Personal Independence Payment - PIP Assessment - Getting treatment

Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition is a daily living activity. Add the points you score for this activity with the points you score for other daily living activities to find out if you may be entitled to the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

When you are looking at how many points you score for getting treatment, think about what help you need most of the time to do it:

• Safely
• Well enough
• Often enough
• Fast enough

You score the points for the sentence that is true for most or over half of the time. If more than one sentence is true, you normally only get points for the sentence that is true for the most time. You can only score one set of points for getting treatment, do not add them together.

No points

You have not been prescribed any medicine or activity to do at home.

You are able to take or apply your medicine, and do activities your doctor (or nurse or health professional) told you to do, without any help.

Examples of medicine:

• Painkillers or tablets prescribed by your GP
• Creams, lotions or injections prescribed by your doctor

Example of activity you may have been told to do:

• Special exercises
• Special diet
• Keep a diary
• Notice when your condition gets worse

One point

You can only take your medicine correctly (the right amounts at the right time) if you use an aid to help you.

You can only take your medicine correctly if someone reminds you or helps you, or watches you to keep you safe.

You can only do activities you have been told to by your doctor (or nurse or health professional) if someone reminds you or helps you, or watches you to keep you safe.

Examples of aids:

• Reminder alarms
• Dosette or pill box
• Special applicator (like a long-handled sponge for applying cream)

Two points

You have to do therapy that takes up to 3.5 hours a week but you can only do it if someone reminds you or helps you, or watches you to keep you safe.

Examples of therapy:

• Physiotherapy prescribed by your doctor
• Using oxygen mask and tank
• Using dialysis machine

Four points

You have to do therapy that takes between 3.5 and 7 hours a week but you can only do it if someone reminds you or helps you, or watches you to keep you safe.

Six points

You have to do therapy that takes between 7 and 14 hours a week but you can only do it if someone reminds you or helps you, or watches you to keep you safe.

Eight points

You have to do therapy that takes over 14 hours a week but you can only do it if someone reminds you or helps you, or watches you to keep you safe.

Reviewed: February 2023