In the Autumn Statement last year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that benefits would be rising by 1.7% and this included the UK’s main disability benefit Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
The amount you get for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is set to rise by next month giving claimants up to an extra £750 a year.
In the Autumn Statement last year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that benefits would be rising by 1.7% and this included the UK’s main disability benefit PIP. Introduced in 2013, PIP is a benefit paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to people who have long-term mental or physical health conditions or disabilities. According to the latest data, around 3.6million people in the UK claim the money.
Unlike other benefits, you can get PIP even if you’re working, have savings or are getting most other benefits. The amount you can be paid is dependent on the impact your health condition or disability has on your ability to do day to day tasks. So the more your ability is impacted – the more money you will receive.
How much does PIP pay?
PIP – which is paid every four weeks – is made up of two components – a daily living rate and a mobility rate – and you can be entitled to both or just one of these. These components are then split again, into the standard rate and the enhanced rate. You get the higher rate if your day to day life is impacted more by your condition or disability, and you get the lower rate if it is less impacted. Here is how PIP rates are changing from April:
Daily living
Mobility
You will be paid these rates alone, if you are only eligible for only the one.
Standard awards
- Standard daily living and standard mobility together – £103.10 per week or £412.40 per pay period (From April 2025)
Enhanced awards
- Enhanced daily living and enhanced mobility together – £187.45 per week or £749.80 per pay period (From April 2025)
Mixed awards
- Standard daily living and enhanced mobility – £150.95 per week or £603.80 per pay period (From April 2025)
- Enhanced daily living and standard mobility – £139.60 per week or £558.40 per pay period(From April 2025)
What makes you eligible to claim PIP?
One of the biggest misconceptions around PIP is that the benefits are paid depending on your medical condition or disability. This is not the case, instead, PIP is paid – and the amount you get – is dependent on how your condition affects your daily life and your ability to do day to day tasks. This includes preparing and eating food, washing and getting dressed, basic toilet needs and moving around.
This means a broad range of conditions and disabilities can be eligible for PIP. To confirm how much you can get you may have to undergo a PIP assessment by the DWP. This is not a medical examination, instead it is an opportunity for you to talk about how exactly your condition affects you personally.
Usually, a healthcare professional will carry out the assessment and using this – alongside information you gave on your original PIP claim form – will write an report about it. They will then send this off to the DWP who will then make a decision on whether you are able to claim or not. PIP assessments can be conducted in person, over the phone, and through a video call, and you can have someone with you during the process.
What health conditions or disabilities can you claim PIP with?
According to DWP data compiled by the Later Living Marketplace Lottie, these were the main categories of qualifying disabilities and health conditions, and the number of people who claimed PIP for them, from between 2019 to October 2024.
These 21 categories encompass around 547 different conditions overall.
- Psychiatric disorders – 1,406,044
- Musculoskeletal disease (general) – 691,426
- Neurological disease – 470,380
- Musculoskeletal disease (regional) – 434,670
- Respiratory disease – 138,534
- Malignant disease – 117,628
- Cardiovascular disease – 95,061
- Visual disease – 58,476
- Endocrine disease – 48,070
- Hearing disorders – 38,391
- Gastrointestinal disease – 35,210
- Genitourinary disease – 29,573
- Skin disease – 24,535
- Autoimmune disease (connective tissue disorders) – 19,788
- Infectious disease – 14,138
- Diseases of the liver, gallbladder and biliary tract – 13,570
- Haematological disease – 8,670
- Unknown or missing – 7,668
- Metabolic disease – 5,387
- Multisystem and extremes of age – 1,795
- Diseases of the immune system – 1,326
Total: 3,660,331
It must be reiterated that this list is only an overview of conditions, disorders and diseases which the DWP accepted for PIP. If your health condition or disability does impact your day-to-day life, then you should put forward an application.
How do you claim PIP?
If you think you’re eligible, you must call the PIP claim line on 0800 917 2222 between Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and request an application form. This will then be sent to you to fill out.
Once you have completed the form, you should send it to the DWP, and alongside this, disability charities also advise you to include evidence about your condition. This could be a letter/report from your healthcare provider like a GP, psychiatrist, consultant, or specialist nurse. After this, the DWP will take a look at your claim and potentially invite you for a PIP assessment. Once your assessment is done and your application complete, you will need to wait for the decision from the DWP. According to recent data, the average time between the assessment and a decision being made is around nine weeks.
In some areas of the UK, you can apply for PIP online. You will need to check your postcode when you start the application. You can do this through the GOV.UK website here.
