Overview
What is a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment?
If you apply to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) you will usually be asked to fill in a ‘How your disability affects you’ (PIP2) form.
You should include supporting documents if you have them – for example, prescription lists, care plans, or information from your doctor or others involved in your care.
Please note that any evidence submitted as part of an application for Universal Credit (UC) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) will not be available to us for your PIP assessment. If you wish evidence, including your UC or ESA assessment report to be considered, please send it with your supporting documents.
DWP may ask us to complete an independent PIP assessment as part of your claim.
A Functional Assessor, who is a qualified healthcare professional, will review your form and the evidence you provide. We may also ask you or a treating healthcare professional to give us further evidence.
Where possible, we will provide a paper-based review of your application to DWP.
You may be asked to have an assessment about your claim if more information is needed. This assessment may be face-to-face at one of our Assessment Centres, a telephone assessment, or an assessment by video.
The assessment is a conversation between you and one of our Functional Assessors. They will ask you how your long-term health condition or disability affects your day-to-day life.
The information you provide to our assessor will help DWP better understand the functional impact of your health condition or disability and the type of support you need so they can make a decision on your claim.
DWP has produced a series of videos about the PIP process, which can be accessed here.