Personal Independence Payment, known as PIP, is a benefit for people with a long-term health condition or disability. It is paid to help with the extra costs disabled people face, and it is not means-tested. Most people who claim PIP will be asked to attend an assessment, and knowing what to expect can make the process less daunting.

How a PIP claim reaches assessment

A claim usually starts with a phone call to the Department for Work and Pensions, the DWP. Once basic entitlement conditions are checked, the claimant is sent a questionnaire called How your disability affects you. Claimants are encouraged to send any supporting evidence they already have, such as letters from a GP, consultant or other professional involved in their care.

When the questionnaire comes back, the case is passed to an assessment provider. The provider first reviews the paper evidence. In some cases that is enough to assess the claim. In others, the provider arranges a consultation, which may be by telephone, by video call or face to face at an assessment centre or at home.

What happens during the assessment

The assessment is carried out by a registered health professional. It is not a medical examination in the usual sense: the assessor does not diagnose conditions or recommend treatment. Instead, it is a functional assessment, looking at how a health condition or disability affects everyday life.

The assessor will ask questions similar to those on the claim form, covering daily activities such as preparing food, washing, dressing, managing medication and money, and getting around. They may ask the claimant to carry out simple tasks or movements. Claimants can bring someone with them for support, and they should tell the DWP in advance if they need adjustments to attend, such as a ground-floor room or an interpreter.

People do not need a formal diagnosis to receive PIP. What matters is how the condition limits daily living and mobility. The assessment also considers whether help has been needed for at least three months and is likely to be needed for at least nine months more.

How PIP is scored

The assessment covers 12 activities: 10 for daily living and two for mobility. Each activity has descriptors with points attached, and the points are added up separately for each component. For each component, 8 to 11 points gives the standard rate and 12 points or more gives the enhanced rate. The two components are scored and paid independently, so a person can receive one, both or neither.

After the assessment, the health professional writes a report for the DWP. The decision is made by a DWP case manager, not by the assessor. Claimants can ask for a copy of their assessment report about a week after the assessment, and the report shows the points awarded for each activity, which helps in understanding the decision.

How to prepare

Preparation helps. Claimants should read their questionnaire again before the assessment, gather medical evidence and keep a short diary of how their condition affects them on good and bad days. It is worth describing a typical bad day honestly, rather than the best day, and explaining what help is needed and why. In Scotland, PIP has been replaced by Adult Disability Payment, which uses a different process and does not use outsourced assessments.

This article is general information, not personal advice. Anyone unsure about a claim can contact the DWP, Citizens Advice or the disability charity Scope for guidance.