You could be entitled to up to £749 monthly from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) if you are living with one of more than 20 respiratory conditions. If any of these breathing issues affect your daily life, you might qualify for Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
The most recent data from the DWP reveals that as of January’s end, approximately 137,957 individuals were receiving PIP to assist with a respiratory condition. This figure also encompasses 1,251 residents in Scotland whose existing PIP claim is yet to be transferred to Adult Disability Payment (ADP).
These conditions encompass severe asthma, upper respiratory tract disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and asbestosis among others. As reported by the Daily Record, a successful PIP or ADP claim can provide between £29.20 and £187.45 weekly in additional financial support – a maximum of £8,988 a year.
Since the benefit is disbursed every four weeks, this equates to between £116.80 and £749.80 each pay period. The latest statistics from Asthma and Living UK indicate that there are currently 5.4 million people across the UK undergoing treatment for asthma, including 68,000 residents in Scotland, equivalent to one in 14.
The charity’s data also reveals that around 160,000 individuals nationwide are diagnosed with asthma annually and that approximately 250,000 adults and children are living with severe asthma.
Respiratory conditions eligible for PIP include:
- Emphysema
- Granulomatous lung disease and pulmonary infiltration
- Pneumoconiosis incluing asbestosis, pneumoconiosis – coal workers, and silicosis
- Sarcoidosis
- Pneumonia
- Diseases of the upper respiratory tract including sleep apnoea – obstructive
- Pulmonary fibrosis including extrinsic allergic alveolitis, and fibrosing alveolitis
- Disease of the pleura including empyema, pleural effusion, pneumothorax, and lung transplantation
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Asthma
- Heart and lung transplantation
- Lower respiratory tract – other diseases of/type not known
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Pulmonary embolus
- Bronchiectasis
- Chronic bronchitis
When it comes to understanding PIP claims, note that the determinations are made on how a person’s condition, long-term illness or disability impacts their daily life, and not on the basis of the medical condition itself. The DWP clarifies this within the current version of the online PIP Handbook.
According to the official guidance found on GOV.UK: “As the assessment principles consider the impact of a claimant’s condition on their ability to live independently and not the condition itself, claimants with the same condition may get different outcomes. The outcome is based on an independent assessment and all available evidence.”
Eligibility for PIP or ADP help
For eligibility for PIP or ADP, people must be experiencing difficulties with day-to-day living or mobility (or both) for at least three months and expect these challenges to persist for a minimum of nine months. Typically, you must have resided in the UK for at least two of the past three years and be present in the country at the time of application.
In addition to what we have outlined above if you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying for PIP or ADP:
- Working out a route and following it
- Leaving your home
- Washing, bathing, using the toilet, managing incontinence
- Eating, drinking or preparing food
- Physically moving around
- Making decisions about money
- Talking, listening, reading and understanding
- Dressing and undressing
- Managing your medicines or treatments
- Mixing with other people
If you’re terminally ill, different rules apply. You can find these on the GOV.UK website here.
To initiate a new claim, contact the DWP. All the necessary information for application is available on the GOV.UK website here.
