PIP for Arthritis and Osteoarthritis: Rates and How to Claim
Arthritis is one of the most successful conditions for PIP claims. Official claims data shows around 71% of claims for generalised osteoarthritis are awarded, and 73% for osteoarthritis of the hip, far above the average of about 52%. Osteoarthritis is the third most common single condition among PIP claimants, with over 190,000 people receiving it for generalised osteoarthritis alone. This guide covers which activities score points, how the 20-metre rule and aids work, and the 2026/27 amounts.
- ✓Around 71% of osteoarthritis PIP claims are awarded, one of the highest success rates of any condition
- ✓Needing an aid, a perching stool, grab rail, jar opener or walking stick, scores points in each relevant activity
- ✓The 20-metre rule: if you cannot reliably walk more than 20 metres, you qualify for enhanced mobility (£80.00/week)
- ✓Pain, stiffness and flare-ups count through the 'reliably' and 50%-of-days rules
- ✓PIP pays £76.70 to £194.60 a week in 2026/27, tax-free and not means-tested
Get instant help right now
A Citizens Advice appointment can take weeks. Our free assistant is available 24/7 with no appointment, giving you clear, step-by-step answers about your exact situation, what to do next, and the deadlines that matter.
Need to take action? It can draft a ready-to-send formal letter for you (optional, from £4.99).
England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland.
Can you get PIP for arthritis?
Quick answer: yes, and arthritis claims do exceptionally well. DWP claims data (to October 2024) shows award rates of 71% for primary generalised osteoarthritis, 73% for hip osteoarthritis and 63% for knee osteoarthritis, all well above the all-condition average. Musculoskeletal conditions account for almost a third of the 3.9 million people on PIP (DWP statistics to January 2026).
This applies to osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and other inflammatory types. PIP is awarded on how arthritis affects your ability to carry out everyday activities, reliably and on the majority of days, not on the diagnosis, your age or your X-ray results.
The 20-metre rule and the mobility component
The ‘moving around’ activity is where arthritis claims score most heavily. The thresholds are precise:
- ✓Can stand and move more than 200 metres: 0 points
- ✓Can stand and move 50 to 200 metres: 4 points
- ✓Can stand and move 20 to 50 metres unaided: 8 points (standard mobility on its own)
- ✓Can stand and move 20 to 50 metres but only with an aid such as a stick, crutch or frame: 10 points
- ✓Cannot stand and move more than 20 metres, aided or unaided: 12 points (enhanced mobility, £80.00/week and Motability access)
Which daily living activities score points for arthritis?
Points come from needing aids, help or extra time. An aid counts even if you bought it yourself, and even if you manage with it:
- ✓Preparing food: perching stool, adapted utensils, jar openers, or inability to lift pans, chop or stand long enough to cook (aid = 2 points; cannot cook even with aids scores higher)
- ✓Taking nutrition: adapted cutlery for hand arthritis
- ✓Washing and bathing: bath board, shower seat, grab rails, or help getting in and out (aid = 2 points)
- ✓Managing toilet needs: raised seat, rails, or help with transfers
- ✓Dressing and undressing: extra time, sitting to dress, aids like sock aids and long-handled shoe horns, or help with buttons, zips and shoes
- ✓Managing therapy: help organising multiple medications, applying creams to joints you cannot reach, or supervision for injections
Two points in four activities is the standard daily living award. Walk through each descriptor with our PIP points calculator.
Flare-ups, good days and the 50% rule
Arthritis varies, morning stiffness, weather, flare-ups, good and bad days. PIP has a specific rule for this: a descriptor applies if it reflects your ability at some stage of the day on more than 50% of days over a 12-month window.
- ✓If morning stiffness means you cannot dress unaided before midday on most days, the dressing descriptor applies, even if you loosen up later
- ✓If flare-ups happen often enough that, added together, a difficulty exists on the majority of days, it counts
- ✓Describe your worst days and how often they happen, never your best
- ✓Keep a 4-week diary of pain, stiffness, distances managed and tasks abandoned, direct evidence for this rule
How much is PIP for arthritis?
The standard 2026/27 rates apply: Daily Living £76.70 (standard) or £114.60 (enhanced) a week, Mobility £30.30 (standard) or £80.00 (enhanced) a week, up to £194.60 a week (£778.40 every four weeks). PIP is tax-free, not means-tested, and you can claim it while working. Enhanced mobility also opens the Motability scheme.
Full tables including monthly equivalents: PIP rates 2026/27. If you are over State Pension age, look at Attendance Allowance instead for new claims.
Evidence for an arthritis claim
- ✓GP records: diagnosis, painkillers and anti-inflammatories prescribed, referrals to rheumatology, orthopaedics or physiotherapy
- ✓Imaging and clinic letters, X-ray or MRI findings help, but the functional story matters more
- ✓Physiotherapy or occupational therapy reports, OT home assessments listing aids are excellent evidence
- ✓A list of every aid you use, including ones you bought yourself: sticks, rails, perching stool, jar openers, sock aids
- ✓A statement from someone who helps you with dressing, shopping, stairs or driving
- ✓Your pain and activity diary covering flare-ups
If your claim is refused
- ✓Request a mandatory reconsideration within one month, around 17% of MRs change the award
- ✓Appeal to tribunal if needed: 64% of PIP appeals heard at tribunal succeed (latest HMCTS figures)
- ✓Challenge walking-distance findings specifically, ask how the assessor measured the distance and whether they applied the reliability rules
- ✓Add an OT report or aids list at the next stage if the first decision ignored them
Step-by-step: PIP appeals and the appeal success rate tracker.
Get instant help right now
A Citizens Advice appointment can take weeks. Our free assistant is available 24/7 with no appointment, giving you clear, step-by-step answers about your exact situation, what to do next, and the deadlines that matter.
Need to take action? It can draft a ready-to-send formal letter for you (optional, from £4.99).
England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get PIP for arthritis?
Yes, and arthritis has one of the highest PIP success rates of any condition: around 71% of claims for generalised osteoarthritis and 73% for hip osteoarthritis are awarded, against an average of about 52%. The award is based on how arthritis affects everyday activities, cooking, washing, dressing and especially walking, not on your diagnosis or scan results.
How much is PIP for arthritis?
The standard rates: in 2026/27 Daily Living pays £76.70 or £114.60 a week and Mobility pays £30.30 or £80.00 a week, up to £194.60 a week in total (£778.40 every four weeks). Among successful osteoarthritis claims, 43% receive the enhanced mobility rate. PIP is tax-free and not means-tested.
How far do you have to be unable to walk to get PIP?
For the mobility component: walking 50 to 200 metres scores 4 points, 20 to 50 metres unaided scores 8 points (standard rate), and being unable to move more than 20 metres, or needing an aid to do so, scores 10 to 12 points (enhanced rate at 12). Crucially, the distance must be achievable reliably: safely, repeatedly, to an acceptable standard and in no more than twice the normal time. Pain on arrival, stops, and inability to repeat the walk all count.
Do aids and gadgets count for PIP points?
Yes. Needing an aid or appliance to complete an activity scores 2 points in that activity, a perching stool for cooking, a bath board, grab rails, a raised toilet seat, sock aids or adapted cutlery all count, even if you bought them yourself and manage well with them. Two points in four daily living activities reaches the 8 points needed for the standard rate.
Can I get PIP for arthritis if I'm over 65?
If you already receive PIP, it continues past State Pension age. However, you cannot usually make a brand-new PIP claim after State Pension age, the equivalent benefit for new older claimants is Attendance Allowance, which pays £76.70 or £114.60 a week in 2026/27 for daily living needs (it has no mobility component).
Should I wait for my joint replacement before claiming PIP?
No. PIP is assessed on how you are affected now, and claims can take months. If surgery later improves things, your award can be reviewed, but you are entitled to support for the period you need it. An award also normally requires your difficulties to have lasted 3 months and be expected to last at least 9 more, long NHS waiting lists usually satisfy this easily.
Related guides
Found this useful? Link to it
If you run a site, write an article, or help others with their rights, please link to this guide, it helps more people find free, reliable guidance.