What is the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) daily living component? If you need help with activities related to daily living, you may qualify. You may then earn one of two rates. Indeed, you could be eligible for this benefit and not know it. This Your Benefits article will tell you everything that you need to know about the PIP daily living component.

What is the daily living component of PIP?

The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has two components: mobility and PIP daily living component. The daily living component is meant for those who need help with day to day activities. In fact, these can include the following:

• Reading or communicating with others;
• Making decisions about or using money;
• Putting on and taking off clothes;
• Cooking, drinking or eating;
• Bathing, using the toilet or washing themselves;
• Socializing or being around other people;
• Managing treatments or taking a medicine.

You may be unsure if you qualify for this benefit or more. If so, Your Benefits can help. Indeed, we offer a free simulator that can show you exactly how much aid you can earn. Additionally, our experts are available to help you save on all of your bills. This includes your water, electricity, phone bill… Simply ask to be called back to start saving money!

Am I eligible for the daily living component?

You may be eligible for the PIP daily living component. However, first, you must be eligible for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). For this to be the case, you must have all of the following:

• A long-term physical or mental disability;
• Difficulty to achieve daily tasks, or have mobility issues that prevent you from moving around freely.

How much is the PIP daily living component?

There are two components of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), as said before. For each of these two components, there are two different rates. Indeed, there is the PIP daily living component lower and higher rate. The higher rate is also known as the enhanced rate.

Your eligibility is not impacted by your employment status. Additionally, you might receive payments from other benefits or have savings. However, this will not impact your eligibility. Furthermore, you may receive Personal Independence Payments on top of other benefits.

How is my eligibility for the PIP daily living component determined?

Your Personal Independence Payment (PIP) daily living component claim is assessed on a point system. Indeed, it will be looked at by a healthcare professional. They will assess your ability to carry out both PIP daily living and mobility activities. Then, they will look at if you require help to achieve them.

Afterwards, they will make a report for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). In fact, a person at the DWP will then determine at what rate you are able to earn the component, and for what period of time.

What is the daily living component scoring system?

When your eligibility for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) daily living component is calculated on a 12 point system. You will get the PIP daily living component if you score between 8 and 11 points. However, if you get 12 points or more, you will qualify for the higher rate.

The 10 categories are as follows:

1. Preparing food;
2. Taking nutrition;
3. Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition;
4. Washing and bathing;
5. Managing toilet needs or incontinence;
6. Dressing and undressing;
7. Communicating verbally;
8. Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words;
9. Engaging with other people face to face;
10. Making budgeting decisions.

You may earn a maximum of 12 points in some categories, but not all. Indeed, some only have a maximum of 8 points. As such, not all categories entitle you to earn the enhanced rate. Then, you may see how the fact that points add up across categories comes in handy.

How many points will my circumstances earn me?

Since there are so many categories, there are a lot of ways to earn points. Furthermore, remember that points add up across categories. Indeed, if you earn only 1 point in all categories, then you qualify for the lower rate.

Let’s start with the first category: preparing food. You need the help of an aid or appliance to cook in order to earn 2 points. If you cannot cook or prepare food at all, you may earn 8.

What other categories are there?

Then is “taking nutrition“. To qualify for this category, you need to at least need supervision or help to take nutrition, or need help cutting food. Furthermore, to qualify for 10 points, you need someone to put drinks and food into your mouth.

Thirdly is managing therapy or monitoring a health condition. In order to qualify for one point, something must apply. More specifically, you must either:

• Need to use an aid or appliance in order to manage medication;
• Need help from someone to manage medication, or to monitor a health condition.

Indeed, you would then be eligible for the minimum number of points for this category. Furthermore, to qualify for 8 points, you must require help in order to manage therapy. Additionally, the therapy must be over 14 hours weekly.