PIP eligibility – what you need to know

When working with PIP eligibility, the set of rules that determine who can receive the UK Personal Independence Payment. Also called PIP qualification, it shapes millions of claimants' lives. The Personal Independence Payment, a benefit for people with long‑term health conditions or disabilities is split into daily living and mobility components, and each component has its own score. PIP eligibility encompasses the eligibility criteria, the points‑based thresholds and condition‑specific rules used by the Department for Work and Pensions. If you hit the required points on the disability assessment, the face‑to‑face interview where a health professional checks how your condition affects daily life, you will be deemed eligible. In plain terms, you need a condition that lasts at least 12 months and limits you enough to score 8 points for daily living or 12 points for mobility. The system also looks at whether you need help with tasks like washing, dressing, cooking or moving around, which ties straight into the points you earn.

Why does this matter? Because the moment you understand the link between the three entities – the payment, the criteria and the assessment – you can plan your claim. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) uses the criteria to decide who moves forward to the assessment stage, and the assessment then confirms whether the criteria are truly met. This chain means a well‑prepared claimant can avoid common pitfalls such as missing medical evidence, confusing the daily living and mobility scores, or under‑reporting the frequency of help needed. Most people forget to gather recent GP notes or specialist letters, which the assessors rely on heavily. By keeping a health diary, noting every assistance request, and matching those notes to the point descriptors, you turn vague explanations into concrete evidence.

Below you’ll find a curated list of articles that break each part down further. Some dive into how to write a strong statement, others share real‑world stories of successful claims, and a few warn about common mistakes that lead to refusals. Whether you’re just hearing about PIP for the first time or you’ve already booked your assessment, the posts give practical steps you can act on right away. Scroll down to explore tips, checklists and insider advice that make the whole PIP eligibility journey clearer and more manageable.