PIP eligibility while employed

Yes, you can absolutely claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) while you are working. This is one of the most important things to understand about PIP and one of the most common misconceptions.

How PIP works:

PIP is not a means-tested benefit and it is not based on your employment status. It is based entirely on how your physical or mental health condition affects your ability to carry out everyday activities and to get around. It does not matter whether you work full time, part time, or not at all, and it does not matter how much you earn.

The two components:

PIP is assessed across two components. The first is daily living, which looks at things like preparing food, washing, dressing, communicating, managing medications, and making decisions about money. The second is mobility, which looks at your ability to plan and follow a journey and to move around physically. Each component can be awarded at a standard or enhanced rate depending on how many points you score in the assessment.

Practical points to be aware of:

1. The fact that you work does not count against you in the assessment, but be aware that assessors sometimes use the fact that someone works as indirect evidence that they can carry out certain tasks. If you do work, it is important to explain clearly what adaptations, support, aids, or difficulties you experience both at work and outside of work.

2. Receiving PIP does not affect most other benefits, and in some cases it can actually increase the amount you receive from other benefits such as Universal Credit.

3. PIP is not taxable.

4. You can claim PIP whether you are employed, self-employed, or not working.

How to apply:

You start a PIP claim by calling the Department for Work and Pensions on 0800 917 2222. They will take some initial details and then send you a form called "How your disability affects you" which you need to complete and return within one month. After that, you will usually be invited to an assessment, either face to face, by telephone, or by video call. In some cases a decision is made on the papers alone.

When completing the form and attending the assessment, focus on your worst days, not your best. Describe what you cannot do or can only do with difficulty, pain, or support. Do not downplay your condition.

If you are turned down or awarded fewer points than you expected, you have the right to request a mandatory reconsideration and, if that is unsuccessful, to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber). A significant number of PIP decisions are overturned on appeal, so it is well worth pursuing if you believe the decision is wrong.