PIP for Osteoarthritis: Success Rate and How to Claim

Quick answer: PIP can help with extra living costs if you have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and find everyday tasks or getting around difficult because of it. Whether you get one or both parts and how much you get depends on how difficult you find everyday tasks and getting around.

In DWP's statistics to April 2026, musculoskeletal disease (general) was 19% of claims under normal rules and musculoskeletal disease (regional) was 12%, together 31%. Over the five years to April 2026 the assessment award rate for new claims was 55% for musculoskeletal disease (general), 52% for musculoskeletal disease (regional) and 50% for psychiatric disorders. DWP's statistics to July 2026 put the overall award rate on new normal rules claims at 34% in the latest quarter, down from 41% a year earlier.

In the “moving around” activity in Schedule 1 of the PIP Regulations 2013, the points depend on how far you can stand and then move:

• ✓Yes: Can stand and then move more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided: 0 points
• ✓Yes: Can stand and then move more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided: 4 points
• ✓Yes: Can stand and then move unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres: 8 points
• ✓Yes: Can stand and then move using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres: 10 points
• ✓Yes: Can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided: 12 points
• ✓Yes: Cannot, either aided or unaided, stand or move more than 1 metre: 12 points

You have limited ability to carry out mobility activities if you score at least 8 points in them, and severely limited ability if you score at least 12 points (regulation 6). You are entitled to the mobility component at the enhanced rate if your ability to carry out mobility activities is severely limited by your physical or mental condition and you meet the required period condition (Welfare Reform Act 2012, section 79).

If you get the mobility part of PIP, you might be eligible for a Blue Badge and for a vehicle tax discount or exemption, and for a Motability Scheme vehicle if you get the higher mobility rate of PIP.

Your ability is assessed on the basis of your ability whilst wearing or using any aid or appliance which you normally wear or use, or as if you were wearing or using any aid or appliance which you could reasonably be expected to wear or use.

An “aid or appliance” means any device which improves, provides or replaces your impaired physical or mental function. In Schedule 1 of the PIP Regulations 2013 these daily living activities have descriptors that apply when you need to use one:

• ✓Yes: Preparing food: needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal (2 points); needs supervision or assistance (4 points); cannot prepare and cook food (8 points)
• ✓Yes: Taking nutrition: needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to take nutrition, or supervision, or assistance to be able to cut up food (2 points)
• ✓Yes: Washing and bathing: needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to wash or bathe (2 points); needs assistance to be able to get in or out of a bath or shower (3 points)
• ✓Yes: Managing toilet needs or incontinence: needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage toilet needs or incontinence (2 points); needs assistance to be able to manage toilet needs (4 points)
• ✓Yes: Dressing and undressing: needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to dress or undress (2 points); needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their lower body (2 points) or upper body (4 points)

Schedule 1 says “cook” means heat food at or above waist height, “dress and undress” includes put on and take off socks and shoes, “bathe” includes get into or out of an unadapted bath or shower, and “toilet needs” means getting on and off an unadapted toilet, evacuating the bladder and bowel, and cleaning oneself afterwards.

For managing therapy or monitoring a health condition, Schedule 1 gives 1 point for needing to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage medication, or supervision, prompting or assistance to manage medication. It defines “therapy” as therapy to be undertaken at home which is prescribed or recommended by a registered doctor, nurse or pharmacist, and says it does not include taking or applying medication, whether orally, topically or by any other means.

You have limited ability to carry out daily living activities if you score at least 8 points in them, and severely limited ability if you score at least 12 points (regulation 5). Walk through each descriptor with our PIP points calculator.

Regulation 7 says that where one descriptor is satisfied on over 50% of the days of the required period, that descriptor applies. A descriptor is satisfied on a day in the required period if it is likely that, if you had been assessed on that day, you would have satisfied it. Our guide to PIP and fluctuating conditions explains the rule in full.

• For a new claim the required period is the 3 months ending with the prescribed date and the 9 months beginning with the day after it
• Where there is variability, DWP's guidance says the assessor should consider what the need is on the majority of days
• DWP's guidance says a snapshot view of your condition on a particular day at a particular time is not an adequate assessment
• The PIP2 form asks, for each difficulty, how often you have it and asks you to tell DWP about both good and bad days

The 2026/27 weekly rates are: daily living part £76.70 (lower weekly rate) or £114.60 (higher weekly rate), and mobility part £30.30 (lower weekly rate) or £80.00 (higher weekly rate), up to £194.60 a week (£778.40 every four weeks). PIP is tax free, and the amount you get is not affected by your income or savings. You can get PIP if you are working or have savings.

Full tables including monthly equivalents: PIP rates 2026/27. If you are over State Pension age, you cannot usually make a new claim for PIP. You can apply for Attendance Allowance instead.

• GOV.UK says to include supporting documents if you have them, for example prescription lists, care plans, or information from your doctor or others involved in your care
• The PIP2 booklet asks you to tell DWP about any aids or specialist equipment you use, for example a perching stool or a dosette box
• The PIP2 booklet asks you to tell DWP about any help you get from someone else, and any help you need but do not get

• If you disagree with a decision about your PIP claim, you can challenge it by asking for mandatory reconsideration, usually within one month of the date of the decision
• For initial PIP decisions from April 2021 to March 2026, 15% of completed mandatory reconsiderations resulted in a change to the award
• In April to June 2026, 67% of PIP decisions cleared at a tribunal hearing were overturned in favour of the claimant
• You can ask DWP for a copy of your assessment report

Step-by-step: PIP appeals and the appeal success rate tracker.