PIP for Depression

PIP Health Conditions
Written By Joe Collier

In 2023, there were 71,984 PIP claimants with depression listed as their main disabling condition, making it the 11th most common condition for which PIP is awarded out of over 500 conditions listed by the DWP. If depression affects your daily activities—such as cooking, washing, dressing, socializing, or getting around—it’s worth considering applying for PIP.

Why You Should Consider Claiming PIP for Depression

PIP provides financial assistance for those with long-term conditions like depression, helping with daily living and mobility costs. The success rate for PIP claims related to depression is 51%, which is slightly below the general success rate of 53%, but still offers a solid chance for support.

PIP Success and Award Rates for Depression

  • Success Rate: 51% of PIP claims for depression are successful.

  • Daily Living Component Awards:

    • Enhanced Rate: 48%

    • Standard Rate: 50%

    • No Award: 3%

  • Mobility Component Awards:

    • Enhanced Rate: 31%

    • Standard Rate: 30%

    • No Award: 40%

89% of claimants with depression receive the Daily Living component, while 76% receive the Mobility component.

PIP Payment Rates (April 2024)

  • Daily Living Component:

    • Standard Rate: £72.65

    • Enhanced Rate: £108.55

  • Mobility Component:

    • Standard Rate: £28.70

    • Enhanced Rate: £75.75

If awarded the enhanced rate for both components, you could receive an additional £184.30 per week. PIP is paid on top of most other benefits and may increase your entitlement to other financial support. Additionally, the enhanced mobility rate allows access to the Motability scheme for assistance with mobility.

How to Qualify for PIP

To qualify for PIP, you must be at least 16 years old and under state pension age. The best way to determine if you're eligible is to assess how your depression affects your ability to carry out daily living and mobility activities. You earn points based on how difficult it is to perform these tasks, and a sufficient score can lead to an award of PIP.

Daily Living and Mobility Activities

There are 10 daily living activities and 2 mobility activities used to assess your eligibility:

Daily Living Activities:

  • Preparing food

  • Taking nutrition

  • Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition

  • Washing and bathing

  • Managing toilet needs or incontinence

  • Dressing and undressing

  • Communicating verbally

  • Reading and understanding signs, symbols, and words

  • Engaging with other people face-to-face

  • Making budgeting decisions

Mobility Activities:

  • Planning and following journeys

  • Moving around

For each activity, you need to evaluate whether you can perform it:

  • To a reasonable standard

  • Safely

  • Repeatedly

  • In no more than twice the time it would take someone without a health condition

Common Depression Issues That Could Affect Your PIP Claim

Depression can have a significant impact on your daily life. Here are some examples of how your condition might affect your ability to complete daily tasks:

  • Cooking: Difficulty concentrating could lead to distractions, leaving pans burning or food going cold. Supervision might be necessary.

  • Eating: If you feel hopeless or worthless, you might need prompting to ensure you’re eating properly.

  • Medication: A history of self-harm or suicidal thoughts could require supervision when taking medication.

  • Washing/Bathing: Low mood may lead to poor hygiene, such as washing but not to an acceptable standard.

  • Clothing: You may need prompting to change into clean clothes or out of nightclothes due to a lack of motivation.

  • Social Interaction: Poor concentration may lead to missing social cues and difficulty forming relationships, requiring support in understanding.

  • Mobility: Depression might impair your concentration, leading you to miss turns when walking/driving or missing public transport stops unless prompted.

These are just a few examples of how depression may impact your daily life and PIP eligibility.

How PIP Ready Can Help

If you’re ready to apply for PIP or need guidance on how depression impacts your eligibility, PIP Ready is here to support you. We specialize in assisting individuals through the PIP application process, ensuring your forms are completed accurately and efficiently.

Our expert team is ready to help you gather the necessary evidence and strengthen your claim to increase your chances of a successful outcome.

Joe Collier
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