UK PIP Eligibility and Assessment (2026/27)
Personal Independence Payment 2026/27 - daily living and mobility rates, the 8 and 12 point thresholds, the reliability test, assessments and how to appeal.
2026/27 weekly rates and points thresholds
| Component and rate | Weekly amount | Points threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Daily living - standard | £76.70 | 8 to 11 points across the daily living activities |
| Daily living - enhanced | £114.60 | 12 or more points across the daily living activities |
| Mobility - standard | £30.30 | 8 to 11 points across the mobility activities |
| Mobility - enhanced | £80.00 | 12 or more points across the mobility activities |
Rates: DWP, benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027. The highest award, enhanced daily living plus enhanced mobility, is £194.60 a week, about £10,119 over 52 weeks. PIP is not taxable and is not means-tested. In Scotland, Adult Disability Payment replaces PIP for new claims.
The reliability test
Regulation 4 of the PIP Regulations (SI 2013/377) says you can only be treated as able to carry out an activity if you can do it:
- Safely - in a manner unlikely to cause harm to you or another person, during or after the activity.
- To an acceptable standard.
- Repeatedly - as often as the activity is reasonably required to be completed.
- Within a reasonable time period - no more than twice as long as a person without the condition would normally take.
If you cannot do an activity in all four of these ways, you should be assessed as unable to do it in that way, which can mean a higher-scoring descriptor applies. Regulation 7 then picks the descriptor that applies on more than 50% of days. Describing how you manage on most days, rather than a good day, matters for both tests.
Mandatory reconsideration and tribunal appeal
- Mandatory reconsideration - ask DWP to look again, normally within 1 month of the decision. This must be done before you can appeal. For initial decisions after an assessment between April 2021 and March 2026, 15% of completed reconsiderations changed the award (DWP PIP statistics to July 2026).
- Tribunal appeal - appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal within one month of getting the mandatory reconsideration decision; it is free (GOV.UK). In the same DWP figures, 17% of appeals lodged were changed by DWP in the claimant's favour before a hearing, and 65% of decisions cleared at a tribunal hearing were overturned.
- What helps - evidence that addresses the specific activities, statements from people who see the daily impact, and, where the assessment was recorded, the recording.
- Upper Tribunal - a further appeal is possible only on a point of law.
Related guides
- UK Benefit Cap 2026/27 - PIP exempts your household.
- UK Universal Credit + Working 2026/27
- UK Statutory Sick Pay 2026/27
- UK Council Tax Reduction 2026/27
Frequently asked questions
Who can claim PIP?
GOV.UK: you can get PIP if you are 16 or over, have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around, and expect the difficulties to last for at least 12 months from when they started. You usually need to be under State Pension age to make a new claim - over that age, Attendance Allowance is the equivalent. PIP is not means-tested: you can get it if you are working or have savings. In Scotland you apply for Adult Disability Payment instead, and Northern Ireland has its own claim process. Children under 16 claim Disability Living Allowance.
How does the points scoring work?
There are two components, each assessed separately: daily living (10 activities) and mobility (2 activities). For each activity a set of descriptors scores points according to how much difficulty you have. Your points within a component are added up: fewer than 8 points means no award of that component, 8 to 11 points gives the standard rate, and 12 or more gives the enhanced rate. You can get one component, both or neither. Under the regulations, the descriptor that applies is the one that fits on more than 50% of days over the required period (SI 2013/377, reg 7).
What are the daily living and mobility activities?
Daily living: preparing food; taking nutrition; managing therapy 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; engaging with other people face to face; and making budgeting decisions. Mobility: planning and following journeys, and moving around. Planning and following journeys is often relevant to cognitive and mental health conditions, such as being unable to travel without overwhelming distress or getting lost; moving around measures how far you can walk reliably.
What is the PIP claim and assessment process?
In England and Wales you start a claim by phone on the PIP new claims line, 0800 917 2222 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm), or by post, and in some areas online. You then complete the "How your disability affects you" form, normally within 1 month, with supporting evidence. You might need an assessment if more information is needed. A DWP decision maker then decides the claim. If you disagree, you must first ask for a mandatory reconsideration, normally within 1 month of the decision, before you can appeal to a tribunal.
Is my PIP assessment recorded?
From 29 June 2026 DWP audio-records face-to-face and telephone health assessments for PIP, Work Capability Assessments and Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit as standard, unless you opt out. Recording used to be opt-in, and fewer than 3% of claimants asked for it. DWP says recordings will be made available to claimants who wish to appeal their initial award - useful at mandatory reconsideration or tribunal if the assessment report does not match what you said.
Should I get help with my PIP claim?
It often helps. Citizens Advice, local welfare rights services and disability charities give free help with the form, evidence and appeals. The form works best when it describes how your condition affects each activity on most days - including whether you can do it safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time - rather than on a good day. DWP's own statistics show many decisions change on challenge: for initial decisions after an assessment between April 2021 and March 2026, 65% of the decisions that went to a tribunal hearing were overturned in the claimant's favour.
What evidence helps a PIP claim?
GOV.UK suggests supporting documents such as prescription lists, care plans, or information from your doctor or others involved in your care. Useful evidence also includes letters or reports from consultants, specialist nurses, occupational therapists or mental health services, and a statement from a carer or family member. A short diary over a week or two can show how often difficulties happen. Evidence is strongest when it speaks to the activities and to frequency, safety and how long things take, not just the diagnosis.
How does PIP interact with other benefits?
GOV.UK says you can get PIP at the same time as all other benefits except Armed Forces Independence Payment (with reductions where you get Constant Attendance Allowance or War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement). PIP can also open other help (GOV.UK): getting PIP exempts your household from the benefit cap; the daily living component can allow a carer to claim Carer's Allowance; the enhanced mobility rate can be used for a Motability Scheme vehicle; the mobility component can make you eligible for a Blue Badge (automatically with 8 or more points in "moving around") and a vehicle tax discount or exemption; and either component makes you eligible for a Disabled Persons Railcard. Your council may offer Council Tax or bus travel discounts. Each scheme has its own rules, so check them individually.
Is PIP being reformed?
The previous government consulted on changes in the health and disability green paper of 29 April 2024. The current government launched the Timms Review of PIP, co-produced with disabled people and organisations. Its interim report was published on 9 July 2026 and its co-chairs published emerging recommendations on 9 September 2026, saying these are not final and that the final report is due later this autumn. Until any change is legislated, claims are decided under the current rules described on this page.