PIP Points: How the 12 Activities Are Scored and What You Need to Qualify
PIP isn't awarded on diagnosis, it's a points-based system that measures how your condition affects what you can and cannot do. This guide explains how the scoring works and what you need to qualify.
- ✓12 activities scored: 10 for Daily Living, 2 for Mobility
- ✓Take your highest-scoring descriptor per activity, then total each component
- ✓8 points = standard rate; 12 points = enhanced rate
- ✓Components scored separately, you can be enhanced on one, standard on the other
- ✓A descriptor counts if it's true for more than 50% of days over 12 months
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How PIP points work, the basics
Quick answer: You need 8 points for the standard rate and 12 points for the enhanced rate, scored separately for the Daily Living and Mobility components. You take your highest-scoring descriptor in each of the 12 activities and add the scores up within each component.
PIP is not simply a question of having a diagnosis. You score points based on how your condition affects your ability to carry out specific activities. The system works as follows:
- ✓Each of the 12 activities has several descriptors, written descriptions of different levels of ability or difficulty
- ✓Each descriptor is worth a set number of points (0 to 12 depending on the activity)
- ✓For each activity, you take only the highest-scoring descriptor that applies to you
- ✓You add up all the activity scores within each component (Daily Living, Mobility) separately
- ✓8 or more points = standard rate for that component; 12 or more = enhanced rate
- ✓The two components are assessed and scored independently, you can have enhanced on one and standard on the other
The Claim Companion walks you through it step by step, works out the points you should score, and prepares your document ready to send.
How many points do you need?
The thresholds are the same for both the Daily Living and Mobility components:
You cannot get a partial award, you either clear the 8-point threshold or you don't. Points are not carried across components: your Daily Living score doesn't affect your Mobility score or vice versa.
The 10 Daily Living activities, with point values
Daily Living activities cover what you can and cannot do to look after yourself and manage your everyday life. The maximum points available per activity are shown below.
The 2 Mobility activities, with point values
Mobility covers both physical movement and the ability to plan and make journeys. Both activities have a maximum of 12 points, meaning it is possible to reach enhanced mobility from either activity alone.
Key definitions, aided, supervised, prompted
The descriptors use specific legal terms. Understanding these is crucial, they are often misunderstood and can mean the difference between qualifying and not qualifying.
Which activities score highest for common conditions?
While every claim is individual, certain activities tend to score most strongly for specific conditions. Use this as a starting point, do not limit your claim to only these activities.
- ✓ADHD: Activity 9 (social engagement), Activity 10 (budgeting), Mobility Activity 1 (planning journeys), Activity 3 (managing medication)
- ✓Autism: Activity 9 (engaging with people), Mobility Activity 1 (following journeys), Activity 7 (communicating verbally)
- ✓Anxiety/PTSD: Mobility Activity 1 (planning journeys, overwhelming psychological distress), Activity 9 (social engagement)
- ✓Depression: Activity 3 (managing therapy), Activity 9 (social engagement), Activity 10 (budgeting), Mobility Activity 1
- ✓Physical disability (mobility): Mobility Activity 2 (moving around), Activity 4 (washing and bathing), Activity 6 (dressing)
- ✓Chronic pain: Activity 1 (preparing food), Activity 4 (bathing), Activity 5 (toilet needs), Activity 6 (dressing), Mobility Activity 2
For condition-specific guidance, see: PIP for ADHD, PIP for autism, or PIP for mental health.
What if your total is close to the threshold?
If you scored 6 or 7 points when you needed 8, or 10 or 11 when you needed 12, do not give up. There are several reasons why borderline scores happen and ways to challenge them:
- ✓Request a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR), this is free and must be done within one month of the decision letter
- ✓At MR, a different DWP decision maker reviews your entire claim, they sometimes find missed points
- ✓If MR fails, appeal to the First-tier Tribunal, tribunal panels overturn decisions far more often than MR
- ✓Get supporting evidence from your GP, consultant, or occupational therapist before your MR or tribunal
- ✓Descriptors you may have been scored 0 on may apply if your condition fluctuates, check the 'more than 50% of days' rule
- ✓Aids and adaptations count, if you use a stool to wash or cook, or take twice as long, you may score higher
For step-by-step appeal guidance, see our PIP appeal guide.
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
What are the 12 activities for PIP?
PIP has 12 activities: 10 for Daily Living (preparing food, taking nutrition, managing therapy, washing and bathing, managing toilet needs, dressing and undressing, communicating verbally, reading signs and symbols, engaging with other people, making budgeting decisions) and 2 for Mobility (planning and following journeys, moving around).
How many points do I need for PIP?
You need 8 points in the Daily Living activities to get the standard Daily Living component, and 12 or more for the enhanced rate. For Mobility, 8 points gives you the standard rate and 12 or more the enhanced rate. Both components are assessed and scored separately.
Can I get PIP with fewer than 8 points in one component?
No, 8 points is the minimum threshold for any PIP award in a given component. If you score 7 or fewer in Daily Living, you receive no Daily Living component. However, you can still receive a Mobility component if you score 8 or more there, and vice versa.
What does 'aided' mean in PIP?
In PIP, 'aided' means using an aid, appliance, or assistance from another person. If you can only complete an activity by using a walking stick, a perch stool, a medication organiser, or help from another person, you are doing it 'aided'. You score more points for needing aids or assistance than for being able to do something unaided.
How are PIP points calculated?
For each of the 12 PIP activities, you take the highest-scoring descriptor that applies to you on more than 50% of days in a 12-month period. You then add up all the scores across the 10 Daily Living activities and separately across the 2 Mobility activities. 8+ points in each component = standard rate; 12+ = enhanced rate.
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