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The cost of living in the UK has gone up a lot in recent years due to several reasons. One big reason is inflation, which means prices keep rising. This has prompted the Department for Work & Pensions to take action. As of April 2024, the DWP has increased PIP payments to match inflation. And that is not surprising when one considers the rise in disabilities of all kinds that have severely, and suddenly, affected people across the country. As a busy professional, you may be one of them so this news that the DWP has increased PIP payments to match inflation may be just what you need to hear right now, especially with inflation still making the headlines. But how did things get to be this way? Let’s take a quick look at recent history.
The Rise of Inflation
The rise of inflation in the UK has been caused by various factors, such as:
- Energy prices shooting up because of political issues, especially the war in Ukraine, which affected global oil and gas supplies.
- The COVID-19 pandemic messing up supply chains, making goods and services more expensive.
- Brexit has also added to the costs, as new trade rules have increased business expenses, which are often passed on to customers.
- Housing costs have gone up too, with home prices and rents increasing faster than people’s wages in many areas. This is mainly because there aren’t enough houses to meet the demand.
- Food prices have also risen, influenced by both local and global issues.
Additionally, the British pound has lost value, making imported goods more expensive, which further raises the cost of living.
All these factors together have made it tough for many people in the UK, as the cost of basic goods and services puts pressure on their budgets. This has prompted many to keep eyes on what is the latest news on pip.
If you have suffered from a disability recently, then PIPs may take away a little of the pain.
What is PIP and am I eligible?
PIP stands for Personal Independence Payment and is a government scheme that can help with extra living costs if you have both:
- You’re 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 must also be under State Pension age if you’ve not received PIP before.
You can get PIP even if you’re working, have savings or are getting most other benefits.
How PIP works
There are 2 parts to PIP:
- a daily living part – if you need help with everyday tasks
- a mobility part – if you need help with getting around
Whether you get one or both parts and how much you get depends on how difficult you find everyday tasks and getting around.
Daily living part
If you need help with any of the following, then you might get the daily living part of PIP:
- preparing food
- eating and drinking
- managing your medicines or treatments
- washing and bathing
- using the toilet
- dressing and undressing
- reading
- managing your money
- socialising and being around other people
- talking, listening and understanding
Mobility part
Same applies if you need help with:
- working out a route and following it
- physically moving around
- leaving your home
Useful to note:
You do not have to have a physical disability to get the mobility part. It might be that you have difficulty getting around because of a cognitive or mental health condition, like anxiety. If so, then you might get PIP for this reason.
How Much Have PIP Rates Increased In 2024?
People often ask has anyone had good news on a pip review. Well here’s some – PIP payments rose in line with inflation by 6.7% on April 8th 2024.
This increase was applied to most DWP and HMRC benefits.
PIP amounts
Lower weekly rate
Daily living part – £72.65
Mobility part – £28.70
Higher weekly rate
Daily living part – £108.55
Mobility part – £75.75
PIP is tax free. The amount you get is not affected by your income or savings.
The weekly increases in PIP rates are:
- Enhanced daily living component = £6.80
- Standard daily living component = £4.55
- Enhanced mobility component = £4.75
- Standard mobility component = £1.80
The new PIP rates mean you could get:
- £28.70 – £184.30 a week
- £114.80 – £737.20 every four weeks
- £1,492.40 – £9,583.60 a year
If you qualify for both daily living and mobility components of PIP, you’ll get the new amounts equalling:
- £184.30 a week
- £737.20 every four weeks
- £9,583.60 a year
This is an increase of:
- £11.55 a week
- £46.20 every four weeks
- £600.06 a year
How you’re paid
PIP is usually paid every 4 weeks.
Your decision letter tells you:
- the date of your first payment
- what day of the week you’ll usually be paid
- how long you’ll get PIP for
- when and if your claim will be reviewed
Pip list of medical conditions uk
There are 25 conditions that could qualify you for PIP. These are:
- Upper respiratory tract – other diseases of/type not known
- Extrinsic allergic alveolitis
- Fibrosing alveolitis
- Granulomatous lung disease and pulmonary infiltration
- Pneumoconiosis
- Lung transplantation
- Heart and lung transplantation
How difficulty with tasks is assessed
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks.
For each task they’ll look at:
- whether you can do it safely
- how long it takes you
- how often your condition affects this activity
- whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment
If you have a carer, they could get Carer’s Allowance if you have substantial caring needs.
How to Claim PIP
Start your claim by phone
You need to:
- Call the ‘PIP new claims’ (In England or Wales: Telephone 0800 917 2222. Textphone 0800 917 7777.) phone line. You’ll then be sent a form that asks about your condition.
- Complete and return the form. The address is on the form.
- You might need to have an assessment, if more information is needed.
Start your claim by post
You can start a claim by post instead, but it takes longer to get a decision.
Send a letter to this freepost address:
- Freepost DWP PIP 1
Do not write anything except the freepost address on the envelope. You do not need a postcode or a stamp.
You’ll be sent a form asking for your personal information, such as your address and your age. Fill in and return the form.
You’ll then be sent a form which asks about your disability or condition.
Completing and returning the form about your condition
If you apply by phone or post, you’ll usually get a form called ‘How your disability affects you’ within 2 weeks.
Fill in the form using the guidance that comes with it, and return it to the address on the form.
Include supporting documents if you have them – for example, prescription lists, care plans, or information from your doctor or others involved in your care.
You have 1 month to return it.
Contact the PIP enquiry line if you need more time or have questions.
You can only apply for PIP online in some areas. You’ll need to check your postcode when you start your application.
To start your claim online you’ll need your:
- National Insurance number
- email address
- mobile phone
If you need to have an assessment
You’ll be invited to an assessment with a health professional if more information is needed.
They’ll ask about:
- how your condition affects your daily living and mobility tasks
- any treatments you’ve had or will have
They might ask you to do some simple movements to show how you manage some activities.
The assessment can be in person, over the phone or by video call.
It usually takes 1 hour.
If your assessment is in person, your invitation letter will explain how to attend your appointment safely.
When will I get a decision on my claim for PIP?
After you have had your assessment, the healthcare professional will complete their report.
They will then send it to a DWP case manager who will decide whether or not to award you PIP and, if it is awarded, at what rate and for how long.
The average time for a PIP decision is 12 weeks from the date of the claim.
However, this does vary from case to case.
Our research shows it can take just 5 weeks or as long as 20 weeks.
If you disagree with a decision
You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for ‘mandatory reconsideration’ (MR).
The five most commonly recorded disabling conditions for claims under PIP “normal rules” are:
- Psychiatric disorder (38% of claims)
- Musculoskeletal disease (general) (19% of claims)
- Neurological disease (13% of claims)
- Musculoskeletal disease (regional) (12% of claims)
- Respiratory disease (4% of claims)
