoughts and evidence to better present your case.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Mobility Component Points Scores

To get an award of the mobility component you need to score:

8 points for the standard rate

12 points for the enhanced rate

The current rates (April 2022) are:

Standard Mobility: £26.90

Enhanced Mobility £71.00

For mobility, the points need to be scored from mobility activities 1-2 above.

As with daily living above, you only score the highest points that apply to you from each activity, but you can add points from activities 1 and 2 together to reach your final total.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Variable and fluctuating conditions

Taking a view of ability over a longer period of time helps to iron out fluctuations and presents a more coherent picture of disabling effects. Therefore the descriptor choice should be based on consideration of a 12-month period.

Question Format on the PIP claim form

The a, b, c questions mostly have 3 boxes – YES, NO, SOMETIMES

Extra Information:  some questions have specific examples of extra information but generally follow this format:

Tell us more information about the difficulties or help you need to ……………….  For example, tell us:

• If you can’t do this safely, to an acceptable standard, as often as you need to and in a reasonable time
• If you need help from another person, tell us what kind (for example whether they need to prompt, remind, encourage, supervise or give physical help, how many hours a week – for therapy)
• If you use aids or appliances, tell us what type they are and how you use them
• If your ability varies, tell us in what way and how often – for example telling us about good days and bad days or how it varies throughout the day
• If you can do this but it takes you a long time
• If you have side effects from carrying out the activity – either during or after the activity – like pain, breathlessness or tiredness

Supporting Evidence

• Provide all the supporting evidence that you can – evidence is everything
• Do not assume that your say so is adequate even if it seems irrefutable
  • A simple yes or no is not adequate
  • You must give details – consider the points above – paint a picture!
• Use the most recent reports
  • Older reports might still be valid but you will need to say why
  • eg the condition is stable and not undergoing any change
• Any reports are useful – education, psychologist, medical, therapy reports
• They all go to demonstrate a level of need
• Refer to the reports and say what they demonstrate when you are answering the questions
• Use the space given on each question to give more information

Blue Badge Eligibility

You will automatically qualify for a blue badge if you receive at least 8 points on the Moving Around question or 10 points on descriptor e of the Planning a Journey question. This is very specific.

The rules recently changed to make it possible for people with non-visible disabilities who do not qualify under the Moving Around criteria to be able to get a Blue Badge.  But it should be noted that this only applies to people who meet the criteria for descriptor e (10 points) in Planning a Journey – it is very specific.

It is a little confusing as you won’t automatically qualify for a blue badge if you get 10 points on descriptor d or 12 points on descriptor f.  Even more confusingly, getting 12 points for descriptor f does qualify you for enhanced rate mobility allowance which would allow you to get a mobility car if you wished but not a blue badge automatically.

If you do not qualify automatically you may qualify with further assessment:

• A person who has been certified by an expert assessor as having an enduring and substantial disability which causes them, during the course of a journey, to:
  • Be unable to walk
  • Experience very considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include very considerable psychological distress
  • Be at risk of serious harm when walking; or pose, when walking, a risk of serious harm to any other person

If you apply for a blue badge with further assessment you will undergo an assessment.  The assessment will be done impartially and a wide range of medical/healthcare professionals will be carrying out the assessments.  The changes have removed the absolute requirement for independence, recognising that for “non-physical” disabilities especially, it may be that only a professional with a close knowledge of the applicant’s case history that could certify their disability for the purpose of their Blue Badge application.

Please be aware that the rules are different in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and people receiving 12 points on the Planning a Journey question do automatically qualify for a blue badge.

This is the full list on the government website (most recently updated August 2019):

• you cannot walk at all
• you cannot walk without help from someone else or using mobility aids
• you find walking very difficult due to pain, breathlessness or the time it takes walking is dangerous to your health and safety
• you have a terminal illness, which means you cannot walk or find walking very difficult and have a DS1500 form
• you have a severe disability in both arms and drive regularly, but cannot operate pay-and-display parking machines
• you have a child under the age of 3 with a medical condition that means the child always needs to be accompanied by bulky medical equipment
• you have a child under the age of 3 with a medical condition that means the child must always be kept near a vehicle in case they need emergency medical treatment
• you are constantly a significant risk to yourself or others near vehicles, in traffic or car parks
• you struggle severely to plan or follow a journey
• you find it difficult or impossible to control your actions and lack awareness of the impact you could have on others
• you regularly have intense and overwhelming responses to situations causing temporary loss of behavioural control
• you frequently become extremely anxious or fearful of public/open spaces