The tables that follow outline the scoring system that is used to decide whether a young person qualifies for PIP, and at what rate. In making sense of the tests set out in the tables it is important to understand how certain words are interpreted by the DWP.
Daily Living Component
| Activity 1. Preparing food | Points |
|---|---|
| can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided | 0 |
| needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal | 2 |
| cannot cook a simple meal using a conventional cooker but is able to do so using a microwave | 2 |
| needs prompting to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal | 2 |
| needs supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal | 4 |
| cannot prepare and cook food | 8 |
prepare: in the context of food means make food ready for cooking or eating
cook: heat food at or above waist height
simple meal: a cooked, one-course meal for one using fresh ingredients
This activity aims to assess a claimant’s physical or mental capacity to cook a simple main meal, and not whether or not they actually cook for themselves. Factors such as special dietary requirements or cultural/religious differences are not taken into account.
| Activity 2. Taking nutrition | Points |
|---|---|
| can take nutrition unaided | 0 |
| needs (i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to take nutrition or (ii) supervision to be able to take nutrition or (iii) assistance to be able to cut up food | 2 |
| needs a therapeutic source to be able to take nutrition | 2 |
| needs prompting to be able to take nutrition | 4 |
| needs assistance to be able to manage a therapeutic source to take nutrition | 6 |
| cannot convey food and drink to their mouth and needs another person to do so | 10 |
take nutrition: cut food into pieces, convey food and drink to one’s mouth and chew and swallow food and drink, or take nutrition by using a therapeutic source
therapeutic source: parenteral or enteral tube feeding, using a rate-limiting device such as a delivery system or feed pump
| Activity 3. Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition | Points |
|---|---|
| either (i) does not receive medication or therapy, or need to monitor a health condition, or (ii) can manage medication or therapy, or monitor a health condition unaided | 0 |
(i) therapy: therapy to be undertaken at home, prescribed or recommended by (a) registered (i) doctor; (ii) nurse; or (iii) pharmacist; or (b) health professional regulated by the Health Professions Council; but does not include taking or applying, or otherwise receiving or administering, medication (whether orally, topically or by any other means), or any action which, in the claimant’s case, falls within the definition of ‘monitor a health condition’
(ii) manage medication or therapy: take medication or undertake therapy where a failure to do so is likely to result in deterioration in health
| Activity 3. Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition (continued) | Points |
|---|---|
| needs either (i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage medication or (ii) supervision, prompting or assistance to manage medication or monitor a health condition | 1 |
(i) medication: medication to be taken at home which is prescribed or recommended by a registered doctor, nurse or pharmacist
(ii) monitor health: detect significant changes in a health condition which are likely to lead to a deterioration in health and take action advised by a registered doctor, registered nurse or health professional who is registered by the Health and Care Professions Council, without which health is likely to deteriorate
| Activity 3. Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition (continued) | Points |
|---|---|
| needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes no more than 3.5 hours a week | 2 |
| needs supervision, prompting or assistance to manage therapy that takes more than 3.5 but no more than 7 hours a week | 4 |
| needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 7 but no more than 14 hours a week | 6 |
| needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 14 hours a week | 8 |
Note: any action which falls under the definition of monitoring a health condition cannot be treated as therapy – no matter how much time is spent in monitoring the disabled person’s condition
Note: It is the time taken to supervise, prompt or assist someone to manage therapy that is measured, not how long the therapy itself takes
| Activity 4. Washing and bathing | Points |
|---|---|
| can wash and bathe unaided | 0 |
| needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to wash or bathe | 2 |
| needs supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe | 2 |
| needs assistance to be able to wash either their hair or body below the waist | 2 |
| needs assistance to be able to get in or out of a bath or shower | 3 |
| needs assistance to be able to wash their body between the shoulders and waist | 4 |
| cannot wash and bathe at all and needs another person to wash their entire body | 8 |
bathe: includes getting into or out of an unadapted bath or shower. If you have an adapted bath you will need to explain what problems you would have in using an unadapted one
washing: means cleaning one’s whole body, including removing dirt and sweat
| Activity 5. Managing toilet needs or incontinence | Points |
|---|---|
| can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided | 0 |
| needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage toilet needs or incontinence | 2 |
| needs supervision or prompting to be able to manage toilet needs | 2 |
| needs assistance to be able to manage toilet needs | 4 |
| needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel | 6 |
| needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of both bladder and bowel | 8 |
toilet needs: getting on and off an unadapted toilet, evacuating bladder and bowel, and cleaning oneself
Note: help in dressing or undressing is not taken into account
manage incontinence: manage involuntary evacuation of the bowel or bladder, including use of a collecting device or self catheterisation, and clean oneself afterwards
Note: incontinence pads fall within the definition of an aid or appliance
| Activity 6. Dressing and undressing | Points |
|---|---|
| can dress and undress unaided | 0 |
| needs to use an aid or appliance to dress or undress | 2 |
| needs either (i) prompting to be able to dress, undress or determine appropriate circumstances for remaining clothed or (ii) prompting or assistance to be able to select appropriate clothing | 2 |
| needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their lower body | 2 |
| needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their upper body | 4 |
| cannot dress or undress at all | 8 |
this descriptor assesses the ability to put on and take off un-adapted clothing. Can include the need for fastenings, zips and buttons, and includes putting on and taking off socks and shoes.
| Activity 7. Communicating verbally | Points |
|---|---|
| can express and understand verbal information unaided | 0 |
| needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to speak or hear | 2 |
| needs communication support to be able to express or understand complex verbal information | 4 |
| needs communication support to be able to express or understand basic verbal information | 8 |
| cannot express or understand verbal information at all even with communication support | 12 |
communication support: support from a person trained or experienced in communicating with people with specific communication needs, including interpreting verbal information into a non-verbal form and vice versa. It is not limited to interpreters and can include friends or family
complex verbal information: information in native language conveyed verbally in either more than one sentence or one complicated sentence
basic verbal information: information in native language conveyed verbally in a simple sentence
| Activity 8. Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words | Points |
|---|---|
| can read and understand basic and complex written information either unaided or using spectacles or contact lenses | 0 |
| needs to use an aid or appliance, other than spectacles or contact lenses, to be able to read or understand either basic or complex written information | 2 |
| needs prompting to be able to read or understand complex written information | 2 |
| needs prompting to be able to read or understand basic written information | 4 |
| cannot read or understand sign, symbols or words at all | 8 |
read: includes reading signs, symbols and words but does not include reading Braille
complex written information: more than one sentence of written or printed standard size text in native language
basic written information: signs, symbols and dates written or printed in standard size text in native language
note: illiteracy which does not result from a physical or mental condition cannot be taken into account
| Activity 9. Engaging with other people face-to-face | Points |
|---|---|
| can engage with other people unaided | 0 |
| needs prompting to be able to engage with other people | 2 |
| needs social support to be able to engage with other people | 4 |
| cannot engage with other people due to such engagement causing either (i) overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant or (ii) the claimant to exhibit behaviour which would result in a substantial risk of harm to the claimant or another person | 8 |
engage socially: interact with others in a contextually and socially appropriate manner, understand body language and establish relationships
social support: support from a person trained or experienced in assisting people to engage in social situations. Can be provided by friends or family
psychological distress: distress related to an enduring mental health condition or an intellectual or cognitive impairment
Note: This activity assesses the ability to mix with people in small groups or in one-to-one situations rather than with others in a crowd
| Activity 10. Making budgeting decisions | Points |
|---|---|
| can manage complex budgeting decisions unaided | 0 |
| needs prompting or assistance to be able to make complex budgeting decisions | 2 |
| needs prompting or assistance to be able to make simple budgeting decisions | 4 |
| cannot make any budgeting decisions at all | 6 |
simple budgeting decision: decisions involving calculating the costs of goods, and calculating change required after a purchase
Complex budgeting decisions: decisions involving calculating household and personal budgets, managing and paying bills, and planning future purchases
Mobility Component
| Activity 11. Planning and following journeys | Points |
|---|---|
| can plan and follow the route of a journey unaided | 0 |
| needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant | 4 |
| cannot plan the route of a journey | 8 |
| cannot follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, assistance dog or orientation aid | 10 |
| cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant | 10 |
| cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid | 12 |
psychological distress: distress related to an enduring mental health condition or an intellectual or cognitive impairment
assistance dog: dog trained to guide or assist a person with a sensory impairment
orientation aid: specialist aid designed to assist disabled people to follow a route safely
*Note: Previous PIP rules made it difficult for those whose difficulties in planning and following a journey arose from psychological distress to score points. However, those previous rules were overturned by the High Court in December 2017. The government is currently in the process of reviewing 1.6 million existing PIP claims to see if claimants are on the correct rate of the mobility component. Contact our helpline for updates.
| Activity 12. Moving around | Points |
|---|---|
| can stand and then move more than 200 metres either aided or unaided | 0 |
| can stand and then move more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres either aided or unaided | 4 |
| can stand and then move unaided more than 20 meters but no more than 50 | 8 |
| can stand and then move using an aid or appliance, more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres | 10 |
| can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres either aided or unaided | 12 |
| cannot either aided or unaided (i) stand or (ii) move more than 1 metre | 12 |
stand: stand upright with at least one biological foot on the ground
aided: with supervision, prompting, or assistance, or with the use of an aid or appliance
Note: in measuring how far someone can move around, any pain or breathlessness suffered will be a factor in deciding whether they can move around to an acceptable standard