First Time Claiming PIP UK: How to Apply and Maximise Your Chances

Making your first PIP claim takes a few months and several steps: a phone call to start the claim, the “How your disability affects you” form (PIP2), usually an assessment, then a decision letter. This guide takes you through each step in order, with what to do at each one.

What is PIP?

PIP is a benefit that helps with the extra costs of living with a health condition or disability. It’s:

• Not means-tested — Your income and savings don’t matter
• Not contribution-based — You don’t need National Insurance contributions
• Tax-free — You keep the full amount
• Payable whether you work or not — Employment doesn’t affect it

Who Can Claim PIP?

• You're 16 or over, and usually under State Pension age to make a new claim.
• In Scotland you apply for Adult Disability Payment instead.

You're living in England or Wales when you apply. Northern Ireland runs its own PIP.

No specific conditions list — PIP is based on how your condition affects you, not the diagnosis itself.

How Much is PIP Worth?

PIP has two components. Rates below apply for 2026/27, from 6 April 2026.

Daily Living Component

For help with everyday activities like cooking, washing, dressing, and communicating.

Mobility Component

For help with getting around.

Total Possible

Extra Benefits from PIP

Getting PIP can also unlock:

• Blue Badge (8+ points on “moving around”, or 10 points on the specific distress descriptor of “planning and following journeys”)
• Disabled person’s bus pass (councils in England use criteria similar to the Blue Badge ones)
• Motability scheme (enhanced mobility)
• Exemption from the benefit cap if you get Universal Credit or Housing Benefit
• Council Tax reduction
• Carer’s Allowance for someone helping you, if you get the daily living part

The PIP Activities

You’re assessed on 12 activities across two components:

Daily Living Activities

Mobility Activities

Each activity has descriptors worth from 0 points up to a maximum of between 6 and 12 points, depending on the activity. Within each component you need:

• 8+ points for standard rate
• 12+ points for enhanced rate

How to Apply

Step 1: Start Your Claim

Call the PIP helpline: 0800 917 2222 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm)

You’ll answer basic questions:

• Name and contact details
• National Insurance number
• Doctor/GP details
• Bank details for payment

Step 2: Receive and Complete the Form (PIP2)

You can fill in the “How your disability affects you” form (PIP2) online using a link emailed after your call, or on paper (it usually arrives within 2 weeks). You have one month to return it (call the PIP enquiry line if you need more time).

The form is crucial — it’s your main opportunity to explain how your conditions affect you.

Step 3: Gather Evidence

While completing the form, gather supporting evidence:

• GP records and letters
• Hospital letters and discharge summaries
• Mental health team reports
• Medication lists
• Social worker assessments
• Occupational therapy reports
• Specialist reports

You can make a subject access request to your GP for a copy of your records; they have one month to respond.

Step 4: Submit Your Form

Return the form with your evidence. Keep copies of everything.

Step 5: Assessment

If DWP needs more information, a health professional will assess you by phone, by video, at an assessment centre or at home.

Step 6: Decision

DWP then makes the decision and sends you a letter.

Filling In the PIP Form: Essential Tips

The Golden Rules

1. Describe Your Worst Days

The form asks how you manage activities “on most days.” This doesn’t mean your best days — it means typical difficult days.

Wrong: “I can usually manage to cook a simple meal” Right: “On bad days (3-4 times a week), I cannot stand long enough to prepare food. On better days, I can manage very simple meals but struggle with timing, concentration, and become exhausted. I often rely on ready meals or my partner cooking.”

2. Explain HOW Your Condition Affects You

Don’t just list conditions — explain the impact:

Wrong: “I have depression and anxiety” Right: “My depression means I often can’t motivate myself to wash or dress. On bad days, I stay in bed all day. My anxiety makes leaving the house terrifying — I have panic attacks in busy places and cannot use public transport alone.”

3. Include Everything

Consider:

• Time taken to complete tasks
• Pain or discomfort caused
• Fatigue and need to rest after
• Help needed from others
• Aids and adaptations used
• Variability between good and bad days
• Safety considerations (risk of falls, burns, etc.)

4. Use Specific Examples

Wrong: “I struggle with cooking” Right: “Last week I tried to cook pasta and burned myself on the boiling water because of my tremor. I’ve set off the smoke alarm three times this month because I forget food is cooking. My wife has had to take over most cooking because I left the gas on twice.”

5. Don’t Assume They Know

Assessors aren’t specialists in your condition. Explain everything, even things that seem obvious.

Activity-by-Activity Tips

Preparing Food

• Include reheating and microwave meals
• Mention burns, cuts, or forgotten food
• Note if someone prompts you to eat
• Include days when you don’t prepare anything

Eating and Drinking

• Choking risks
• Difficulty cutting food
• Tremors or grip problems
• Needing encouragement to eat

Managing Treatments

• ALL medications, and whether someone has to prompt, supervise or help you take them
• Treatment at home a health professional has recommended (such as physio exercises), and how long someone spends helping you with it each week
• Whether someone has to help you monitor your condition (for example checking your blood glucose)
• This activity only scores for help from another person, not time you spend on your own

Washing and Bathing

• Fear of falling in shower
• Difficulty reaching parts of body
• Needing someone present
• Days you don’t wash

Managing Toilet Needs

• Getting to the toilet in time
• Cleaning yourself
• Managing clothing
• Night-time issues

Dressing and Undressing

• Buttons, zips, laces
• Choosing appropriate clothes
• Needing encouragement to dress
• Getting dressed multiple times (incontinence)

Communicating

• Difficulty finding words
• Speech problems
• Understanding others
• Communication aids used
• Written communication

Reading

• Concentration problems
• Need for large print
• Understanding what you read
• Eye conditions

Mixing with People

• Anxiety in social situations
• Overwhelming emotions
• Need for support at appointments
• Isolation and avoidance

Making Decisions About Money

• Impulsive spending
• Forgetting to pay bills
• Unable to budget
• Someone managing finances for you

Planning and Following Journeys

• Getting lost in familiar places
• Anxiety about travel
• Need for someone to accompany you
• Unable to use public transport

Moving Around

• Distance you can walk RELIABLY
• Time taken
• Pain during and after
• Need to stop and rest
• Use of aids (stick, wheelchair)

The PIP Assessment

What to Expect

The assessment is usually:

• Face-to-face at an assessment centre (or sometimes home visit)
• Telephone or video (more common since COVID)
• Conducted by a healthcare professional (not a specialist in your condition)
• Usually lasting about an hour

What They’ll Ask

Expect questions like:

• “Describe a typical day for you”
• “What happens when you try to cook/wash/get dressed?”
• “How far can you walk?”
• “Can you tell me about your mental health?”
• “What help do you need from others?”

Important Assessment Tips

1. Describe Your Worst Days

If asked “Can you cook a meal?”, don’t just say yes or no: “On my worst days, no. On better days, I can manage something simple like toast, but it takes me much longer than normal and I need to rest afterwards.”

2. Don’t Downplay

Natural instinct is to seem capable. Resist this. Be honest about difficulties.

3. Bring Someone With You

A friend, family member, or support worker can:

• Provide moral support
• Give evidence about how you cope
• Take notes
• Remind you of things you forget

4. Bring Evidence

Take copies of any evidence you haven’t already submitted.

5. Be Specific

Don’t say “sometimes” — say “3-4 times a week” or “every day.”

6. Take Your Time

You don’t need to rush. Ask for breaks if needed.

7. Mental Health is Just as Valid

Mental health conditions qualify equally. Assessors should ask about psychological impacts of any condition.

What Assessors Observe

They may note:

• How you entered the room
• Your appearance and hygiene
• How you sit and move
• Your concentration and understanding
• Marks or signs related to your condition

If you’re having a good day: Tell them. “Today is one of my better days. On bad days…”

After the Assessment

The Decision

You’ll receive a letter explaining:

• Whether you qualify for PIP
• Which component(s) and rate(s)
• How long the award lasts (a first award lasts between 9 months and 10 years)
• Your right to request reconsideration

If You’re Awarded PIP

• Payments usually start from when you claimed
• Check what else you can claim (bus pass, blue badge, etc.)
• Note your review date

If You’re Refused or Awarded Less Than Expected

Read the decision letter to see which descriptors DWP gave you, then compare them with what you wrote on your form. If you think it is wrong, you have one month to ask for a mandatory reconsideration, and after that you can appeal to a tribunal: see challenging a PIP decision for how.

Getting Help With Your Claim

Free Support

Welfare Rights Advisers

Your local council may have advisers who can:

• Help fill in the form
• Gather evidence
• Attend assessments with you
• Handle appeals

Search “[your council] welfare rights” to find local services.

Paying for Help

Some solicitors and advocates specialise in benefits appeals. Only consider paying for help with tribunal appeals, not initial claims.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Describing Your Good Days

If you can walk 100 metres on a good day but only 20 metres on a bad day, the 20 metres matters more. Assessors need to understand variability.

Mistake 2: Not Enough Detail

“I struggle with cooking” tells them nothing. Explain exactly what happens, how often, and what help you need.

Mistake 3: Missing Activities

You might not think to mention that you can’t manage money — but it’s one of the ten daily living activities. Go through every activity systematically.

Mistake 4: No Medical Evidence

The form alone isn’t enough. Gather supporting letters and reports. Your GP can provide a supporting letter (may charge a fee).

Mistake 5: Missing Deadlines

You have one month to return the form. You can ask for more time by calling the PIP enquiry line. If you miss the deadline without a good reason, your claim can be refused.

Mistake 6: Giving Up After Refusal

Most appeals decided at a tribunal hearing succeed. Many people are refused initially but win on appeal.

Mistake 7: Not Asking for Help

This is a difficult process. Use free support services rather than struggling alone.

Key Takeaways

• PIP is based on impact, not diagnosis — any condition that affects daily life can qualify
• Describe your worst days, not your best
• Be specific and detailed — assume they know nothing about your condition
• Gather medical evidence before submitting the form
• Request help from Citizens Advice or local welfare rights
• Take someone to the assessment for support and evidence
• Challenge wrong decisions: most appeals decided at a hearing succeed
• Keep copies of everything you send

This guide provides general information about PIP claims in Great Britain. Northern Ireland has different rules. For personal advice, contact Citizens Advice or a welfare rights service. Rules and rates may change — check gov.uk for current information.

Related Guide

• PIP UK: Daily Living, Mobility, Points System, Assessments and Appeals
• PIP backdating rules