Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a payment which a person may be able to claim in order to help with some of the extra costs if they have a long term ill-health or disability. The amount a person can get depends on how their condition affects the individual, rather than the condition itself.

PIP eligibility

A person must be aged 16 or older, and usually have not reached state pension age in order to claim.

They must also have a health condition or disability where:

• The individual has had “difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for three months”
• The individual expects “these difficulties to continue for at least nine months”

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A person will usually need to have lived in England, Scotland or Wales for at least two of the last three years, and be in one of these countries when they apply.

If a person has recently returned from living in an EEA country, they might be able to get PIP sooner.

There are different rules if a person is terminally ill.

It’s not possible to get PIP and Armed Forces Independence Payment at the same time.

The process is different in Northern Ireland, Gov.uk points out.