Personal Independence Payment - PIP Assessment - Feed yourself

Taking nutrition 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).

The Turn2us PIP Helper can check what PIP award you're likely to get by asking questions about each activity and adding the points you score.

When you are looking at how many points you score for feeding yourself, 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 feeding yourself, do not add them together.

No points

You can cut your food, put food and drink in your mouth, chew and swallow without any help.

Two points

You need someone else to help you cut your food.

You can only eat your food, or drink, if someone is with you to keep you safe.

You use a parenteral or enteral tube with a delivery system or pump to eat and drink.

You need a special aid to cut your food, put food or drink in your mouth, or chew and swallow.

Examples of special aids:

• Knives, forks or spoons with extra large grips
• Stabilising fork or spoon for people with tremors
• Special cups

Four points

You can only cut your food, put food and drink in your mouth, chew or swallow if someone reminds you or tells you to. 

Because of a disability or illness, you need someone to remind you to eat an appropriate amount of food.

Six points

You need someone else to help you use a parenteral or enteral tube to eat and drink.

Ten points

You need someone else to put food or drink in your mouth for you.