What is PIP?

PIP is paid to people between 16 years old and pension age (67) who have care or mobility needs and this can include difficulty with communicating. You'll need to have had these needs for at least three months and expect to have them for the next nine months.

You will also need to be resident in the UK and be allowed to receive benefits. If you're not a UK national you need to make sure you have recourse to public funds. If you are not sure contact a specialist or there is more information here. 

PIP is paid by different government offices depending on which country you live in. In England and Wales it's the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), Department for Communities (Northern Ireland). It’s paid every four weeks into your bank or building society account.

For those living in Scotland, benefits are changing in 2020. 

It doesn’t matter if you have other money coming in or savings. You can still get it if you're studying or working. It won’t mean any of your other benefits go down and you don’t pay tax on it however some people or their parent/carer may be able to get extra money as a result.

If you are over 18 you can use a benefit calculator to find out if you can get extra help or if your parents or carers receive child benefit for you. Find more information on the Turn2Us or Entitled To websites.

If you are under 18 or a student the rules can be more complicated so you may want to speak with a benefit expert. You can find local support here or you can contact our helpline. 

It can make a real difference and give you independence by helping you pay for the things you want and need as a result of your deafness. There aren't any restrictions on what you can spend your money on and you don't have to keep receipts. Lots of deaf young people use it in different ways such as buying technology or meeting the extra costs of their mobile phone contract or paying for interpreters and extra travel.

If you get PIP you might be able to get other help but it will depend on your circumstances and those of your parent/carer if you live with them and they get child benefit for you. This might include council tax discounts, travel discounts and increased benefits. You can find more information on Citizens Advice. 

As well as meeting rules about living in the UK and being allowed to receive benefits, PIP looks at how your disability affects you. 

It considers what you might have difficulty doing in your day to day life - called daily living or mobility. It uses a points system to assess entitlement with points given for different activities. You need to score enough points in either or both parts of daily living and mobility to get PIP. You can find out how many points are given for the different activities here.

The amount will depend on how your disability affects you and the total number of points you score for each part. The amount usually goes up by a small amount every year. 

Currently they pay:

• Daily living standard rate (8 points) pays £58.70/week
• Daily living enhanced rate (12 points) pays £87.65/week
• Mobility standard rate (8 points) pays £23.20/week
• Mobility enhanced rate (8 points) pays £61.20/week

If you are awarded PIP it will usually be paid from the date you started your claim which means the first payment is usually larger. It’s paid directly into the account you choose, so make sure it’s an account which isn’t overdrawn.  

If you want information about how to manage your money including budgeting we have some useful information and tools here.

If you have difficulty with your claim or with managing money you can ask for an appointee and the money will usually be paid into their account but they must spend it on meeting your needs. For more information about an appointee see the government website.