How much PIP you get depends on how difficult you find everyday tasks and getting around, so what counts for fibromyalgia is how your symptoms affect the PIP activities. The NHS describes fibromyalgia as a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body. GOV.UK says PIP can help with extra living costs if you have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition.
Key points
✓How much PIP you get depends on how difficult you find everyday tasks and getting around.
✓The NHS lists widespread pain, increased sensitivity to pain, muscle stiffness, fatigue, sleep problems, fibro-fog and headaches as symptoms of fibromyalgia, and says they are changeable.
✓A descriptor applies where it is satisfied on over 50% of the days of the required period (regulation 7).
✓PIP pays up to £194.60 a week in 2026/27. It is tax free and the amount you get is not affected by your income or savings.
✓In April to June 2026, 67% of PIP decisions cleared at a tribunal hearing were overturned in favour of the claimant.
Can you get PIP for fibromyalgia?
The NHS says fibromyalgia, also called fibromyalgia syndrome, is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body, and that its other symptoms include increased sensitivity to pain, muscle stiffness, difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep, which can make you feel very tired, problems with mental processes known as fibro-fog, such as difficulty concentrating or remembering things, and headaches. It says the symptoms are changeable, so they can sometimes suddenly improve or get worse.
GOV.UK says PIP can help with extra living costs if you have both a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition. There are 2 parts to PIP, a daily living part if you need help with everyday tasks and a mobility part if you need help with getting around. Whether you get one or both parts and how much you get depends on how difficult you find everyday tasks and getting around.
You can get PIP if you are working or have savings, and even if you are getting most other benefits.
You can get PIP at the same time as all other benefits, except Armed Forces Independence Payment.
For an award, your difficulties must have applied for the 3 months ending with the prescribed date and be likely to apply for the 9 months after it, which GOV.UK describes as expecting the difficulties to last at least 12 months from when they started.
If you live in Scotland you need to apply for Adult Disability Payment instead of PIP.
Regulation 4 of the PIP Regulations 2013 says you are assessed as satisfying a descriptor only if you can do the activity safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and within a reasonable time period. Safely means in a manner unlikely to cause harm to you or another person, either during or after completion of the activity, and repeatedly means as often as the activity being assessed is reasonably required to be completed.
Which PIP activities score points for fibromyalgia
Schedule 1 of the PIP Regulations 2013 lists ten daily living activities and two mobility activities. For each task DWP looks at whether you can do it safely, how long it takes you and whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment. Each list below is taken from the Schedule 1 table.
Daily living activities
Preparing food: needing to use an aid or appliance to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal scores 2 points. Being unable to cook a simple meal using a conventional cooker but able to do so using a microwave scores 2 points, needing prompting scores 2 points, needing supervision or assistance scores 4 points and being unable to prepare and cook food scores 8 points.
Managing therapy: needing supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy scores 2 points where it takes no more than 3.5 hours a week, 4 points for more than 3.5 but no more than 7 hours, 6 points for more than 7 but no more than 14 hours and 8 points for more than 14 hours a week.
Washing and bathing: needing to use an aid or appliance scores 2 points, needing assistance to wash either their hair or body below the waist scores 2 points, needing assistance to get in or out of a bath or shower scores 3 points, needing assistance to wash their body between the shoulders and waist scores 4 points, and being unable to wash and bathe at all scores 8 points.
Dressing and undressing: needing to use an aid or appliance scores 2 points, needing assistance to dress or undress their lower body scores 2 points, their upper body 4 points, and being unable to dress or undress at all scores 8 points. Dress and undress includes putting on and taking off socks and shoes.
Schedule 1 also 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.
Mobility activities
Planning and following journeys: needing prompting to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress scores 4 points, being unable to plan the route of a journey scores 8 points, being unable to follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, assistance dog or orientation aid scores 10 points, and being unable to follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid scores 12 points.
Moving around: can stand and then move more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided: 0 points.
Can stand and then move more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided: 4 points.
Can stand and then move unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres: 8 points.
Can stand and then move using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres: 10 points.
Can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided: 12 points.
Cannot, either aided or unaided, stand or move more than 1 metre: 12 points.
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). The same scores apply to mobility activities (regulation 6).
DWP's guide for assessors 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 with an activity, how often you have it and asks you to tell DWP about both good and bad days.
Fluctuating symptoms and the 50% rule
The NHS says there may be periods when your fibromyalgia symptoms get better or worse, depending on factors such as your stress levels, changes in the weather and how physically active you are. GOV.UK says that to get PIP you must experience difficulty with tasks most of the time, which means you expect to have difficulty more than half of the days over a 12-month period. The rule for fluctuating symptoms is in regulation 7:
Where one descriptor is satisfied on over 50% of the days of the required period, that descriptor applies.
Where two or more descriptors are each satisfied on over 50% of the days, the descriptor which scores the higher or highest number of points applies.
Where no descriptor is satisfied on over 50% of the days but two or more descriptors (other than one which scores 0 points) are satisfied for periods which, added together, amount to over 50% of the days, the descriptor satisfied for the greater or greatest proportion of days applies, or if they are satisfied for the same proportion, the one which scores the higher or highest number of points.
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.
DWP's guide says that where there is variability, the assessor should consider what the need is on the majority of days. It also says assessment reports and advice should, where reasonably practicable, take full account of any variabilities or fluctuations in your health conditions and take full account of and record the effects of pain, fatigue and medication on your ability to perform activities.
PIP rates 2026
PIP has two parts, a daily living part and a mobility part, each paid at a lower or higher weekly rate. These are the weekly amounts from April 2026:
Component
Rate
Weekly amount
Daily living
Lower weekly rate
£76.70
Daily living
Higher weekly rate
£114.60
Mobility
Lower weekly rate
£30.30
Mobility
Higher weekly rate
£80.00
The maximum combined award is £194.60 a week. PIP is usually paid every 4 weeks. PIP is tax free, and the amount you get is not affected by your income or savings. You may get a top-up called a disability premium if you get income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Housing Benefit, and if someone helps to care for you they may be able to get Carer's Allowance or Carer's Credit.
Evidence and how to apply with fibromyalgia
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.
The NHS says there is no specific test for fibromyalgia, and that the symptoms can be similar to a number of other conditions.
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Step 1: Start your claim
Call the PIP new claims line on 0800 917 2222 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm; Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 917 2222). In Northern Ireland the PIP new claims number is 0800 012 1573. You can ask for someone to be added to your call, or ask someone else to call on your behalf if you are with them when they call.
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Step 2: Complete the 'How your disability affects you' form
You complete a form called How your disability affects you, usually online if you applied by phone (you are emailed a link after your call) or by post (you will usually receive the form within 2 weeks). Fill in the form using the guidance that comes with it. You should return the form by post or complete it online within 1 month, and you can contact the PIP enquiry line if you need more time or have questions.
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Step 3: Send your evidence
Include supporting documents if you have them, for example prescription lists, care plans, or information from your doctor or others involved in your care.
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Step 4: The assessment
You might be invited to an assessment with a health professional if more information is needed, and it can take place at an assessment centre, at your home, over the phone or by video call. It usually takes 1 hour, and you can have someone else with you, for example a friend or support worker.
Our step-by-step guide to filling in the PIP2 form walks through each question, and the PIP points calculator helps you estimate your score before you apply. GOV.UK says you can also get help from Citizens Advice if you need help understanding or applying for PIP.
If PIP is refused for fibromyalgia
If PIP is refused or you get a lower award than you expected, you can challenge it:
DWP's guide for assessors says you have a right to see your assessment report and can request a copy from DWP.
You usually need to ask for a mandatory reconsideration within one month of the date of the decision, and to appeal within one month of the date of your mandatory reconsideration notice.
In April to June 2026, 67% of PIP decisions cleared at a tribunal hearing were overturned in favour of the claimant.
How does PIP handle good days and bad days with fibromyalgia?
Through regulation 7: where one descriptor is satisfied on over 50% of the days of the required period, that descriptor applies. GOV.UK says this means you expect to have difficulty more than half of the days over a 12-month period. The PIP2 form asks you to tell DWP about both good and bad days.
Do I need a formal fibromyalgia diagnosis to claim PIP?
GOV.UK says PIP is for people with a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability who have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of it. It asks you 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 NHS says there is no specific test for fibromyalgia.
What should I do if my PIP claim for fibromyalgia is refused?
You can ask DWP for a copy of your assessment report. You usually need to ask for a mandatory reconsideration within one month of the date of the decision, and to appeal within one month of the date of your mandatory reconsideration notice. In April to June 2026, 67% of PIP decisions cleared at a tribunal hearing were overturned in favour of the claimant.
Know Your Rights UK. "PIP for Fibromyalgia: Can You Claim and What Scores Points." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/benefits/pip/pip-for-fibromyalgia