The first thing to understand about the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims process is that awards are based on how your condition, long-term illness or disability affects you, not the actual condition itself. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) makes this distinction clear in the 2023/24 edition of the online PIP Handbook.
The guidance on GOV.UK explains: “As the assessment principles consider the impact of a claimant’s condition on their ability to live independently and not the condition itself, claimants with the same condition may get different outcomes. The outcome is based on an independent assessment and all available evidence.”
The second thing to understand is that Adult Disability Payment (ADP) has replaced all new claims for PIP for people living in Scotland. The devolved benefit is delivered by Social Security Scotland, and while it follows the same payment award rates and largely similar eligibility guidelines, the information in this article should only be viewed as a guide - full details on ADP can be found here.
