The Department for Work and Pensions has shared the full list of PIP assessment criteria as part of its consultation on a huge revamp of disability benefits. There are 3.5 million people in the UK claiming Personal Independence Payment, which is awarded to those with long-term health conditions or disabilities that affect their everyday activities and mobility.
Your ability to carry out each activity is measured against a list of statements describing what you can or can't do. These are known as the PIP descriptors. For instance, there are six descriptors for preparing food and seven for washing and bathing. A complete list of the descriptors, including the points awarded for each one, is included below.
The DWP is considering changing the way it decides who gets PIP and what help they would receive - it could mean alternatives to cash payments. It said in its consultation document: "We have been told that the criteria currently used in assessments do not always fully reflect how a disability or health condition impacts on a person's daily life.
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"The criteria have changed over time and no longer capture these different impacts as originally intended. We will consider whether the current thresholds for entitlement correctly reflect the need for ongoing financial support. This includes considering if current descriptors - such as the need for aids and appliances - are good indicators of extra costs."
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: "There are now over 33,000 new awards for PIP per month compared to 17,000 before the pandemic. We need to better understand how people are using these payments and whether more can be done to help those most in need to live full and independent lives.
"It is not clear at present that the very large scale of government expenditure on PIP translates into support targeted where disabled people and people with health conditions need it most; nor that it is providing value to the public whose taxes make our comprehensive welfare state possible. I am determined to find ways of making the system work better for those with the most severe disabilities and health conditions, including through improved models of assessment, treatment and support."
The consultation document says: "Entitlement to PIP considers the twelve activities relating to daily living and mobility. The descriptors list a range of actions within each activity which people may be able to perform with or without assistance. Points are assigned to each descriptor to reflect a level of functional ability. The higher the points, the greater the functional impairment. The activities and the descriptors together make up the assessment criteria.
"Over time, following successful legal challenges, how we define certain elements within the activities and descriptors has changed and they capture the impacts of some health conditions or disabilities differently than was intended when the activities were designed. We also think that there may be some duplication in the activities in terms of the functional capability that they test.
"If a functional assessment is retained, we could consider partially or fully reviewing the PIP entitlement criteria to ensure they are working as intended. Our aim would be to ensure that the criteria are fair and that we focus support on people with the highest needs and significant ongoing extra costs."
PIP assessment criteria
Daily Living
1. Preparing food
a. Can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided. | 0 |
b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to either prepare or cook a simple meal. | 2 |
c. Cannot cook a simple meal using a conventional cooker but is able to do so using a microwave. | 2 |
d. Needs prompting to either prepare or cook a simple meal. | 2 |
e. Needs supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal. | 4 |
f. Cannot prepare and cook food. | 8 |
2. Taking nutrition
a. Can take nutrition unaided. | 0 |
b. Needs: (i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to take nutrition; or (ii) supervision to be able to take nutrition; or (iii) assistance to be able to cut up food. | 2 |
c. Needs a therapeutic source to be able to take nutrition. | 2 |
d. Needs prompting to take nutrition. | 4 |
e. Needs assistance to manage a therapeutic source to take nutrition. | 6 |
f. Cannot convey food and drink to their mouth and needs another person to do so | 10 |
3. Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition
a. Either – (i) Does not receive medication, therapy, or need to monitor a health condition; or (ii) can manage medication, therapy or monitor a health condition unaided. | 0 |
b. Needs any one or more of the following: (i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage medication; (ii) supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage medication; (iii) supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to monitor a health condition | 1 |
c. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes no more than 3.5 hours a week. | 2 |
d. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 3.5 but no more than 7 hours a week. | 4 |
e. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 7 but no more than 14 hours a week. | 6 |
f. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 14 hours a week. | 8 |
4. Washing and bathing
a. Can wash and bathe unaided. | 0 |
b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to wash or bathe. | 2 |
c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe. | 2 |
d. Needs assistance to be able to wash either their hair or body below the waist. | 2 |
e. Needs assistance to be able to get in or out of a bath or shower. | 3 |
f. Needs assistance to be able to wash their body between the shoulders and waist. | 4 |
g. Cannot wash and bathe at all and needs another person to wash their entire body. | 8 |
5. Managing toilet needs or incontinence
a. Can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided. | 0 |
b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage toilet needs or incontinence. | 2 |
c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to manage toilet needs. | 2 |
d. Needs assistance to be able to manage toilet needs. | 4 |
e. Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel. | 6 |
f. Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of both bladder and bowel. | 8 |
6. Dressing and undressing
a. Can dress and undress unaided. | 0 |
b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to dress or undress. | 2 |
c. Needs either – (i) prompting to be able to dress, undress or determine appropriate circumstances for remaining clothed; or (ii) prompting or assistance to be able to select appropriate clothing. | 2 |
d. Needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their lower body. | 2 |
e. Needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their upper body. | 4 |
f. Cannot dress or undress at all. | 8 |
7. Communicating verbally
a. Can express and understand verbal information unaided. | 0 |
b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to speak or hear. | 2 |
c. Needs communication support to be able to express or understand complex verbal information. | 4 |
d. Needs communication support to be able to express or understand basic verbal information. | 8 |
e. Cannot express or understand verbal information at all even with communication support. | 12 |
8. Reading and understanding signs, symbols, and words
a. Can read and understand basic and complex written information either unaided or using spectacles or contact lenses. | 0 |
b. Needs to use an aid or appliance, other than spectacles or contact lenses, to be able to read or understand either basic or complex written information. | 2 |
c. Needs prompting to be able to read or understand complex written information. | 2 |
d. Needs prompting to be able to read or understand basic written information. | 4 |
e. Cannot read or understand signs, symbols, and words at all. | 8 |
9. Engaging with other people face to face
a. Can engage with other people unaided. | 0 |
b. Needs prompting to be able to engage with other people. | 2 |
c. Needs social support to be able to engage with other people. | 4 |
d. Cannot engage with other people due to such engagement causing either – (i) overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant; or (ii) the claimant to exhibit behaviour which would result in a substantial risk of harm to the claimant or another person. | 8 |
10. Making budgeting decisions
a. Can manage complex budgeting decisions unaided. | 0 |
b. Needs prompting or assistance to be able to make complex budgeting decisions. | 2 |
c. Needs prompting or assistance to be able to make simple budgeting decisions. | 4 |
d. Cannot make any budgeting decisions at all. | 6 |
Mobility Activities
11. Planning and following journeys
a. Can plan and follow the route of a journey unaided. | 0 |
b. Needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant. | 4 |
c. Cannot plan the route of a journey. | 8 |
d. Cannot follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, assistance dog or orientation aid. | 10 |
e. Cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant. | 10 |
f. Cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog, or an orientation aid. | 12 |
12. Moving around
a. Can stand and then move more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided. | 0 |
b. Can stand and then move more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided. | 4 |
c. Can stand and then move unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres. | 8 |
d. Can stand and then move using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres. | 10 |
e. Can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided. | 12 |
f. Cannot, either aided or unaided – (i) stand; or (ii) move more than 1 metre. | 12 |
There are two parts to PIP. The daily living element is for those who need help with everyday tasks and the mobility element is for people who need help getting around. Each has two different rates of payment. People can get either or both, depending on the outcome of an assessment of their disability needs.
How PIP is awarded
Enhanced Rate Daily Living Component: 12 points or more from activities 1-10
Standard Rate Daily Living Component: 12 points to eleven points from activities 1-10
Enhanced Rate Mobility Component: 12 points or more from activities 11-12
Standard Rate Mobility Component: 8 points to 11 points from activities 11-12
These are the new PIP rates for 2024/2025, which came into effect from April 8:
Daily Living Component
Mobility Component
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