People on PIP may be able to boost payments by up to £622 each month

The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show there are now more than 3.6 million adults across Great Britain claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP), including some 80,272 living in Scotland. However, it's important to be aware Adult Disability Payment (ADP) has replaced all new claims for PIP for people living north of the border.

Both payments are designed to help people with a disability, long-term illness or physical or mental health condition with extra daily living or mobility costs. A successful claim for PIP or ADP is currently worth between £28.70 and £184.30 each week, but is paid every four weeks which equates to between £114.80 and £737.20.

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The large discrepancy between the payments is due to the various combinations of the daily living and mobility component rates that a claimant could receive. Someone could be awarded the highest rate of both and receive the maximum, £737.20 every four-week pay period, or the standard rate of both, £405.40.

However, many people not in receipt of the maximum PIP - or ADP - may not be aware if their condition has changed and they feel they need more support with daily living or mobility, or both, they might be able to increase monthly payments by as much as £622.40. Increasing payments from the standard rate to the higher, could boost annual income by up to £8,091 at the current 2024.25 rates.

It’s important to be aware this calculation is based on someone only currently receiving the standard rate of the mobility component at £28.70 each week (£114.80 per pay period) who reports a change in their circumstance to the DWP, undergoes a review and is awarded the enhanced rate of both the daily living and mobility components (£737.20 in total).

In another example, someone currently getting the standard rate of both components (£405.40 per 4-week pay period) who reports a change and is awarded the enhanced rate of both the daily living and mobility components (£737.20), would gain an extra £331.80 each month, some £4,313 over the year.

PIP and ADP payment rates

PIP is paid the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances:

Daily living

• Standard rate: £72.65 (rising to £73.90 in April)

• Enhanced rate: £108.55 (rising to £110.40 in April)

Mobility

• Standard rate: £28.70 (rising to £29.20 in April)

• Enhanced rate: £75.75 (rising to £77.05 in April)

Reporting a change - PIP

The most important thing to understand about the PIP new claim and review process is awards are based on how your condition, long-term illness or disability affects you - not the actual condition itself. The DWP makes this distinction clear in the 2024 edition of the online PIP Handbook.

The guidance on GOV.UK explains: “As the assessment principles consider the impact of a claimant’s condition on their ability to live independently and not the condition itself, claimants with the same condition may get different outcomes. The outcome is based on an independent assessment and all available evidence.”

Before contacting the DWP to report a change in your circumstances, it’s important to be aware depending on the change, your PIP could go up, go down, stay the same or stop.

Guidance on GOV.UK states you should contact the PIP if:

• you need more or less help with daily living and mobility tasks

• your health professional tells you your condition will last for a longer or shorter time than you reported before

• your condition has worsened and you’re not expected to live more than 12 months

How to report a change

Call the ‘PIP enquiry line’ on 0800 121 4433, lines are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Full guidance on reporting a change can be found on GOV.UK here.

Reporting a change - Adult Disability Payment

Full details on how to report a change in your circumstances if you are claiming ADP can be found here.

Word of caution

Before making any request, seek independent advice from organisations such as the Citizens Advice Network because while an award review could result in an increase in payments, it could also see them reduced or even stopped. Find out more here.