People who apply for PIP (Personal Independence Payment) now can get a one-off £150 cost of living payment on top of the benefit.
This is because claimants of certain disability benefits, including PIP, are eligible for a £150 cost of living payment, that is being paid over the summer.
The qualifying period for the cost of living payment has yet to be confirmed by the Government, so the sooner a person applies for PIP, the better chance they have to qualify for the £150 payment.
Information on the Government website about the cost of living payments for this tax year states: “This guidance will be updated with the qualifying date for the payment when it has been announced.”
The webpage also states the guidance will be updated with the precise payment dates before the money is sent out.
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People on these disability benefits may qualify for the £150 payment:
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance for adults
- Disability Living Allowance for children
- Personal Independence Payment
- Adult Disability Payment (in Scotland)
- Child Disability Payment (in Scotland)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- War Pension Mobility Supplement.
How much is PIP?
PIP consists of a daily living element and a mobility element, with a lower and higher payment for each part, depending on how much support a person needs.
These are the current weekly rates:
Daily living
- Lower – £68.10
- Higher – £101.75
Mobility
- Lower – £26.90
- Higher – £71
This means a person on the highest award, receiving the top rate for both elements, would receive £172.75 a week, or £691 a month.
There are more than 500 health conditions that can qualify a person to receive PIP. The condition must be expected to affect the person for at least another year for them to be eligible for the support.
Below are the main disability categories that currently qualify for PIP, which represent more than 500 conditions in total. The number represents the number of people who claim for that category:
- Haematological Disease – 7,577
- Infectious disease – 10,962
- Malignant disease – 100,863
- Metabolic disease – 4,782
- Psychiatric disorders – 1,206,838
- Neurological disease – 411,887
- Visual disease – 57,180
- Hearing disorders – 34,399
- Cardiovascular disease – 83,568
- Gastrointestinal disease – 29,036
- Diseases of the liver, gallbladder, biliary tract -11,770
- Skin disease – 21,375
- Musculoskeletal disease (general) – 649,780
- Musculoskeletal disease (regional) – 387,128
- Autoimmune disease (connective tissue disorders) – 17,997
- Genitourinary disease – 24,777
- Endocrine disease – 43,288
- Respiratory disease – 136,757
- Multisystem and extremes of age – 1,235
- Diseases of the immune system – 1,081
- Unknown or missing – 10,547.
A person can start a claim for PIP by calling the PIP new claims phone line or writing to the PIP new claims department, to request a claim form. A person calling the phone line will need the following details:
- Contact details
- Date of birth
- National Insurance number – this is on letters about tax, pensions and benefits
- Bank or building society account number and sort code
- 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.
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