What is PIP?

PIP helps with some of the extra costs caused by ill health or a disability. You may be able to get PIP even if you're working, have savings or are getting most other benefits.

You may need an assessment to work out the level of help you get. If you're awarded PIP, your decision letter will tell you how long the award lasts and whether the DWP plans to review it. Not every award is reviewed on the same timetable.

PIP is made up of 2 components (parts). Whether you get one or both of these depends on how your condition affects you:

• Daily living component – if you need help with everyday tasks
• Mobility component – if you have difficulty getting around

PIP in 2026: What Has Changed

PIP has been in the news a great deal this year, so here is where things actually stand.

• There are no cuts to PIP in 2026. The proposed "4-point rule" that would have tightened eligibility was removed from the legislation in July 2025 and never became law. The eligibility rules, the assessment activities and the descriptors are all unchanged.
• Rates went up in April 2026 as part of the usual annual uprating.
• The Timms Review is under way. The DWP published its interim report on 9 July 2026. It found that PIP is no longer fit for purpose, and of more than 38,000 people who responded to the call for evidence, around 90% described the claims process negatively. Final recommendations are due in autumn 2026.

A review is not a rule change. Nothing about your claim changes unless and until the government announces and legislates a reform.

Read our full breakdown of the Timms Review and what it found about PIP, or see the interim report on GOV.UK.

What You'll Get (2026/27 Rates)

Daily Living Component

You get the standard rate if you score between 8 and 11 points for your daily living needs in the PIP assessment.

You get the enhanced rate if you score 12 points or more.

Mobility Component

You get the standard rate if you score between 8 and 11 points for your mobility needs in the PIP assessment.

You get the enhanced rate if you score 12 points or more.

These are the 2026/27 rates. PIP rates are reviewed every April, so check GOV.UK for the current figures if you're reading this after the next uprating.

Claiming if You're Nearing the End of Life

If a doctor or medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live, you can claim under the special rules for end of life. You might be able to get PIP more quickly and at a higher rate.

• You'll get the enhanced daily living rate of £114.60 per week
• Whether you get the mobility part, and at which rate, depends on your needs
• You will not need to go to a face-to-face assessment
• You do not have to have had difficulties for the usual three months first

Call the PIP claims line and ask to start a special rules for end of life claim, then ask a medical professional for form SR1. They'll either give it to you or send it straight to the DWP.

Full guidance on claiming PIP if you're nearing the end of life

Who Can Get PIP?

You can get PIP if all of the following apply:

• You're aged 16 or over
• You have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
• You have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around
• You expect the difficulties to last for at least 12 months from when they started

You also usually need to be under State Pension age to make a new claim, and you usually need to have lived in England, Scotland or Wales for at least 2 of the last 3 years and be living in England or Wales when you apply. Different rules can apply if you've recently returned from living abroad.

In most cases you need to have had the difficulties for 3 months and expect them to continue for at least a further 9 months. This is waived for end of life claims.

You do not have to have a physical disability to get the mobility part. You might also be eligible if you have difficulty getting around because of a cognitive or mental health condition, like anxiety.

You can get PIP at the same time as other benefits, with the exception of Armed Forces Independence Payment.

Daily Living Component

The daily living part of PIP is scored across 10 activities. You might get it if you need help with:

• Preparing food
• Eating and drinking
• Managing treatments, medication or monitoring a health condition
• Washing and bathing
• Managing toilet needs or incontinence
• Dressing and undressing
• Communicating verbally
• Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words
• Mixing with other people face to face
• Making decisions about money

The assessment looks at whether you can complete each task safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable length of time. If you can only manage a task with pain, or only once, that matters.

Mobility Component

You might get the mobility part of PIP if you need help with:

• Planning and following a journey
• Moving around

If you get the enhanced rate of the mobility component, you may be eligible for a Motability car, scooter or powered wheelchair. The standard rate of the mobility component does not qualify for the Motability Scheme.

Other Benefits of PIP

If you get PIP, you could also be eligible for:

• Motability Scheme – if you get the enhanced rate of the mobility component
• Vehicle tax exemption – if you get the enhanced rate of the mobility component
• Disabled Persons Railcard – if you get either the daily living or mobility component
• Blue Badge – you may be eligible for a parking permit
• Council Tax discount – contact your local council, as support varies
• Local bus travel discount – contact your local council, as support varies

If someone helps to care for you and you receive the daily living component, they may be able to get Carer's Allowance.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

In England and Wales, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) has been replaced by PIP for most adults.

If you were born on or before 8 April 1948, you'll continue to get DLA for as long as you remain eligible for it. Children under 16 continue to receive Child DLA.

If you were born after 8 April 1948, your DLA will end. The DWP will write to tell you when, and you'll continue to get DLA until that date. Unless your circumstances change, you do not need to do anything until that letter arrives.

An "indefinite" or "lifetime" DLA award describes how long that award runs. It is not a guarantee that you will never be asked to move to PIP.

GOV.UK guidance if you already get DLA

How to Claim

If you live in England or Wales, you can start a PIP claim by phone, by post or, in some areas, online. In every case you'll then complete a form called "How your disability affects you", which you should return within 1 month.

By phone

Call the PIP new claims phone line and answer some basic questions about you and your condition.

• Telephone: 0800 917 2222
• Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 917 2222
• British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service – find out how to use the service
• Calling from abroad: +44 191 218 7766

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm

You can ask for someone to be added to your call, ask someone else to call on your behalf while you're with them, or ask for a Welsh speaker. A home visit may also be available, so ask the adviser when you call.

By post

Write a letter saying you want to start a PIP claim, including your name and address, and send it to Freepost DWP PIP 1. No stamp or postcode is needed. You'll be sent a short form first, then the form about how your condition affects you.

Online

A full online application is available in some areas. Check whether your postcode is covered.

If you already have a claim

To report a change, chase a decision or ask about a payment, use the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 rather than the new claims number. Full contact options, including Relay UK and textphone.

Full information on how to claim PIP

British Sign Language (BSL) Guide

British Sign Language guides to PIP are available on the GOV.UK PIP information page.