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Plain-English guide · the PIP2 form

How to fill in the PIP form: every question explained

The "How your disability affects you" form decides most PIP claims. Here's what each question is really asking, what a strong answer looks like, and what to send with it.

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What the PIP form is

After you call to start a PIP claim, the DWP sends you a form called "How your disability affects you", often known by its code, PIP2.

It's your chance to explain, in your own words, how your condition affects everyday life. The health professional who assesses you reads it first, and the DWP decision maker uses it alongside their report. A clear, detailed form can mean a shorter assessment, or sometimes no face-to-face assessment at all.

The form follows the 12 activities PIP is scored on. If you know how the scoring works, you know what each question is looking for. Our PIP points guide lists every descriptor and its points.

Getting the form, and the deadline

  • How to get it: call the PIP new claims line on 0800 917 2222 (textphone 0800 917 7777) to start your claim. The form is posted to you. In some areas you may be offered the option of filling it in online instead. In Northern Ireland, call 0800 012 1573.
  • The deadline: you normally have one month to send it back. The date is on the letter that comes with it.
  • Need more time? Call the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 before the deadline and ask for an extension. If you miss it without a good reason, your claim can be turned down.

You don't have to do it in one go

Most people take a few sittings. Make notes over a week or two about what's hard each day. Small details, like how long it takes you to get dressed, are what make an answer convincing.

The rules the assessor uses

Every activity is judged against the same rules. Your answers should speak to them directly.

More than half of days

A statement applies to you if it's true on more than 50% of days over a year. So describe your typical day, and say how many bad days you have.

Safely

Could you hurt yourself or someone else? Falls, burns, cuts, choking, forgetting the hob is on: these all count.

To an acceptable standard

Doing something badly doesn't count as doing it. If you can only manage a sandwich, not a cooked meal, say so.

Repeatedly and in a reasonable time

Could you do it again soon after? Does it take more than twice as long as it would for someone without your condition? Give times.

The assessor also needs to know if you use aids (a perching stool, grab rails, an app), or need another person to prompt, supervise or help you. Each of these can score points, even if nobody actually helps you at the moment.

Every question on the PIP form

Questions 3 to 14 match the 12 scored activities. Each has tick boxes followed by a space to explain. The tick boxes alone aren't enough: the explanation is what the assessor reads.

QuestionWhat it's aboutWhat to describe
1Health professionalsThe people who know your condition best: GP, consultant, nurse, therapist, support worker. Their details let the DWP ask them for evidence.
2Conditions, medication and treatmentEvery physical and mental health condition, when it started, medication with doses, and treatments, plus side effects.
3Preparing foodPeeling, chopping, using the hob or microwave safely, lifting pans, remembering what you're doing, motivation to cook.
4Eating and drinkingCutting food, getting it to your mouth, chewing, swallowing, needing reminders to eat, feeding tubes.
5Managing treatmentsRemembering medication, getting the right dose, noticing changes in your condition, therapies at home and how long they take each week.
6Washing and bathingGetting in and out of the bath or shower, washing your hair and body, safety, how long it takes, whether someone needs to be nearby.
7Using the toilet and incontinenceGetting on and off the toilet, cleaning yourself, accidents, pads, catheters, stomas.
8Dressing and undressingButtons, zips, shoes and socks, choosing clothes suitable for the weather, motivation to get dressed.
9Talking, listening and understandingSpeaking, hearing, understanding what's said to you, needing someone to explain or repeat things.
10ReadingReading signs, symbols and letters, and understanding them. Not about learning to read.
11Mixing with other peopleMeeting people face to face, anxiety, distress, behaviour, needing someone with you.
12Managing moneyUnderstanding prices, change and bills, budgeting, impulsive spending.
13Planning and following journeysFamiliar and unfamiliar routes, getting lost, anxiety or distress when going out, needing someone with you.
14Moving aroundHow far you can walk, at what pace, with what aids, what happens when you stop. A double-decker bus is about 10 metres long.
15Additional informationAnything else: how your condition varies, bad days, sleep, pain, fatigue, anything that didn't fit elsewhere.

For each activity, answer the same questions: What happens when you try? How long does it take? What goes wrong? Who helps, and how? What's it like on a bad day?

Example of a strong answer

Here's the same person answering question 6, washing and bathing, two ways.

Weak

"I find it hard to wash because of my back pain. Some days are worse than others."

Strong

"I can't get in or out of the bath on my own because my back locks and my legs give way. My partner helps me most days. I sit on a shower stool to wash, and it takes around 40 minutes because I have to stop when the pain gets too much. I can't lift my arms to wash my hair, so my partner does it. On about four days a week the pain is so bad I don't wash at all."

The strong answer says what happens, how long it takes, what aid is used, who helps, how often, and what goes wrong. That's what lets the assessor match it to a descriptor.

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Common mistakes

  • Describing your best day. Many people play things down out of habit or pride. Describe a typical day, and say how often bad days happen.
  • Saying you "can" do something you can't do safely or repeatedly. If you can make a cup of tea but then need to lie down, say that.
  • Leaving questions blank. If an activity really doesn't affect you, tick that box. Otherwise explain, even briefly.
  • Only listing conditions. PIP is about the effect on your life, not the diagnosis. Two people with the same condition can get very different awards.
  • Forgetting aids and help you don't get. If you need help but nobody gives it, that still counts. Say what help you need.
  • Exaggerating. It's never worth it. Assessors look for consistency with your evidence, and giving false information is an offence.

Evidence to send

Send copies, never originals. Useful evidence includes:

  • letters from consultants, specialists and hospital clinics;
  • your prescription list;
  • care plans, occupational therapy or physiotherapy reports;
  • a letter from someone who helps you, describing what they do;
  • a diary of a typical week, if your condition varies.

Write your name and National Insurance number on every page. Don't delay sending the form to wait for evidence. You can send extra evidence later.

Sending it back

  • Make a copy of the whole form before you post it. You'll want it before your assessment.
  • Use the envelope provided, and ask the Post Office for proof of postage.
  • Next comes the assessment. Read our PIP assessment guide so you know what to expect.

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