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1. What is PIP?
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a disability benefit for working age people. It replaced Disability Living Allowance for new claims in April 2013. It is meant to help with the extra costs that disability incurs. It is not means tested and you do not have to have made any National Insurance Contributions to claim. It does not count as income for means tested benefits or when looking at whether your UC or HB should be limited (the Benefit Cap) and, it can ‘passport’ claimants to other benefits and support schemes. PIP is based on how severely your condition affects you not what you have been diagnosed with or what medication you take. PIP is made up of 2 components. A Daily Living component and a Mobility component. Each component has 2 levels, Standard and Enhanced.
Who can get PIP?
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You must be aged between 16 and State Pension Age to claim. Anyone with a disability aged under 16 has to claim Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and if you develop a disability after State Pension Age you need to claim Attendance Allowance (AA). If you’re on DLA and you were born after 08/04/1948 you’ll eventually be contacted to be reassessed for PIP. You need to have been resident and present in England, Wales or Northern Ireland for 2 out of the last 3 years. If you’ve come back to the UK from an EEA country you may be able to claim sooner. You must not be a ‘Person Subject to Immigration Control’.
Award Periods
This does not apply if you have been awarded PIP under the special rules for terminally ill people. Award lengths are based on a range of factors including your condition, the needs you have because of your condition, whether or when those needs may change (taking into account things like planned treatment/therapy or learning/adapting to manage a condition). An award period can be from a minimum of 9 months to an ‘On-going award’ with a 10 year Award Review date.
