PIP daily living has 10 activities. Understanding exactly what each one assesses — and how they’re scored — is crucial to getting the right award.
Read more: See our Pip guide for a complete overview of this topic.
Daily Living Rates 2026-27
| Rate | Weekly | 4-Weekly |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (8-11 points) | £72.65 | £290.60 |
| Enhanced (12+ points) | £108.55 | £434.20 |
How Scoring Works
For each of the 10 activities, you’re matched to the descriptor that best fits your ability. Only the highest-scoring descriptor from each activity counts. Points from all 10 activities are added together.
Activity 1: Preparing Food
Can you prepare and cook a simple meal?
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Can prepare and cook a simple meal unaided | 0 |
| Needs to use an aid or appliance to prepare or cook a simple meal | 2 |
| Cannot cook a simple meal using a conventional cooker but can using a microwave | 2 |
| Needs prompting to prepare or cook a simple meal | 2 |
| Needs supervision or assistance to prepare or cook a simple meal | 4 |
| Cannot prepare and cook food | 8 |
“Simple meal” means a cooked one-course meal from fresh ingredients — not a ready meal or sandwich.
Activity 2: Taking Nutrition
Can you eat and drink?
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Can take nutrition unaided | 0 |
| Needs an aid or appliance to take nutrition, or a therapeutic source to be able to take nutrition | 2 |
| Needs prompting to take nutrition | 4 |
| Needs assistance to cut up food | 2 |
| Needs another person to convey food or drink to their mouth | 8 |
| Cannot convey food or drink to their mouth and needs another person to provide nutrition through a therapeutic source | 10 |
Activity 3: Managing Therapy or Monitoring a Health Condition
Can you manage medication, therapy, and monitor your condition?
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Can manage medication/therapy/monitoring unaided or doesn’t need to | 0 |
| Needs an aid or appliance, or needs prompting, or needs supervision or assistance | 1 |
| Needs supervision, prompting or assistance at least once a day for therapy that takes no more than 3.5 hours | 2 |
| Needs supervision, prompting or assistance at least once a day for therapy that takes more than 3.5 but no more than 7 hours | 4 |
| Needs supervision, prompting or assistance at least once a day for therapy taking more than 7 but no more than 14 hours | 6 |
| Needs supervision, prompting or assistance at least once a day for therapy taking more than 14 hours a week | 8 |
“Therapy” includes: dialysis, physiotherapy exercises, managing stoma, wound care, nebuliser treatments, mental health coping strategies, and other prescribed treatments.
Activity 4: Washing and Bathing
Can you wash and bathe yourself?
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Can wash and bathe unaided | 0 |
| Needs an aid or appliance to wash or bathe | 2 |
| Needs supervision or prompting to wash or bathe | 2 |
| Needs assistance to wash either hair or body below the waist | 2 |
| Needs assistance to get in or out of a bath or shower | 3 |
| Needs assistance to wash body between shoulders and waist | 4 |
| Cannot wash and bathe at all, needs full assistance | 8 |
Activity 5: Managing Toilet Needs or Incontinence
Can you get to and use the toilet and manage incontinence?
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided | 0 |
| Needs an aid or appliance to manage toilet needs or incontinence | 2 |
| Needs supervision or prompting to manage toilet needs | 2 |
| Needs assistance to manage toilet needs | 4 |
| Needs assistance to manage incontinence of either bladder or bowel | 6 |
| Needs assistance to manage incontinence of both bladder and bowel | 8 |
Activity 6: Dressing and Undressing
Can you dress and undress yourself?
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Can dress and undress unaided | 0 |
| Needs an aid or appliance to dress or undress | 2 |
| Needs prompting to dress, undress, or determine appropriate clothing | 2 |
| Needs assistance to dress or undress lower body | 2 |
| Needs assistance to dress or undress upper body | 4 |
| Cannot dress or undress at all | 8 |
Activity 7: Communicating Verbally
Can you express and understand verbal information?
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Can express and understand verbal information unaided | 0 |
| Needs an aid or appliance to express or understand verbal information | 2 |
| Needs communication support to express or understand complex verbal information | 4 |
| Needs communication support to express or understand basic verbal information | 8 |
| Cannot express or understand verbal information at all, even with support | 12 |
Activity 8: Reading and Understanding Signs, Symbols and Words
Can you read and understand written and printed information?
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Can read and understand basic and complex written information unaided | 0 |
| Needs an aid or appliance (other than glasses/contacts) to read or understand written or printed information | 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 |
Activity 9: Engaging With Other People Face to Face
Can you interact with others?
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| 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 such engagement causing either overwhelming psychological distress or the claimant to exhibit behaviour which would result in a substantial risk of harm to the claimant or another person | 8 |
This activity is particularly relevant for mental health conditions, autism, and social anxiety.
Activity 10: Making Budgeting Decisions
Can you manage your finances?
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| 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 |
“Simple” = day-to-day spending (shopping, bills). “Complex” = longer-term financial planning.
Tips for Describing Your Difficulties
- Focus on your worst days — PIP should reflect how your condition affects you most of the time, including bad days
- Be specific — “I can’t stand at the cooker for more than 5 minutes due to back pain” is better than “I find cooking difficult”
- Mention aids you use — Every aid scores at least 2 points on the relevant activity
- Describe what happens if you try — “If I try to wash my hair, my shoulder dislocates and I need help getting my arm back”
- Include mental health impacts — Can’t cook because depression prevents you from getting out of bed? That counts.
- Think about safety — Have you burned yourself cooking? Fallen in the shower? These indicate you need supervision.