PIP payments of up to £737 each month for people with muscle or joint conditions

The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show there are now more than 1.1 million adults across Great Britain receiving support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for over 85 musculoskeletal conditions, including 22,189 living in Scotland. The Scottish figure is low due to the number of existing PIP case transfers to Adult Disability Payment (ADP), everyone in Scotland currently on PIP will have their award moved to the devolved benefit by the end of this year.

Musculoskeletal conditions are injuries and disorders that affect the human body’s movement or musculoskeletal system such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, discs and blood vessels. Arthritis is a general term that refers to many of these different conditions, however, some common conditions include osteoarthritis, back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, gout, polymyalgia rheumatica, lupus and ankylosing spondylitis.

READ MORE: New DWP plans for people on PIP with back, joint, and muscle health conditions

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If you are over 16 and under State Pension age, you may be able to claim PIP - or ADP in Scotland - to help with a musculoskeletal condition, and if your ability to work is limited due to your symptoms you could be eligible for ‘new style’ Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

The latest DWP figures also show that there are now 3.6m people in Scotland, England and Wales claiming PIP, including 80,272 in Scotland. Statistics from Social Security Scotland show that at the end of October, some 374,655 people were receiving ADP which includes 130,450 new claimants and 244,205 existing PIP case transfers from the DWP.

A successful claim for PIP or ADP is currently worth between £28.70 and £184.30 each week in additional financial support and as the benefit is paid every four weeks, this amounts to between £114.80 and £737.20 every pay period. Payments are set to rise by 1.7 per cent from April.

The average processing time for new PIP claims is 15 weeks which means applications submitted before the end of this month could be processed - and back payments issued - by the end of April. New claims for ADP currently take 10 weeks on average to process, so a new claim submitted this month could be processed by the end of March.

PIP claimants with musculoskeletal conditions

The latest data shows that at the end of October 2024, over one million people were receiving support through PIP for Musculoskeletal conditions.

• Scotland: 22,189 (does not include case transfer or new claims of Adult Disability Payment)
  

• England and Wales: 1,102,325

• Living abroad: 976

• Total: 1,126,096

Below is the list of 87 musculoskeletal conditions being supported through PIP to help with either daily living, mobility needs or a combination of both components. It is not definitive, so if your condition does not appear, don't be put off making a claim as an award for PIP or ADP is about how the condition affects you, not the condition itself.

Musculoskeletal Conditions - General

Musculoskeletal Conditions - Regional

Even though new claims for PIP have been replaced in Scotland by ADP, it shares most of the same eligibility criteria. Full guidance on ADP can be found on the mygov.scot website here.

Who might be eligible for PIP or ADP?

To be eligible for PIP or ADP, you must have a health condition or disability where you:

• have had difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for 3 months

• expect these difficulties to continue for at least 9 months

You usually need to have lived in the UK for at least two of the last three years and be in the country when you apply.

In addition to what we have outlined above if you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying for PIP or ADP.

• preparing, cooking or eating food

• managing your medication

• washing, bathing or using the toilet

• dressing and undressing

• engaging and communicating with other people

• reading and understanding written information

• making decisions about money

• planning a journey or following a route

• moving around

There are different rules if you are terminally ill, you will find these on the GOV.UK website here.

DWP or Social Security Scotland will assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they will 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

How are PIP and ADP paid?

PIP and ADP are usually paid every four weeks unless you are terminally ill, in which case it is paid weekly. It will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account. ADP is paid at the same rates as PIP.

What are the PIP and ADP payment rates?

You will need an assessment to work out the level of financial help you will receive and your rate will be regularly reviewed to make sure you are getting the right support.

PIP is made up of two components:

• Daily living

• Mobility

Whether you get one or both of these and how much depends on how severely your condition affects you.

You will be 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)

How you are assessed

You will be assessed by an independent healthcare professional to help the DWP determine the level of financial support, if any, you need, for PIP.

Face-to-face consultations for health-related benefits are offered alongside video calls, telephone and paper-based assessments - it's important to be aware that the health professional and DWP determine which type of assessment is best suited for each claimant. You can find out more about DWP PIP assessments here.

Adult Disability Payment assessments will not involve face-to-face assessments, unless this is preferred by the claimant - find out more about the changes here.

How do you make a claim for PIP?

You can make a new claim by contacting the DWP, you will find all the information you need to apply on the GOV.UK website here.

Before you call, you will need:

• your contact details

• your date of birth

• your National Insurance number - this is on letters about tax, pensions and benefits

• your bank or building society account number and sort code

• your doctor or health worker’s name, address and telephone number

• dates and addresses for any time you’ve spent abroad, in a care home or hospital

How to apply for ADP

People can apply for ADP, over the phone, by post or in-person. To find out more or apply, visit the dedicated pages on mygov.scot here or call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222.