PIP benefit rates: How much will DWP payments rise by next year?

Personal Independence Payment - or PIP for short - is a benefit that is awarded to people who need help with their day-to-day living due to an illness, disability or mental health condition

PIP benefit payments are set to rise by 1.7% next April - we explain what this means for you.

Personal Independence Payment - or PIP for short - is a benefit that is awarded to people who need help with their day-to-day living due to an illness, disability or mental health condition. PIP is made up of two components - a daily living rate and a mobility rate - and you can be entitled to both or just one of these.

It all depends on how your condition affects you on a daily basis. If you're currently in receipt of PIP, your payments will rise by 1.7% from April, in line with the previous September rate of inflation. PIP is one of nine benefits which the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is legally required to increase year. Other payments, including Universal Credit, are subject to Parliamentary approval.

How much is PIP rising by?

PIP is paid every four weeks and under the current rates, the maximum you can receive is £737.20. This is for someone claiming the higher rate of both the daily living and mobility components. These rates will increase to the following levels from next April and mean the maximum you could get will hit £749.80. Here is how PIP rates are changing:

Daily living

• Lower rate: £72.65 a week to £73.90 a week
• Higher rate: £108.55 a week to £110.40 a week

Mobility

• Lower rate: £28.70 a week to £30.20 a week
• Higher rate: £75.75 a week to £77.05 a week

Who is eligible for PIP?

You have to be aged 16 and above and under state pension age to put in a new claim for PIP. If you’re already getting PIP and you reach state pension age, your claim will normally continue. You may be able to make a new claim at state pension age if you were eligible for PIP in the last 12 months.

Most people normally need an assessment to determine if they're eligible for PIP, during which you'll be asked to explain how your condition affects your life. If you DWP decides you're eligible for PIP, you'll usually be awarded it for a set period of time - normally this is between one year to ten years - before your claim needs to be reviewed.

Your award of PIP might change if your health gets better, or if your condition gets worse. It is down to claimants to let the DWP know if their health has changed. Those who have a terminal illness likely won't need a PIP assessment and can be paid PIP weekly, instead of every four weeks.