What are the PIP descriptors?

Personal Independent Payment (PIP) descriptors are a way for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to assess your ability to carry out specific daily living and mobility activities when applying for PIP. We explain what the daily living descriptors and the mobility PIP descriptors are.

Each of the daily living and mobility activities has several PIP descriptors. Each descriptor has a points score assigned to them ranging from 0 to 12.

The activities and the descriptors make up the assessment criteria for PIP – therefore, you should understand how each PIP descriptor applies to your current situation.

PIP descriptor definitions used in the assessment criteria

When filling in the PIP form or being assessed face-to-face, you should understand several definitions used throughout the assessment criteria.

When you're assessed face-to-face, the assessor must use the meaning of words as defined in the assessment criteria. We have selected a few phrases we believe you may need to understand when applying for PIP with a mental health condition:

Daily living PIP descriptors and points

There are ten PIP daily living activities. We have listed the related descriptors used in the assessment criteria.

When filling in the PIP form or answering questions at an assessment, think about how you can do each activity:

• Safely: Can you do the activity without causing danger to yourself or someone else?
• Well enough: For example, you may be able to make a meal, but you will not be able to eat it if it is undercooked.
• More than once: Can you repeat the activity as many times as you need to?
• In a reasonable time: Does it take you a lot longer to do the activity than it would take most people?

For each activity, you need to explain which descriptor is the most relevant for more than half of the days in a year. You can only score points for one descriptor per activity.

If your health changes regularly, different descriptors could apply to you at different times.

In this case, the following rules apply:

• If more than one descriptor applies to you more than half the time, the activity with the highest points will count.
• You may find that more than one descriptor applies to you, but none applies more than half of the time. But if together they affect you half the time, the one that applies most of the time will count.

Preparing food PIP descriptors

The ‘preparing food’ PIP activity is about your ability to make a simple meal. It looks at whether you need any help to make yourself regular cooked food daily.

Taking nutrition PIP descriptors

The ‘taking nutrition’ PIP activity assesses your ability to eat and drink.

Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition PIP descriptors

This 'managing therapy or monitoring a health condition' activity is about being able to take medications, notice changes in your health condition and manage treatments or therapy that you have at home.

Washing and bathing PIP descriptors

The ‘washing and bathing’ activity includes getting in and out of an un-adapted bath or shower and washing your whole body. It also covers when some of the symptoms of your mental health conditions mean you don't wash and bathe every day.

Managing toilet needs or incontinence PIP descriptors

The ‘managing toilet needs or incontinence’ activity assesses your ability to get on and off and use the toilet and to clean yourself afterwards.

Dressing and undressing PIP descriptors

The 'dressing and undressing' activity looks at your ability to choose, put on and take off suitable, un-adapted clothing.

Communicating verbally PIP descriptors

The 'communicating verbally' activity includes understanding what someone says and understanding others.

Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words PIP descriptors

The 'reading and understanding signs, symbols and words' activity judge your ability to read and understand written or printed information.

Engaging with other people face to face PIP descriptors

The 'engaging with other people face to face' activity includes understanding body language and building relationships with other people.

What is social support?

Social support means support from a person who is trained or experienced to help you in social situations. For example:

• You need your partner to be with you when you see the doctor.
• You need a friend to help you speak to new people at a party.
• You need a family member (eg. parent or sibling) to pick you up following a job interview because you experience panic attacks on public transport.

Social support can come from:

• A family member
• A friend

You might need social support before, during, or after you meet people face-to-face.

Examples of when you might need social support:

• Your partner helps you remember what to say before you visit the GP.
• Your friend accompanies you to the supermarket because you experience panic attacks when you are around people you don’t know.
• Your brother picks you up after a job interview because you can’t manage being around strangers on public transport.

Support from other people

If you can receive social support from any person, then the DWP will assume that person’s training or experience is not relevant and will only score you two points on this activity.

Think about:

• what social support you need on your worst days and,
• who provides that social support (eg. is it a friend or a family member?)

Make sure you include as much detail as possible when answering this question.

Making budgeting decisions PIP descriptors

The 'making budgeting decisions' activity looks at how capable you are at buying items from a shop, paying bills or planning financially for the future.

Mobility PIP descriptors and points

There are two PIP mobility activities. We have listed the related descriptors which the assessment criteria use.

For each activity, you need to explain which descriptor is the most relevant for more than half of the days in a year. You can only score points for one descriptor per activity.

Planning and following journeys PIP descriptor

The ‘planning and following journeys’ activity covers your ability to make and plan a journey.

If you cannot use public transport, the DWP should not count you as able to plan and follow an unfamiliar journey alone.

Moving around PIP descriptor

The ‘moving around’ activity looks at your ability to move around physically.