Comprehensive Guide to PIP Rates & Eligibility 2026

Overview

PIP Rates (April 2026–April 2027)

Daily Living

Standard Rate

£76.70/week

Enhanced Rate                               

£114.60/week

Mobility

£30.30/week

Enhanced Rate

£80.00/week

Maximum award (Enhanced Daily Living + Enhanced Mobility): £194.60 per week (£778.40 every 4 weeks).

How PIP Is Scored

There are two separate sections:

Daily Living

10 activities are assessed.

Mobility

2 activities are assessed.

Each activity has descriptors worth points.

Award Thresholds

Points Award

0–7 No award

8–11 Standard rate

12+ Enhanced rate

Daily Living and Mobility are scored separately. You can receive one, both, or neither.

Daily Living Activities

1. Preparing Food

Can you safely prepare and cook a simple meal?

Examples:

• Need a stool to sit while cooking
• Need supervision because of seizures
• Cannot use knives safely
• Need someone to help

Possible points: 0–8

2. Eating and Drinking

Examples:

• Need prompting to eat
• Need assistance cutting food
• Require feeding tube support

Possible points: 0–10

3. Managing Therapy or Medication

Examples:

• Need reminders for medication
• Require help managing treatments
• Need supervision

Possible points: 0–8

4. Washing and Bathing

Examples:

• Need grab rails
• Need a shower chair
• Need another person helping

Possible points: 0–8

5. Toilet Needs & Incontinence

Examples:

• Need aids
• Need assistance cleaning
• Need help managing continence

Possible points: 0–8

6. Dressing and Undressing

Examples:

• Need help with buttons/zips
• Cannot dress lower body unaided
• Need prompting

Possible points: 0–8

7. Communicating Verbally

Examples:

• Hearing loss
• Speech difficulties
• Need communication support

Possible points: 0–12

8. Reading and Understanding Information

Examples:

• Visual impairment
• Learning difficulties
• Need assistance reading letters

Possible points: 0–8

9. Engaging With Other People

This is often relevant for:

• Autism
• ADHD
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• Depression
• Personality disorders

Examples:

• Need support attending appointments
• Severe distress around strangers
• Cannot engage appropriately

Possible points: 0–8

10. Managing Money

Examples:

• Cannot budget
• Cannot understand bills
• Need another person to manage finances

Possible points: 0–6

Mobility Activities

11. Planning and Following Journeys

Often awarded for:

• Autism
• Anxiety disorders
• PTSD
• Agoraphobia
• Learning disabilities

Examples:

• Cannot undertake unfamiliar journeys
• Need another person with you
• Psychological distress prevents travel

Possible points: 0–12

12. Moving Around

This concerns walking distance.

Current descriptors include:

Distance You Can Walk Reliably

Points

More than 200m

0

50–200m

4

20–50m unaided

8

20–50m with aid

10

1–20m

12

Cannot stand/move >1m

12

The Most Important Rule: "Reliably"

DWP must consider whether you can perform activities:

• Safely
• To an acceptable standard
• Repeatedly
• Within a reasonable time

If you cannot do something reliably, you should generally be treated as unable to do it.

Example:

You might technically walk 100 metres once.

But if:

• you are in severe pain afterwards,
• need a long rest,
• risk falling,
• cannot repeat it,

you may qualify under a higher-scoring descriptor.

Conditions That Can Qualify

PIP is based on how a condition affects you, not the diagnosis itself. Examples include:

• Arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• ME/CFS
• Chronic pain
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson's
• Stroke
• COPD
• Heart disease
• Autism
• ADHD
• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• PTSD
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Learning disabilities

A diagnosis alone does not guarantee an award. Functional impact is what matters.

PIP Claim Process (2026)

1. Start claim with DWP.
2. Complete "How your disability affects you" form.
3. Submit supporting evidence.
4. Assessment (phone, video, face-to-face, or paper-based).
5. DWP decision.
6. If refused:
   • Mandatory Reconsideration (MR)
   • Tribunal appeal if needed. 

Evidence That Helps Most

Strong evidence includes:

• GP records
• Consultant letters
• Occupational therapy reports
• Mental health team reports
• Physiotherapy reports
• Prescription records
• Care plans
• Statements from carers/family

https://www.gov.uk/pip

https://www.gov.uk/pip/eligibility

https://www.gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim

PIP new claims phone line

Telephone: 0800 917 2222
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 917 2222

The best evidence explains what you cannot do and why, rather than simply naming a diagnosis.

Common Mistakes

❌ Explaining your diagnosis but not its effects.

❌ Saying "I can do it" without explaining pain, fatigue, risk, or support needed.

❌ Describing a "good day" instead of how you are most of the time.

❌ Forgetting that needing prompting, supervision, or aids can score points.