Welfare rights and advice

Just to say thank you so much for filling in my PIP form for me.

What is Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

You may be able to get help with some of the extra costs caused by long term ill-health or disability by claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) from the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP).

PIP may be awarded if you need help with daily living difficulties at either a standard rate of £57.30 per week or enhanced rate of £85.60 per week. You may get the daily living component of PIP if you need help more than half of the time with things like:

• preparing or eating food
• washing, bathing and using the toilet
• dressing and undressing
• reading and communicating
• managing your medicines or treatments
• making decisions about money
• engaging with other people

A second component of PIP can also be awarded if you need help with mobile activities at either a standard rate of £22.65 per week or enhanced rate of £59.75 per week. You may get the mobility part of PIP if you need help going out or moving around.

How is my PIP claim assessed?

Entitlement to daily living and mobility components of PIP are 8 points for the standard rate and 12 points for the enhanced rate, assessed from a list of activities and points. There is only one score allocated from each activity.

Daily living & mobile activities

The amount you get depends on how your condition affects you, not the condition itself.

You will be assessed by a Health Care Professional to work out the level of help you can get. Your rate will be regularly reviewed to make sure you're getting the right support.

How to claim

To make a claim for PIP, you will need to phone the DWP on 0800 917 2222. You will need the following information with you when you call:

• your full name, address and telephone number
• Your National Insurance Number
• Your date of birth
• Your bank or building society account details
• details of your GP and any other heal professionals who support you
• details of any recent stays in hospital or care homes
• your nationality or immigration status
• details of time spent abroad if you have been abroad for more than four weeks at a time over the last three years
• whether you have a mental health condition or learning difficulties and need support to make a claim

Once your claim is registered with DWP, you will be sent a form PIP2 to complete with details of your health problems and how they affect you.

If you need help to complete this form, please contact East Lothian Council's Financial Inclusion team.

What happens next?

Once the DWP receive the completed PIP2 form, they will arrange for you to attend a medical examination with a Health Care Professional to assess whether you meet the criteria for an award of PIP.

If someone is terminally ill

If someone has a terminal illness and a specialist nurse, GP or consultant has advised they can provide a DS1500 form to confirm this, PIP can be claimed under special rules.

DWP will need to be informed of this during the initial telephone call. A PIP2 form will not be required and there will be an automatic entitlement to the enhanced daily living component of PIP when claiming under these special rules. DWP will ask about the claimant's mobility to help make a decision as to whether they qualify for either rate of the mobility component of PIP.

If you need advice or assistance to claim under these special riles, contact East Lothian Council's Financial Inclusion team.