PIP new rules mean you could need help with these daily tasks and still not qualify

New PIP eligibility rules (Personal Indepedence Payment) mean you could need extra help with daily tasks such as washing and making food and still not qualify for the daily living payment. The benefit provides support to help cover the extra costs of those who live with a long-term health condition or illness.

There is a separate daily living part and a mobility part, with a lower and higher rate depending on your level of need. The current rules state that for either part you need a total of eight points across the different activities to get the lower rate and 12 points for the enhanced rate.

But a new eligibility rule is to be added from November 2026, and you will also need to get at least one score of four or more to get the daily living rate, which is currently £72.65 a week at the lower rate or £108.55 at the higher rate. These rates will increase to £73.90 a week and £110.40 a week, when benefit payments increase 1.7% in April.

There are 10 activities you are scored on for the daily living element, for each of which below the score of 4, you can score a 0, a 2, or a 3.

This means under the new rules if you got straight 2s you would have a total of 20 points, enough to qualify for the higher daily living part as things stand, but still not enough without the necessary one score of 4.

Listed below are the 10 activities you are scored on for the daily living part. Even if you could tick several of the boxes you get just one set of points, so if your condition meets several of the 2 point answers, you only get 2 points for that activity.

Preparing food

1a. Can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided. (0 points)

1b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal. (2 points)

1c. Cannot cook a simple meal using a conventional cooker but is able to do so using a microwave. (2 points)

1d. Needs prompting to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal. (2 points)

1e. Needs supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal. (4 points)

1f. Cannot prepare and cook food. (8 points)

Taking nutrition

2a. Can take nutrition unaided. (0 points)

2b. Needs either - (i) to use an aid or appliance to take nutrition; or (ii) supervision to be able to take nutrition; or (iii) assistance to be able to cut up food. (2 points)

2c. Needs a therapeutic source to take nutrition. (2 points)

2d. Needs prompting to be able to take nutrition. (4 points)

2e. Needs assistance to be able to manage a therapeutic source to take nutrition. (6 points)

2f. Cannot convey food and drink to their mouth and needs another person to do so. (10 points)

Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition

3a. Either - (i) does not receive medication or therapy or need to monitor a health condition; or (ii) can manage medication or therapy or monitor a health condition unaided. (0 points)

3b. Needs any one or more of the following - (i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage medication; (ii) supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage medication; (iii) supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to monitor a health condition. (1 point)

3c. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes no more than 3.5 hours a week. (2 points)

3d. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 3.5 but no more than 7 hours a week. (4 points)

3e. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 7 but no more than 14 hours a week. (6 points)

3f. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 14 hours a week. (8 points)

Washing and bathing

4a. Can wash and bathe unaided. (0 points)

4b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to wash or bathe. (2 points)

4c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe. (2 points)

4d. Needs assistance to be able to wash either their hair or body below the waist. (2 points)

4e. Needs assistance to be able to get in or out of a bath or shower. (3 points)

4f. Needs assistance to be able to wash their body between the shoulders and waist. (4 points)

4g. Cannot wash and bathe at all and needs another person to wash their entire body. (8 points)

Managing toilet needs or incontinence

5a. Can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided. (0 points)

5b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage toilet needs or incontinence. (2 points)

5c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to manage toilet needs. (2 points)

5d. Needs assistance to be able to manage toilet needs. (4 points)

5e. Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel. (6 points)

5f. Needs assistance to be able to manage incontinence of both bladder and bowel. (8 points)

Dressing and undressing

6a. Can dress and undress unaided. (0 points)

6b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to dress or undress. (2 points)

6c. Needs either - (i) prompting to be able to dress, undress or determine appropriate circumstances for remaining clothed; or (ii) prompting or assistance to be able to select appropriate clothing. (2 points)

6d. Needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their lower body. (2 points)

6e. Needs assistance to be able to dress or undress their upper body. (4 points)

6f. Cannot dress or undress at all. (8 points)

Communicating

7a. Can express and understand verbal information unaided. (0 points)

7b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to speak or hear. (2 points)

7c. Needs communication support to be able to express or understand complex verbal information. (4 points)

7d. Needs communication support to be able to express or understand basic verbal information. (8 points)

7e. Cannot express or understand verbal information at all even with communication support. (12 points)

Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words

8a. Can read and understand basic and complex written information either unaided or using spectacles or contact lenses. (0 points)

8b. Needs to use an aid or appliance, other than spectacles or contact lenses, to be able to read or understand either basic or complex written information. (2 points)

8c. Needs prompting to be able to read or understand complex written information. (2 points)

8d. Needs prompting to be able to read or understand basic written information. (4 points)

8e. Cannot read or understand signs, symbols or words at all. (8 points)

Engaging with other people face to face

9a. Can engage with other people unaided. (0 points)

9b. Needs prompting to be able to engage with other people. (2 points)

9c. Needs social support to be able to engage with other people. (4 points)

9d. Cannot engage with other people due to such engagement causing either - (i) overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant; or (ii) the claimant to exhibit behaviour which would result in a substantial risk of harm to the claimant or another person. (8 points)

Making budgeting decisions

10a. Can manage complex budgeting decisions unaided. (0 points)

10b. Needs prompting or assistance to be able to make complex budgeting decisions. (2 points)

10c. Needs prompting or assistance to be able to make simple budgeting decisions. (4 points)

10d. Cannot make any budgeting decisions at all. (6 points)