DWP Personal Independence Payments of up to £737 a month paid for these 87 muscle and joint problems

More than 1.1 million adults across Great Britain are receiving support through PIP for musculoskeletal conditions, according to the Department for Work and Pensions

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed that over 1.1 million adults across Great Britain are receiving support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for more than 85 musculoskeletal conditions. These conditions, which affect the body's movement or musculoskeletal system, include muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, discs and blood vessels.

Arthritis is a general term for many of these conditions, with common ones being osteoarthritis, back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, gout, polymyalgia rheumatica, lupus and ankylosing spondylitis. If you're over 16 and under State Pension age, you may be eligible to claim PIP - or Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in Scotland - to help with a musculoskeletal condition.

If your ability to work is limited due to your symptoms, you could qualify for 'new style' Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). The new DWP figures also showed that there are now 3.5 million people in Scotland, England and Wales claiming PIP.

A successful claim for PIP or ADP can provide between £28.70 and £184.30 each week in additional financial support, reports the Daily Record. As the benefit is paid every four weeks, this amounts to between £114.80 and £737.20 per pay period.

The latest data reveals that as of April 2024, over one million people were receiving support through PIP for Musculoskeletal conditions. Here's a list of 87 musculoskeletal conditions supported through PIP to help with daily living, mobility needs or both. However, it's not definitive, so if your condition doesn't appear, don't be discouraged from making a claim.

Musculoskeletal Conditions - General

Musculoskeletal Conditions - Regional

An award for PIP or ADP is about how the condition affects you, not the condition itself. Some of the conditions include Osteoarthritis, Chronic pain syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Inflammatory arthritis, and Crystal deposition disorders.

Who might be eligible for PIP or ADP?

To qualify for PIP or ADP, you must have a health condition or disability that has caused difficulties with daily living or mobility (or both) for three months and expect these difficulties to continue for at least nine months. Typically, you need to have resided in the UK for at least two of the past three years and be in the country when you apply.

If your condition requires or results in needing help with any of the following, you should consider applying for PIP or ADP.

• preparing, cooking or eating food
• managing your medication
• washing, bathing or using the toilet
• dressing and undressing
• engaging and communicating with other people
• reading and understanding written information
• making decisions about money
• planning a journey or following a route
• moving around

Different rules apply if you are terminally ill, which can be found on the government website.

The DWP or Social Security Scotland will assess how challenging you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they will consider:

• whether you can do it safely
• how long it takes you
• how often your condition affects this activity
• whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment

How will you be paid?

PIP and ADP are usually paid every four weeks directly into your bank, building society or credit union account, unless you are terminally ill, in which case it is paid weekly. ADP is paid at the same rates as PIP.

An assessment will determine the level of financial assistance you will receive, and your rate will be regularly reviewed to ensure you are getting the right support. PIP consists of two components: Daily living and Mobility.

Whether you get one or both of these and how much depends on how severely your condition affects you. The following amounts per week will be paid depending on your circumstances: Daily living Standard rate: £72.65 Enhanced rate: £108.55.

The Mobility Standard rate is £28.70, while the Enhanced rate is £75.75. The level of financial support you receive for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is determined by an assessment carried out by an independent healthcare professional on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Health-related benefits consultations can be conducted face-to-face, via video calls, telephone or paper-based assessments, with the health professional and DWP deciding which type of assessment is most suitable for each claimant.

Adult Disability Payment assessments will not involve face-to-face assessments unless this is preferred by the claimant - find out more about the changes here.

How to make a claim

To make a claim for PIP, contact the DWP and apply on the GOV. UK website here.

Before you call, you will need:

• your contact details
• your date of birth
• your National Insurance number - this is on letters about tax, pensions and benefits
• your bank or building society account number and sort code
• your doctor or health worker’s name, address and telephone number
• dates and addresses for any time you’ve spent abroad, in a care home or hospital

To apply for ADP, you can do so over the phone, by post or in-person. Visit the dedicated pages on mygov.scot or call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 to find out more or apply.