Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Personal Independence Payment is the main benefit for working-age adults with a long-term health condition or disability. You can apply if you are aged 16 or over and under State Pension age, and have had difficulties with daily living or getting around for at least three months, with those difficulties expected to continue for at least another nine months.
PIP has two parts. The daily living part covers help with preparing food, washing, dressing, managing medication, communicating and dealing with money. The mobility part covers planning journeys or moving around. Each part is paid at either a standard or enhanced rate. Current weekly rates are listed on GOV.UK.
After you apply, you will usually complete a detailed form and attend an assessment with a health professional. Assessments may take place by phone, video call or in person. Awards are reviewed periodically, with the length depending on whether your condition is likely to change.
Describe your current flare up and we will help you identify likely triggers and what might ease it.
Try our Flare Up Analyser free, here on this site →Other benefits you may be able to claim
Disability Living Allowance has been replaced by PIP for adults. Children under 16 can still claim DLA. In Scotland, DLA and PIP have been replaced by Child Disability Payment and Adult Disability Payment, run by Social Security Scotland. If you live in Scotland, mygov.scot has details.
If you are over State Pension age and need help with personal care or supervision, Attendance Allowance may be the right benefit rather than PIP. It is paid at two rates depending on whether you need help during the day, at night, or both. There is no mobility element.
If fibromyalgia limits what you can do at work, or stops you working altogether, you may be able to claim Universal Credit. Within a claim, you can ask for a Work Capability Assessment. Depending on the outcome, you may be placed in a group with limited capability for work, or limited capability for work and work-related activity: the second usually means a higher payment and no requirement to look for work.
Older-style benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance still exist for some legacy claims, but most new claims go through Universal Credit. "New style" ESA is based on your National Insurance record. If you are already on ESA, tax credits or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, you will be moved to Universal Credit as part of managed migration. If you are employed and off sick, your employer should pay Statutory Sick Pay for up to 28 weeks, provided you meet the earnings rules.
If a partner, relative or friend looks after you for a substantial amount of time each week, they may be able to claim Carer's Allowance. In Scotland, those receiving Carer's Allowance also get the Carer's Allowance Supplement, paid twice a year by Social Security Scotland.
Other practical help includes: Council Tax Reduction; housing support through Universal Credit or Housing Benefit; the Blue Badge scheme (which now considers hidden disabilities including pain and fatigue); disabled person's railcard or bus pass; Access to Work for equipment, support workers or travel costs; and help with NHS costs including prescriptions and dental treatment.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
Fibromyalgia and the assessment process
Fibromyalgia symptoms vary from day to day, which makes assessments challenging. The DWP looks at how your condition affects you on most days, not just on a good day or a bad one. A few things help:
- Describe what actually happens when you try everyday tasks, including pain, fatigue, brain fog and recovery time afterwards.
- Mention any aids you use: perching stool, grab rails, jar openers, pill organisers, walking aids.
- Say what help you get from other people, including prompting, reminders and physical support.
- Provide supporting evidence: letters from your GP, rheumatologist or pain clinic, medication lists, therapy notes.
- Keep a short symptom diary for a couple of weeks before you apply.
If you are turned down
Many fibromyalgia claims are refused at first and then succeed later. If you disagree with a decision, you can ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration within one month. If that does not change the outcome, you can appeal to an independent tribunal.
Free advice is available from Citizens Advice, your local welfare rights service, and disability charities such as Scope and Turn2us. Versus Arthritis and Fibromyalgia Action UK publish guides aimed at people with conditions like fibromyalgia. For current rates, eligibility rules and application forms, GOV.UK is the official source in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; mygov.scot covers benefits delivered by Social Security Scotland.
Please don't give up. Consider contacting Citizens Advice or a welfare rights organisation who can help with your PIP application. They understand the system and can ensure your daily struggles are properly documented. Also, please reach out to your GP about how you're feeling emotionally. There's support available and you don't have to face this alone.
Your strength in continuing to work despite such challenges is remarkable, but you deserve proper help and recognition of your condition.
I’m on morphine gabapentin amitriptyline nefopam. I’m sleeping at my desk can’t concentrate pain is so intense. I spend my weekends in bed not being able to move. I have cut my working week to 4 days as 5 is killing me off, I can’t mash spuds anymore actually make a homely meal I can’t carry shopping bags at time. My legs decide not to work my back arms tingle like made my skin feels sun burnt constant migraines. It takes me over 45 mins to change my bedding when should be a 5 mins job. Some days I don’t even feed my self as I can’t move.
I have been knocked back twice for pip. Even changed my shop to try and make it easier but nothing seems to work.
Is this because I do I have a job I’m not getting it? I don’t understand as it’s says working people can also get help.
I now go to be hoping I don’t wake up in a morning and I have made my piece with that.
Let this be over
I’ve got occupational health appointment at work so they can make some adjustment for me but I don’t know how helpful this might be. I don’t know how long further I could keep my job which requires me to be on my feet all day.
How can I prove my suffering and impact on my health and life in regards to occupational health without scoring Zero should I apply for fm?
I recently claimed esa and was place straight into the support group with no assessment, I think about claiming pip but after I read how hard it is to get I won’t bother. They say that assessors have been given guide lines concerning fibromyalgia but because we have good days and bad days it can be very hard to pass an assessment.
I say good luck to anyone who try’s to claim pip.
from R A clinic at the hospital. So I wait again for them to say no
I can't sleep . i have really bad headaches.
Tired 24:7 .
Using aids as in pain.
I have applied and have a cover letter from my docs . i hope i done get 0 points
constant fatigue
muscle pain(especially in right arm,legs,and lower back)
going for a wee up to 12 times a day
inability to bend crouch or stretch
unable to keep a sleep pattern and then waking up tired.
it seems to me that certain government departments think that people with fm are telling lies.even when i attended a dwp assessment the interviewer only was interested in what i was capable of doing instead of what i couldnt do.then she sent a report to someone who doesnt know me or has met me to say whether i am able to work.!!WHERE THE HELL IS THE SENSE IN THAT??i can hardly put a sock on and have special laces in my shoex coz i endure great pain trying to tie them by hand.i cant walk far eg half a mile without getting tired.if i sit tor a wee while j get knee pain and if i stand for any length of time i get leg pain.any physical activity eg vacuuming leaves me fatigued and i cant stretch bend or twist my right arm without great pain.but dwp says i can do some work.YEAH RIGHT !!!
i also have applied for pip since last november and only got notified yesterday that i am on their shortlist for an assessment.heres hoping.
finally i would like to wish my fellow sufferers all the best in coping with this horrible and debilitating condition
I have read your posts and empathise with you.
I attained FM from a routine procedure done by the NHS - I tried to make a claim but it got nowhere..as no proof of negligence.
I have had little or no help for recovery other than being treated like a lab rat.
I have always worked and after the fore mentioned procedure ..was left paralysed...the scariest thing that has happened to me .. the only sense I had was to hear ...my brain was in gear part of the time .. but could not get to grips why I could not speak move or see ...
I work in the NHS ... how ironic I hear you say ..and have done for 25 yrs .
I had no help at all except the normal process of line management .." when are you coming back"
On seeing occy health I was told I would never work again !
I am a very determined person and certainly did not know what was wrong with me ... other than the symptoms ..of which people do not understand.. unless you have FM.
I self helped ..had my husband/children to take me for a walk ..only a hundred yards or so ..it was agonising..but pushed myself constantly.
I have had the condition now 4 yrs ..I returned to work after 4mths being off ..I continually push myself ..as think I have been in denial .. saying I am fine I can do it....I have now come to the point of exhaustion...and do not know where to go from here...
I like going to work .. but it is so much effort..I have to think where I can park on every journey as can not walk far ..the fatigue hits me at anytime of the day ..and so exhausting trying to fight it...I have global pain
Any advice?
I have been diagnosed with Chronic fibromyalgia. It took just over a year going through different types of medication and tests before it was diagnosed.
I applied for PIP, had a home visit on one of my good days, therefore My claim have been declined.
Today I am in s lot of pain all over my body struggling to get up or even move, my hands, neck, arms, lower back, legs ankles toes are in chronic pain. Where is the assessor now??
I am crying for help here, I live on my own.
Why can’t this illness be visible???
I I need help but don’t know what to do, they think I’m making this all up.
People look at me and say...You don't look sick!
No, I don't. FMS has taken 30 years away. I have lost 4 babies (connected to FMS), I have lost my job, my independence, everything I loved doing.
I used to climb mountains, now I barely manage to walk 400 yards with a stick.
I used to skate. Work out. Now the most I can do is walk...
Some days I am fine, I am not a victim. I feel good. But I also have learned that, in any given moment, I can swing from being fine to being seriously fighting with a flareup. And my day of wellness can become a week, a month, a year, of pain that will not stop. But I still get the "you do not look sick"
PS to the person asking about the sleep issues.... 31 years later still trying to figure that out... love and blessings
I’m so sorry to hear about your problems I understand how you are feeling because my mum suffers from FM and other disease in her body and it very hard to see her like that.... but I have got some tips to help with PIP
Go to limehouse project and get some legal advice because they will able to shine some light on the steps you can take to get pip and most importantly always have someone by your side for support
I'm so sorry for you all. and angry.
I think the idea of 'disability grifters' is wielded by those in power to make the larger population suspicious of the disabled. Maybe one or two people carry on like this, but it is just not reflective of the larger population of people who are unable to work.
I developed fibro only one year ago. I tried everything to continue working full time but it eventually overcame me.
I am still recovering from pushing myself so hard.
I am working part time now,16 hours a week. still in my field that I have trained for and love.
I am really struggling to even maintain these short hours, and my self confidence is destroyed from the cognitive effects the pain is having on me.
The money is not enough to survive on. I am eating in to the meagre savings I had stored up in order to pay rent and bills and they will run out soon.
I am terrified of applying for ESA but I know I will have to.
I was on it in the past for about a year. It was for extreme anxiety that had me housebound. I eventually overcame this, and returned to work. I was so proud of myself for doing so.
I know how stressful and degrading the process of applying for it is. I was SO happy when I returned to work thinking I would never have to go through an ESA 'review' again.
Seeing how badly fibro is viewed by the DWP from all your comments while it is destroying my life and future is just so bleak and scary.
It does make you wonder how long you will be able to survive and really have dark thoughts abut ending it all.
This is systemic and it is policy. We need to stick together and not buy in to this myth of people 'going on the sick'. It is used to dehumanise us. I love you all. We are all worth so much more than our productivity.
REM sleep and all I want is some sleep.
As I stated in previous posts, I have Parkinson's Disease that is quite advanced now and 4 years ago the DWP called me to say they would not expect me to attend an ESA face to face which was decent of them and my recent PIP interview was very straightforward (the assessor could not have been nicer - the luck of the draw I guess!) and I was awarded enhanced rate for both to replace the higher rate DLA awards I was gratefully receiveing before their switch to PIP, but when the letter arrived I noticed to 2 PIP form activities that my Fibromyalgia significantly impact are "Mixing with others" and "Planning and following a route" and while I provided the DWP with a lot of details, I recieved zero points for both. Fortunately it did not effect my overall scores but it does highlight just how poorly Fibromyalgia is viewed by the DWP.
I have since seen my GP and had my Fibromyalgia "diagnosis" removed from my records as, in truth, and in my experience, it is seen as something of a joke and is perceived by most as a made up condition that has replaced the "old lower back pain fiddle" adopted by the lazy and the work-shy out for disabilty benefits. I worked for 8 years after my diagnosis of Parkinson's and worked all my life up to that point and I don't want to be tarred with that brush.
If you do go to tribunal make sure you are armed with a report from your rheumatologist stating that you cannot do the things you say you can't on the forms you have submitted and don't dwell on your Fibromyalga as that will do you more harm than good in that arena.
Won each time!
Took over a year to sort out all the benefits, just to win, get it all, then have it all taken away as I got married!
All I get now, £55 pw PIP as the DWP feels my wife's wage of a supermarket checkout £12k pa, enough to support is both?
They just want me dead!
I'm surprised government just doesn't gas us and be done with it?
I have had little or know treatment?
I waited 7 years for a MRI scan?
I don't know what causes it?
Sometimes it's stress!
Sometimes it's carrying shopping bags?
Sometimes it's writing a letter?
Sometimes, walking too much?
Sometimes walking a little?
Sometimes just sitting in a chair?
I get three levels of pain!
1) Pain all the time but bearable!
2) Pain all the time that's unbearable!
3) Pain that completely immobilizes me!
All I have had from my gp, is pills???
I am soooooo fed up!
Just to have a diagnosis would help
Score given was 0. I am now in the position where not possible to work but to survive and to look after ur family you must have to work. Psychologically I have been broken down and this is thanks to the government intiative for PIP ruling dont know what to do.
Aargh feel totally let down
My question is DLA still available because I was told there is no such thing anymore only PIP what should I do next
there is a very good web site called benefits and work that has useful advice.
for PIP, it is all about what you can do, rather than conditions and symptoms.
there are criteria which are about how you can/canot do things
i would suggest keeping a diary and being prepared to fill in the form in a very detailed way--saying i have pain and it hurts to cook is not good enough. you need to go from the very beginning of preparing the ingredients through every process and explain in detail the issues with cooking a simple meal for one on the stove top
for example..
I have stiff finger because of the joints and i cannot grip a knife to cut the vegitables.. even if i can grip the knife, i find that i am unable to have enough power to cut through hard vegitables like carrots, potatoes etc. the knife has slipped and cut my fingers on several occasions..
etc etc
you need to use much more paper than they allow and be detailed. address variations in condition and explain on average how much difficulty across a week, or month or year
be clear in describing the variablity of the condition and give a clear idea of how many days/weeks etc that you are in each level of the condition and be very clear of anything you cannot do at all
ask your doctor/nurse to read it and help you get together supporting evidence
and also be prepared to appeal--most win on appeal
but it is about the funcitional aspects not the condition
and bring the copy of the form to the assessment and someone to support you
one big trick they use is to cut you off-insist on finishing each point, dont let them rush you and correct them if necessary. challenge when they say so you can do..... say No.. and insist they note what you are telling them
ask the person with you to prompt you to mention things and to try and keep notes
good luck
My partner has had Arthritis since she was 2 and Fibromyalgia over the last 6 years. she has been to court and assessors and apparently her illness falls within a black hole with them and that means she doesn't qualify. her doctors have said she is not physically and mentally well enough to hold a consistent job, which doesn't matter, the courts have said the they would reward her if they had control of this. The local MP tried to help but Atos and the like say she doesn't even rate on the assessment.
Example of the assessment which was given by a medical professional (Sports Massage):
Have you experienced any pain or limit of movement.
Yes i have fluid build up on the right knee which requires draining, constant pain in all joints and muscles, muscle wastage. Also taking a cocktail of meds i.e Methatrixate and so on.
They write down experience no real issues.
Memory test: can you repeat the following Cat, ball, policeman.
She repeats Cat then bursts into tears at the retaliation that she cant remember those simple words.
They write down no issues with memory.
Short of being in a coma, i don't know what qualifies
.
awaiting in anticipation for your reply.
My 15 year old son has been diagnosed with it & i cant find any imformation about it
Thanx
What a waste of space and energy.
Ask Fibromyalgia Syndrome a question
Ask our editorial team a question and we will reply with our advice. Tell us as much about your situation as you can: the more detail you give, the more useful our answer can be.
You do not need to use your real name. Please do not include your full address, phone number, email address, or the names of other people. We may edit or remove identifying details for privacy and legal reasons.
Comments are moderated before publication.