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PIP points calculator

PIP points calculator

PIP is scored on points, not on your diagnosis. Pick the descriptor that fits you on more than half of days, remembering that you only count as able to do something if you can do it safely, repeatedly, to an acceptable standard and in a reasonable time.

Uses 2026/27 tax year rates, checked 2 August 2026.

Daily living

10 activities. Pick the one option that best describes you on most days.

1. Preparing food

Can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided 0 Needs to use an aid or appliance 2 Cannot cook using a conventional cooker but can using a microwave 2 Needs prompting to prepare or cook a simple meal 4 Needs supervision or assistance to prepare or cook a simple meal 4 Cannot prepare and cook food at all 8

2. Taking nutrition

Can take nutrition unaided 0 Needs an aid or appliance, or supervision, or assistance to cut up food 2 Needs a therapeutic source to take nutrition 4 Needs prompting to be able to take nutrition 6 Needs assistance to manage a therapeutic source 10

3. Managing therapy or a health condition

Can manage therapy or monitor a health condition unaided 0 Needs an aid, or supervision or assistance to monitor a health condition 1 Needs supervision or assistance with therapy up to 3.5 hours a week 2 Needs supervision or assistance with therapy 3.5 to 7 hours a week 4 Needs supervision or assistance with therapy 7 to 14 hours a week 6 Needs supervision or assistance with therapy over 14 hours a week 8

4. Washing and bathing

Can wash and bathe unaided 0 Needs to use an aid or appliance 2 Needs supervision or prompting 2 Needs assistance to wash either their hair or body below the waist 3 Needs assistance to get in or out of a bath or shower 4 Needs assistance to wash their body between the shoulders and waist 4 Cannot wash and bathe at all, needs another person to do it 8

5. Managing toilet needs or incontinence

Can manage toilet needs unaided 0 Needs to use an aid or appliance 2 Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to manage toilet needs 2 Needs assistance to manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel 4 Needs assistance to manage incontinence of both bladder and bowel 6 Needs assistance to manage evacuation of the bowel using a device 8

6. Dressing and undressing

Can dress and undress unaided 0 Needs to use an aid or appliance 2 Needs either prompting or assistance to select appropriate clothing 2 Needs prompting to dress or undress 2 Needs assistance to dress or undress the lower body 4 Needs assistance to dress or undress the upper body 4 Cannot dress or undress at all 8

7. Communicating verbally

Can express and understand verbal information unaided 0 Needs an aid or appliance to speak or hear 2 Needs communication support to express or understand complex information 4 Needs communication support to express or understand basic information 8 Cannot express or understand verbal information at all 12

8. Reading and understanding written information

Can read and understand basic and complex written information 0 Needs an aid or appliance, other than glasses or contact lenses 2 Needs prompting to read or understand complex written information 2 Needs prompting to read or understand basic written information 4 Cannot read or understand signs, symbols or words at all 8

9. Engaging with other people face to face

Can engage with other people unaided 0 Needs prompting to engage with other people 2 Needs social support to engage with other people 4 Cannot engage with other people due to overwhelming psychological distress 8

10. Making budgeting decisions

Can manage complex budgeting decisions unaided 0 Needs prompting or assistance to make complex budgeting decisions 2 Needs prompting or assistance to make simple budgeting decisions 4 Cannot make any budgeting decisions at all 6

Mobility

2 activities, scored separately from daily living.

1. Planning and following a journey

Can plan and follow the route of a journey unaided 0 Needs prompting to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress 4 Cannot plan the route of a journey 8 Cannot follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, assistance dog or orientation aid 10 Cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress 10 Cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, assistance dog or orientation aid 12

2. Moving around

Can stand and then move more than 200 metres, unaided 0 Can stand and then move more than 50 but no more than 200 metres, unaided 4 Can stand and then move unaided more than 20 but no more than 50 metres 8 Can stand and then move using an aid or appliance more than 20 but no more than 50 metres 10 Can stand and then move more than 1 but no more than 20 metres 12 Cannot stand, or move more than 1 metre 12

What this tool does not do

It does not make a decision. Only the DWP, your council or the NHS can do that.
Descriptor wording here is abbreviated. The full legal wording is in the PIP assessment guide, and the exact phrasing matters at tribunal.
It cannot judge whether you meet a descriptor "reliably", which is where most real disputes are decided.
It does not cover the special rules for people who are terminally ill.
It is an estimate based on published rules and 2026/27 rates, not advice.

Common questions

How many points do I need for PIP?

8 points in a component gives the standard rate, 12 points gives the enhanced rate. Daily living and mobility are scored separately, so you can qualify for one and not the other.

What does "reliably" mean?

You can only be scored as able to do something if you can do it safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, and in a reasonable time. If you can manage once but not again, or only with pain, or take three times as long, you do not do it reliably and should be scored on the descriptor that reflects that.

What is the 50 per cent rule?

A descriptor applies if it fits you on more than half the days over a 12 month period. If different descriptors apply on different days, the one that applies most often is used. If two apply for the same number of days, the higher-scoring one is used.

Does using an aid score points?

Yes. Needing an aid or appliance to complete an activity scores points in most activities, and so does needing prompting or supervision. People often score themselves at zero because they manage with a gadget, when the gadget is exactly what the descriptor is about.

What if I am refused?

Ask for a mandatory reconsideration within one month, then appeal to an independent tribunal. Tribunal success rates for PIP are high, so a refusal is far from the end of the road.

Where these rules come from

GOV.UK — PIP: how much you’ll get
GOV.UK — PIP assessment guide for assessment providers
DWP benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027

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