Answers hub
Every PIP, tribunal and benefit question we answer
358 questions, each linked to the guide that answers it in full. Where a figure is quoted, the guide names the publication and the date it was published, so you can check it yourself. Nothing here is legal or benefits advice, and no page tells you what the outcome of your own claim will be.
Answered in one page
Short pages that answer one question directly, each naming the official source and the date it was checked.
- Is PIP paid in arrears? Paid every four weeks, in arrears.
- When is PIP paid if the payment day falls on a bank holiday? Usually paid on the last working day before the weekend or bank holiday.
- Can you get PIP while working? No earnings limit and no savings limit for PIP.
- Does PIP stop when you go into hospital or a care home? Report any hospital stay of one night or more, and any care home stay.
- Does PIP affect Universal Credit? PIP is disregarded as income for Universal Credit.
PIP questions
278 questions
Claiming, the PIP2 form, assessments, descriptors, evidence, reviews and mandatory reconsideration, including the condition by condition pages.
Medical evidence for a PIP claim (2026): what actually scores
- Can I write my own statement for a PIP claim?
- Did the four-point rule come in?
- Do I have to pay my GP for a PIP letter?
- Does DWP look at your medical records?
- How many pages of evidence should I send with a PIP claim?
- How many pages of evidence should I send?
- What are the four reliability criteria?
- What evidence does not help a PIP claim?
- What is the best medical evidence for a PIP claim?
- Where do I send PIP medical evidence?
PIP back pay 2026: the 3 dates that set arrears
- Does back pay apply if my condition got worse and I asked for a review?
- Does PIP back pay affect other benefits or the benefit cap?
- Does PIP back pay run from the claim date or the decision date?
- How long does it take to be paid?
- If a mandatory reconsideration changes the decision, how far back does it go?
PIP for chronic pain: descriptors, fluctuating conditions, and how to evidence pain that doesn't show on tests
- Can I claim PIP for chronic pain if I have no formal diagnosis?
- Can I score points on Daily Living if I can still cook on a good day?
- How do I score points on the Mobility component for chronic pain?
- My PIP was refused because the assessor said I 'appeared well': what can I do?
- What does 'majority of days' mean for fluctuating conditions?
- What does 'reliably' mean in PIP assessments?
- What is the best evidence to send with a PIP claim for chronic pain?
PIP for depression: which activities score points and how to describe your worst days
- Can suicidal ideation or self-harm history affect a PIP award?
- Can you get PIP for depression?
- How do I describe my worst days without undermining my claim?
- If I'm refused, what are my options?
- What evidence is most useful for a depression PIP claim?
- What is the majority-of-days test for PIP?
- Which PIP activity matters most for depression?
PIP for EDS and hypermobility: the descriptors that apply and what evidence to send
- Can I score points for fatigue caused by EDS?
- Does a Beighton score or formal EDS diagnosis guarantee PIP?
- How does POTS (dysautonomia) affect my EDS PIP claim?
- My EDS was only diagnosed recently, can I still claim PIP?
- What evidence does the Ehlers-Danlos Society UK recommend?
- Which PIP descriptor is most relevant for frequent dislocations?
- Will I need a face-to-face assessment?
PIP for mental health conditions: descriptors, evidence, and what to say at assessment
- An assessor noted I 'presented well': what can I do?
- Can you get PIP for a mental health condition?
- How does the 'majority of days' test apply to episodic mental illness?
- If I am refused, what are my options?
- What does 'overwhelming psychological distress' mean for PIP?
- What evidence should I send with my PIP2 for a mental health claim?
- Which PIP activities are most important for mental health conditions?
PIP for POTS (postural tachycardia syndrome): eligibility, descriptors, and evidence
- Can I score Mobility Enhanced rate with POTS?
- Does POTS qualify for PIP?
- How does heat intolerance in POTS affect PIP?
- My POTS has not been formally confirmed by a tilt table test, can I still claim?
- POTS is a comorbidity of my hEDS, should I claim both together?
- What medical evidence should I send for a POTS PIP claim?
- Which PIP descriptors are most affected by POTS?
PIP mandatory reconsideration (UK): how to ask and what to include
- Can I add new evidence at MR?
- Does mandatory reconsideration work the same way for DLA and Universal Credit?
- How long do I have to request a PIP Mandatory Reconsideration?
- How long does a mandatory reconsideration take for PIP?
- I scored 0 points. Is a mandatory reconsideration still worth doing?
- Is a PIP Mandatory Reconsideration worth it?
- Should I phone or write?
- What happens after the MR?
- Where do I send a PIP mandatory reconsideration?
- Why would PIP phone me after a mandatory reconsideration request?
PIP telephone assessment tips and questions: what to expect
- Can I add something at the end of the call?
- Can someone sit in on my PIP assessment?
- How do I get a copy of my PIP assessment report?
- How long does a PIP telephone assessment take?
- Is a PIP telephone assessment recorded?
- What is the deadline to challenge a PIP decision?
- What questions are asked at a PIP assessment?
Tribunal and appeal questions
30 questions
Appealing to the First-tier Tribunal after a mandatory reconsideration: deadlines, the SSCS1, evidence, hearings and what the published tribunal statistics do and do not tell you.
PIP appeal tribunal (UK): how to prepare for the First-tier Tribunal
- Can I submit new evidence at tribunal?
- Do I need a representative at tribunal?
- How long do I have to appeal to tribunal?
- Is the tribunal formal like a court?
- Should I choose a paper hearing or an in-person hearing?
- What actually happens at a PIP tribunal hearing?
- What is the absolute deadline to appeal a PIP decision?
- What is the PIP tribunal success rate?
Other benefit questions
50 questions
Universal Credit and work capability, ESA, DLA, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance, the Scottish disability payments, Access to Work, Blue Badge and Council Tax support.
Access to Work grant: what it pays for, who qualifies, how to apply
- Can an Access to Work grant be refused?
- Can I track my Access to Work application while I wait?
- Can the self-employed get an Access to Work grant?
- Can you get Access to Work for ADHD or autism?
- Can you get Access to Work if you work from home?
- Do you have to pay an Access to Work grant back?
- How is an Access to Work grant paid?
- How much is the Access to Work grant?
- Is Access to Work available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
- Is an Access to Work grant taxable?
- What is a travel buddy under Access to Work?
- What is the Access to Work contact number?
- What kind of equipment can Access to Work fund?
DLA for children with autism or ADHD: rates, evidence and how to claim
- Can I claim DLA if my child attends a mainstream school?
- Does my child need a formal autism or ADHD diagnosis to claim DLA?
- How long does a DLA claim for a child with autism or ADHD take?
- My child masks very well at school: does that mean they won't qualify?
- Will DLA affect Universal Credit or other benefits?
Reading is free. Writing it up is the part people get stuck on.
If you want the answers turned into a document you can send, our PIP evidence pack builds a companion statement and supporting documents from your own answers, in about three minutes.
NHS-cited letter from a 3-minute intake form · Free redraft, or a refund within 180 days for any reason