Guide 1 of 6 · Adults, 16+
PIP: how the assessment actually scores you
Most people apply for PIP without ever seeing how it's scored. Here's the actual mechanic — because knowing it changes how you answer.
Personal Independence Payment isn't a yes/no decision based on your diagnosis. It's a points system, scored across two separate components — daily living and mobility — each assessed independently, each capable of paying out on its own.
The thing nobody tells you: you're not scored on your diagnosis. You're scored on how each of 12 specific activities affects you, using DWP's own descriptor wording. Two people with the same diagnosis can get completely different awards, because PIP doesn't ask "do you have ADHD" — it asks "can you prepare a simple meal unaided."
Daily living: 10 activities, up to 12 points each
Each activity has a ladder of descriptors, from "no difficulty" (0 points) up to needing full assistance. You're scored on the highest descriptor that applies on more than 50% of days — not your best day, not a one-off bad day.
| Activity | Max points |
|---|
| Preparing food | 8 |
| Eating and drinking | 10 |
| Managing treatments (medication, therapy) | 8 |
| Washing and bathing | 8 |
| Managing toilet needs / incontinence | 8 |
| Dressing and undressing | 8 |
| Communicating verbally | 12 |
| Reading and understanding signs, symbols, words | 8 |
| Mixing with other people | 8 |
| Making budgeting decisions | 6 |
8–11 points total across daily living = standard rate. 12+ points = enhanced rate.
Mobility: 2 activities
Scored separately from daily living, with its own 8–11 / 12+ thresholds:
- Planning and following a journey — up to 12 points. This is the one that catches neurodivergent applicants out most often: needing someone with you on an unfamiliar route because of anxiety, sensory overload, or difficulty processing directions in the moment scores highly here, even if you can walk unaided.
- Moving around — up to 12 points. This one is about physical distance, not cognitive load — less often relevant for a purely neurodivergent profile, but check it doesn't apply before assuming it's zero.
Why this matters when you're writing your answers: "planning and following a journey" is where most people underscore themselves, because they can technically walk the distance. The question isn't "can you move your legs" — it's "can you do this without another person, an assistance dog, or an orientation aid." If you avoid unfamiliar places, or someone always double-checks your route, or you've frozen or had a meltdown getting lost — that's the descriptor, not a footnote.
What actually helps a claim
- Describe your worst days, not your average ones. The form asks about ability "most days" — if a task takes you three times as long, or you can only do it with prompting, or you avoid it entirely because of how it affects you, say so plainly.
- Evidence beats description. A diagnosis letter helps establish the condition exists. A letter from someone who actually sees the day-to-day impact — a support worker, a therapist, a school SENCO, even a detailed personal statement with specific examples — is what moves the score.
- Specific examples outperform general statements. "I struggle with food prep" scores worse than "I can't safely use the hob without someone present because I lose track of time and have burned food twice this month."
- If you disagree with the decision, ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration before appealing — you can't skip straight to appeal, and most successful challenges happen at this stage, not tribunal.