PIP for Anxiety, Depression and Mental Health: Points and Tips

Can you get PIP for anxiety, depression and mental health?

Mental health conditions can affect almost every PIP activity. Low mood can mean you don't wash, eat or get dressed without someone encouraging you. Anxiety can make it impossible to meet people or leave the house. Several of the highest-scoring descriptors were written with mental health in mind.

This applies to anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, OCD, schizophrenia, personality disorders, eating disorders and other conditions.

To qualify, your difficulties need to have lasted at least 3 months and be expected to last at least another 9. You need 8 points in a component for the standard rate and 12 for the enhanced rate. See how PIP points work.

PIP activities anxiety, depression and mental health often affects

Activity	How it can affect you	Up to
Taking nutrition	Not eating unless someone prompts you, because of low mood, lack of appetite or an eating disorder.	10 pts
Washing and bathing	Needing encouragement to wash, or going days without washing.	8 pts
Dressing and undressing	Staying in the same clothes, or needing someone to prompt you to get dressed.	8 pts
Engaging with others	Needing someone with you to meet people, or being unable to because of overwhelming distress. This can score up to 8 points.	8 pts
Making budgeting decisions	Needing help with money because of poor concentration, or spending during manic or low periods.	6 pts
Planning and following journeys	Needing someone with you on journeys, or being unable to go out at all because of overwhelming psychological distress. This can score 10 points.	12 pts

Everyone is different. Other activities may apply to you too: go through all 12 in our PIP points calculator.

Example: how the points add up

Jo is 38 and has severe anxiety and depression. Jo rarely leaves the house alone, and their sister visits most days.

Activity	What happens	Points
Preparing food 1d: Needs prompting to prepare or cook a simple meal	Needs encouraging to make a meal, and often doesn't eat properly.	2
Managing therapy 3b: Needs an aid or appliance, supervision, prompting or assistance to manage medication or monitor a condition	Needs reminding to take antidepressants.	1
Washing and bathing 4c: Needs supervision or prompting to wash or bathe	Needs prompting to wash on most days.	2
Dressing and undressing 6c: Needs prompting to dress, undress or choose appropriate clothing, or help choosing clothes	Needs prompting to get dressed and change clothes.	2
Engaging with others 9c: Needs social support to engage with other people	Can only meet people with their sister there to support them.	4
Planning and following journeys 11d: Can't follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid	Can't go anywhere unfamiliar without another person, because of panic attacks.	10

Daily living: 11 points (standard rate). Mobility: 10 points (standard rate). Jo can walk normally, so scores no points for moving around. The mobility points come from journeys.

This is an illustration, not a prediction. Your award depends on your own circumstances, evidence and assessment.

Tips for your PIP form

Describe your bad days and how often they happen. If more than half your days are bad, that's what counts.
Explain what happens if nobody prompts you: what you don't do, and for how long.
Say what anxiety or distress actually feels like, and what it stops you doing, not just that it happens.
If you've self-harmed or had thoughts of suicide, it's relevant to supervision and safety. Only share what you're comfortable with.
For each activity, say whether you can do it safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time. Our guide to the PIP form explains each question.

Evidence that helps

Letters from your GP, psychiatrist, community mental health team or therapist.
Your care plan or crisis plan, if you have one.
A letter from someone who supports you, describing what they do and how often.

Send copies, not originals, with your name and National Insurance number on each page. Then read our PIP assessment guide to prepare for the next step.

Questions people ask

How many PIP points can you get for anxiety?

It depends on how anxiety affects you. Engaging with other people can score up to 8 points, and planning and following journeys up to 12. Anxiety often affects other activities too, through lack of motivation or concentration. Try our free points calculator.

Are PIP rates different for mental health?

No. PIP rates are the same whether your condition is physical or mental. In 2026/27 daily living is £76.70 or £114.60 a week, and mobility £30.30 or £80.00.

Can I have a phone assessment if I'm too anxious to travel?

Yes. Most assessments are by phone, and you can ask for a home visit or a different type of assessment if the one you're offered would be very difficult. You can also have someone with you.

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