PIP Points 2026: Scoring Guide to Every Descriptor

How PIP points work

The assessment looks at 12 activities: 10 for daily living and 2 for mobility. Each has a list of statements, called descriptors, worth between 0 and 12 points.

For each activity, you score the highest descriptor that applies to you. Descriptors within one activity don't add up.
Scores from all the activities in a component are added together.
8 points in a component gets the standard rate and 12 points gets the enhanced rate (see current rates).
A descriptor applies if it's true on more than 50% of days, looked at over 12 months.

The "reliably" rule

This is the part people miss most often. You can only be treated as able to do something if you can do it:

Safely, without a real risk of harm to you or anyone else
To an acceptable standard
Repeatedly, as often as you reasonably need to
In a reasonable time, no more than twice as long as someone without your condition

So if you can technically wash yourself, but it takes an hour and leaves you exhausted for the rest of the day, you may not be doing it "reliably". Say so on your form.

Daily living descriptors

1. Preparing food · form Q3
	Descriptor	Points
a	Can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided	0
b	Needs an aid or appliance to prepare or cook a simple meal	2
c	Can't cook at a conventional cooker but can use a microwave	2
d	Needs prompting to prepare or cook a simple meal	2
e	Needs supervision or assistance to prepare or cook a simple meal	4
f	Can't prepare and cook food at all	8

2. Taking nutrition · form Q4
	Descriptor	Points
a	Can take nutrition unaided	0
b	Needs an aid or appliance, supervision, or help to cut up food	2
c	Needs a therapeutic source to take nutrition (e.g. a feeding tube)	2
d	Needs prompting to take nutrition	4
e	Needs assistance to manage a therapeutic source to take nutrition	6
f	Can't convey food and drink to their mouth and needs another person to do so	10

3. Managing therapy · form Q5
	Descriptor	Points
a	Doesn't need medication or therapy, or manages it unaided	0
b	Needs an aid or appliance, supervision, prompting or assistance to manage medication or monitor a condition	1
c	Needs supervision, prompting or assistance with therapy for up to 3.5 hours a week	2
d	Needs supervision, prompting or assistance with therapy for 3.5 to 7 hours a week	4
e	Needs supervision, prompting or assistance with therapy for 7 to 14 hours a week	6
f	Needs supervision, prompting or assistance with therapy for more than 14 hours a week	8

4. Washing and bathing · form Q6
	Descriptor	Points
a	Can wash and bathe unaided	0
b	Needs an aid or appliance to wash or bathe	2
c	Needs supervision or prompting to wash or bathe	2
d	Needs assistance to wash their hair or body below the waist	2
e	Needs assistance to get in or out of a bath or shower	3
f	Needs assistance to wash their body between the shoulders and waist	4
g	Can't wash and bathe at all and needs another person to wash their entire body	8

5. Managing toilet needs · form Q7
	Descriptor	Points
a	Can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided	0
b	Needs an aid or appliance to manage toilet needs or incontinence	2
c	Needs supervision or prompting to manage toilet needs	2
d	Needs assistance to manage toilet needs	4
e	Needs assistance to manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel	6
f	Needs assistance to manage incontinence of both bladder and bowel	8

6. Dressing and undressing · form Q8
	Descriptor	Points
a	Can dress and undress unaided	0
b	Needs an aid or appliance to dress or undress	2
c	Needs prompting to dress, undress or choose appropriate clothing, or help choosing clothes	2
d	Needs assistance to dress or undress their lower body	2
e	Needs assistance to dress or undress their upper body	4
f	Can't dress or undress at all	8

7. Communicating verbally · form Q9
	Descriptor	Points
a	Can express and understand verbal information unaided	0
b	Needs an aid or appliance to speak or hear	2
c	Needs communication support to express or understand complex verbal information	4
d	Needs communication support to express or understand basic verbal information	8
e	Can't express or understand verbal information at all, even with communication support	12

8. Reading and understanding · form Q10
	Descriptor	Points
a	Can read and understand basic and complex written information unaided or with glasses	0
b	Needs an aid or appliance (other than glasses) to read or understand	2
c	Needs prompting to read or understand complex written information	2
d	Needs prompting to read or understand basic written information	4
e	Can't read or understand signs, symbols or words at all	8

9. Engaging with others · form Q11
	Descriptor	Points
a	Can engage with other people unaided	0
b	Needs prompting to engage with other people	2
c	Needs social support to engage with other people	4
d	Can't engage with other people because it causes overwhelming psychological distress, or risks harm	8

10. Making budgeting decisions · form Q12
	Descriptor	Points
a	Can manage complex budgeting decisions unaided	0
b	Needs prompting or assistance to make complex budgeting decisions	2
c	Needs prompting or assistance to make simple budgeting decisions	4
d	Can't make any budgeting decisions at all	6

Mobility descriptors

1. Planning and following journeys · form Q13
	Descriptor	Points
a	Can plan and follow the route of a journey unaided	0
b	Needs prompting to undertake any journey, to avoid overwhelming psychological distress	4
c	Can't plan the route of a journey	8
d	Can't follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid	10
e	Can't undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress	10
f	Can't follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid	12

2. Moving around · form Q14
	Descriptor	Points
a	Can stand and move more than 200 metres, with or without an aid	0
b	Can stand and move more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres	4
c	Can stand and move unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres	8
d	Can stand and move using an aid more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres	10
e	Can stand and move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres	12
f	Can't, either aided or unaided, stand or move more than 1 metre	12

Descriptors are paraphrased from the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013, Schedule 1. The legal wording is what the DWP applies.

Examples

These show how descriptors can apply. Everyone's situation is different, and your score depends on the evidence for you.

Anxiety: needing someone with you to cope with meeting people could be "needs social support" for engaging with others (4 points). Being unable to go on any journey because of overwhelming distress could score 10 for planning and following journeys.
Arthritis: only being able to walk 20 to 50 metres with a stick could score 10 for moving around. Needing help to put a top on could score 4 for dressing.
Type 1 diabetes: needing someone to prompt or supervise your insulin could score 1 for managing therapy.
Incontinence: needing help to manage bladder incontinence could score 6 for managing toilet needs.
Sight loss: being unable to follow even a familiar route without a guide dog or another person could score 12 for planning and following journeys.

Showing your points on the form

Assessors can only award points for what's evidenced. For each activity, explain:

What happens when you try, on a typical day and on a bad day
How long it takes compared with before, or with other people
Any accidents, falls or near misses
Who helps you, how and how often, including reminders and encouragement
Any aids you use, even simple ones like a perching stool or a long-handled sponge

We write your PIP form answers for you

Answer some simple questions about your health, by typing or speaking. We write the answers for every question on your PIP form. You copy them onto your form and send it. From £29.99, one-off.

Get my PIP answers written

Start free. Only pay when you're ready. No subscription.

PIP points in 2026: your scoring guide