PIP for Epilepsy

In 2023, 63,142 PIP claimants had epilepsy listed as their main disabling condition, making it the 13th most common condition for which PIP is awarded out of over 500 conditions listed by the DWP. If epilepsy affects your ability to carry out daily living tasks, such as cooking, washing, dressing, socializing, or moving around, it's definitely worth considering a PIP claim.

Success Rates and Award Rates for Epilepsy

• Success Rate: 54% of PIP claims for epilepsy are successful, which is slightly better than the overall average of 53%.

• Award Rates:

  • 31% of claimants with epilepsy are awarded the enhanced rate for both the daily living and mobility components.

• Daily Living Awards:

  • Enhanced Rate: 34%

  • Standard Rate: 29%

  • No Award: 37%

• Mobility Awards:

  • Enhanced Rate: 91%

  • Standard Rate: 5%

  • No Award: 4%

63% of claimants with epilepsy who receive an award get the Daily Living component, while 96% 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

Receiving the enhanced rate for both components means you could receive an additional £184.30 per week. PIP is paid on top of most other benefits and may increase your entitlement to additional support. The enhanced mobility rate also grants access to the Motability scheme.

How to Qualify for PIP

To qualify for PIP, you must be at least 16 years old and below state pension age. The best way to determine if you’re eligible is to assess how epilepsy impacts your daily living and mobility. Points are awarded based on how difficult it is for you to complete these activities, 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 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, consider 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

How Epilepsy Can Affect Your Daily Life

Epilepsy can impact many aspects of your life, and below are examples of how your condition might affect your ability to carry out daily tasks:

• Cooking: You may need supervision when preparing food due to the risk of injury from sharp knives, hot liquids, or forgetting about cooking due to memory problems.

• Eating: If you're recovering from a seizure, you may need assistance to eat or supervision to prevent choking.

• Medication: Due to cognitive difficulties, you might need help using a dosette box or reminders to take your medication at the correct times.

• Washing/Bathing: You may require supervision to ensure your safety in the shower or bath to prevent falls or seizures.

• Toileting: You may need help due to the risk of falling or incontinence episodes related to epilepsy.

• Dressing: Cognitive difficulties from epilepsy or medication may make it hard to dress, or it may take you significantly longer to dress than someone without the condition.

• Communication: Epilepsy, or the effects of medication, may cause cognitive issues that impair your ability to express yourself clearly, making it difficult to communicate.

• Reading: Cognitive impairments might mean you struggle with reading and understanding written instructions, requiring you to read things multiple times.

• Socializing: You might need support mixing with other people due to the anxiety of having a seizure in public.

• Money Management: Cognitive difficulties can impact your ability to make financial decisions, such as budgeting.

• Traveling: Epilepsy or its effects may make it difficult to plan a journey, and you might need someone to assist you when traveling in case of a seizure. This includes difficulty with driving or using public transport.

These are just a few examples of how epilepsy can affect your daily living and mobility. If you experience any of these issues, they may influence your PIP claim.

How PIP Ready Can Support Your Application

If you have epilepsy and are considering applying for PIP, PIP Ready is here to help. Our expert team specializes in assisting people with epilepsy in completing PIP forms and navigating the application process. We ensure that your forms are filled out correctly, increasing your chances of a successful claim.