Press release

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment guidance updated

The PIP guidance now reflects a recent legal decision on the interpretation of people’s needs for supervision in order to carry out activities safely.

From:
Department for Work and Pensions and The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt
Published
2 November 2017
This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

This change will lead to approximately 10,000 claimants receiving an extra £70 to £90 a week by 2022/2023.

Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Penny Mordaunt, said:

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) contributes to the additional costs which disabled people face and provides greater opportunities for them to lead full, active and independent lives. Twenty nine per cent of people on PIP receive the highest level of support, compared to 15 per cent under Disability Living Allowance.

We regularly review the guidance that case managers use to make decisions about someone’s eligibility for PIP. These updates will help us continue to ensure people with the highest costs associated with their disability or health condition are receiving the most support.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be going through all existing cases to identify anyone who may be entitled to a higher rate of PIP as a result of the judgment, which was handed down on 9 March 2017. Anyone who is affected will be contacted by DWP, and their payments will be backdated to the judgment.

In addition, a number of affected individuals will benefit from the following:

  • clarifications to the assessment criteria for activities 7 (communicating verbally) and 9 (engaging with people face to face) under the daily living component of PIP so that claimants can score points for both activities
  • changes to the criteria for activity 1 under the mobility component of PIP to reflect the challenges that may be faced by people with sensory difficulties if they experience disruptions to a journey

The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work has made a written ministerial statement on the PIP changes.

Read the updated PIP assessment guidance

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Published 2 November 2017