What PIP actually is
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a UK disability benefit paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to working-age adults whose physical or mental health condition affects their daily life. It is non-means-tested, non-taxable, and paid on top of any wages or other benefits.
PIP replaced Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults from 2013. It is governed by the Welfare Reform Act 2012, Part 4 and the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013.
Who qualifies
- You are aged 16 to State Pension age at the date of claim.
- You have had a physical or mental health condition or disability for at least 3 months, and expect it to continue for at least 9 more months.
- You meet the residence and presence conditions (broadly, lived in the UK for 2 of the last 3 years).
- The condition causes problems with daily living and/or moving around.
A formal diagnosis is helpful but not required. What matters is how your condition affects you against the 12 descriptor activities, on most days, safely, repeatedly, and to an acceptable standard.
PIP weekly rates for 2026/27
These are the weekly amounts as GOV.UK states them. GOV.UK calls the standard rate the lower weekly rate and the enhanced rate the higher weekly rate.
| Weekly rate, 2026/27 | Standard rate (GOV.UK: lower weekly rate) | Enhanced rate (GOV.UK: higher weekly rate) |
|---|---|---|
| Daily living part | £76.70 | £114.60 |
| Mobility part | £30.30 | £80 |
Source: GOV.UK, Personal Independence Payment: PIP amounts, and the DWP’s Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027, which lists these as the 2026/27 rates. GOV.UK says PIP is usually paid every 4 weeks, so a 4-weekly payment is four times the weekly figure.
Every 4 weeks, that is £306.80 or £458.40 for the daily living part and £121.20 or £320 for the mobility part (4 times the weekly figure). Both higher rates together come to £194.60 a week, or £778.40 every 4 weeks.
How the points work
PIP is scored against 12 activities: 10 for Daily Living, 2 for Mobility. Each activity has between four and seven descriptors, lettered from a, worth 0 to 12 points. Add the points within each component:
- 0 to 7 points. No award.
- 8 to 11 points. Standard rate.
- 12+ points. Enhanced rate.
The key test is reliability under Regulation 4(2A): you only count as able to do something if you can do it safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, and in a reasonable time. If you can do it once but it leaves you in bed for two days, you cannot do it reliably.
How to claim, step by step
The six-step process is outlined above in the TLDR. The critical points where most claims succeed or fail:
- Registration date matters. Payment is backdated to the day you phone DWP, even if the decision takes 4 months. Phone first, before you start gathering evidence.
- The PIP2 form is the case. The assessor reads it, your GP record, and any evidence, then writes a recommendation. Treat it as the first hearing.
- Worst-day reasoning. Describe what happens on a typical bad day, not your average day. PIP descriptors are about whether you can do tasks reliably, not whether you can ever do them.
- Evidence beats opinion. A 4-page consultant letter outweighs a 40-page diary. Send copies of clinic letters, hospital discharge summaries, OT reports, prescriptions.
If you are refused
Over August 2021 to July 2026, 42% of normal rules new PIP claims received an award, excluding withdrawn claims (DWP, Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2026). If you are refused or under-awarded, the route back is:
- Mandatory reconsideration (MR). Phone or write to DWP within 1 month. Reference the activities you disagree with and the descriptor language. Over August 2021 to July 2026, 27% of PIP MRs cleared (excluding withdrawn) led to a change in award (DWP, Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2026).
- Tribunal appeal. If MR fails, send form SSCS1 to HMCTS within 1 month. The hearing is in front of a judge, doctor and disability member, informal, with no costs. In April to June 2026, 67% of all PIP appeals cleared at a hearing were overturned in favour of the claimant (Ministry of Justice, Tribunal Statistics Quarterly: April to June 2026).
Free help from Citizens Advice, your local welfare rights service, or Benefits and Work guides. An MR refusal is not the end: the tribunal is independent of DWP and looks at your claim afresh.
What else PIP unlocks
- Blue Badge: in England, 8 points or more on the moving around activity, or 10 points for descriptor 1e on planning and following journeys, is an automatic route.
- Motability scheme: if you receive enhanced rate mobility, you can lease a car, scooter or powered wheelchair.
- Council tax reduction: many councils give a disability discount when PIP is in payment.
- Carer's Allowance, someone caring 35+ hours per week for a PIP claimant on either rate of Daily Living can claim £86.45 per week.
- Universal Credit / ESA top-ups: extra disability elements often follow.
Frequently asked questions
Free, nothing stored
Score yourself against the twelve activities
Every descriptor and point value quoted from Schedule 1 of the 2013 regulations, with the reliability test from regulation 4(2A) set out before you start. Daily living and mobility are totalled separately, in your browser, and you are not asked for an email address.
It reports the points those descriptors carry. Whether a descriptor applies to you is decided by the assessor and the decision maker, not by this page.
Who can claim PIP?
Adults aged 16 to State Pension age who have had a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability for at least 3 months and expect it to last at least 9 more. PIP is not means-tested and is not affected by work or savings.
How much is PIP in 2026/27?
GOV.UK states the daily living part as £76.70 a week at the lower weekly rate (the standard rate) and £114.60 at the higher weekly rate (the enhanced rate), and the mobility part as £30.30 and £80. Both higher rates together come to £194.60 a week, or £778.40 every 4 weeks. These are the 2026/27 rates in the DWP's Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027.
Is PIP affected by my income, savings or work?
No. PIP is non-means-tested and tax-free. You can claim it whether you work or not, regardless of savings or partner income. It is paid on top of wages, Universal Credit, ESA, or any other benefit.
How long does a PIP claim take?
DWP statistics show that in July 2026 normal rules new claims took a median of 18 weeks from registration to a decision (DWP, Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2026). Terminally ill claims under Special Rules for End of Life are fast-tracked.
What is the success rate for PIP appeals?
Ministry of Justice figures for April to June 2026 show 67% of PIP appeals cleared at a hearing were decided in the claimant's favour (Tribunal Statistics Quarterly: April to June 2026). That covers all PIP appeals heard in that quarter, not only first claims. At the earlier stage, 27% of PIP mandatory reconsiderations cleared (excluding withdrawn) from August 2021 to July 2026 led to a change in award (DWP, Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2026). Neither figure predicts the outcome of any one claim.