Having anxiety, depression or another mental health condition can make it difficult to live your life, but you could claim a benefit to make your life easier.
If you need extra help because of a mental health condition you could claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
You don’t need to have worked or paid National Insurance to qualify for PIP, and it doesn’t matter what your income is, if you have any savings or you’re working.
To be eligible for PIP you must be aged between 16 and your State Pension age.
The other main eligibility factors are:
- You must find it difficult to do everyday tasks or get around because of a mental condition - you can make a claim whether you get help from another person or not
- have found these things hard for three months and expect it to continue for another nine months
- usually be living in England, Scotland or Wales when you apply
- have lived in England, Scotland or Wales for at least 2 years - unless you're a refugee or an immediate family member of a refugee
PIP is not based on the condition you have or the medication you take. It is based on the level of help you need because of how your condition affects you.
You’re assessed on the level of help you need with specific activities. It’s hard to say if the level of help you need will qualify you for PIP. But, if you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying:
- preparing and cooking food
- eating and drinking
- managing your treatments
- washing and bathing
- managing toilet needs or incontinence
- dressing and undressing
- communicating with other people
- reading and understanding written information
- mixing with others
- making decisions about money
- planning a journey or following a route
- moving around
PIP is made up of two parts called daily living and mobility, and each can be paid at either a standard or enhanced rate.
The daily living rate is for the extra help you need with everyday tasks and the mobility rate is for the extra help you need getting around.
If you're successful in your PIP claim you could get between £23.60 and £151.40 a week.
The benefit is paid every four weeks, meaning you could get between £94.40 and £605.60 each month.
People usually get PIP for a fixed amount of time, but the DWP sometimes award PIP with no end date.
