It can be difficult to figure out if you qualify for PIP as the benefit is based on how your unique health conditions affect your daily life.
Benefits and Work is urging people not to be misled into thinking they ‘aren’t affected enough’.
- The organisation shared three simple questions, saying: “If the answer to the next three questions is ‘Yes’, then you should very seriously consider making a PIP claim”:
- Do you have a disability or long-term health condition?
- Does it make it more difficult to do everyday things like cooking or getting around?
- Are you aged between 16 and state pension age?
Answering yes to these questions won’t guarantee your application will be successful nor how much you may be entitled to. But other online calculators and tests do offer a bit more insight on this.
Benefits and Work added: “There are a few more issues that may affect your eligibility, such as whether you have recently lived abroad and whether you are currently in a care home or hospital. But they don’t affect most people and you can read more about them in our PIP guides.”
PIP provides two different components based on how your condition affects you, the daily living component which is facing controversial changes to eligibility criteria, and the mobility component.
Each component offers a standard and enhanced weekly rate depending on how severe your disability is.
To apply for the standard living aspect, you’ll be scored on how safely, effectively and timeously you can do 10 different activities. The more difficult it is, the more help you need, will earn more points.
Currently to be eligible you need a total of eight points added up from all of these activities for the standard rate and 12 for the enhanced rate.
However, Labour’s welfare reform will change this next year so you’ll need to still match these totals while also getting a minimum of four points in any single category.
You don’t need to meet the point requirements all the time, as Benefits and Work noted: “You are eligible for points if you satisfy one or more descriptors under an activity on more than 50% of the days in the twelve-month qualifying period.
“So if, because of depression, you are unable to motivate yourself to wash and bathe on four days a week, then you should score points for that.
“This will be the case even though on the other three days a week you can do this without anyone to prompt you.”
PIP can range from over £800 per month to just £114 on the lowest rate of mobility. But a successful PIP claim offers more than just this financial help.
Getting PIP entitles you to other premiums and benefit top ups as well as helping your application for other types of assistance like a disabled railcard or blue badge.
