The PIP daily living component helps with the extra costs of looking after yourself when you have a health condition or disability. Here’s what each rate pays in 2026-27 and how to qualify.
Read more: See our Pip guide for a complete overview of this topic.
PIP Daily Living Rates 2026-27
| Rate | Weekly | 4-Weekly | Monthly Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard rate | £72.65 | £290.60 | £314.82 |
| Enhanced rate | £108.55 | £434.20 | £470.37 |
PIP is paid every 4 weeks, not monthly. The rates above increased in April 2026 in line with inflation.
How Points Work
The daily living component is assessed across 10 activities. You score points based on how much difficulty you have with each one. Your total points determine your rate:
| Total Points | Rate Awarded |
|---|---|
| 0-7 points | No award |
| 8-11 points | Standard rate (£72.65/week) |
| 12+ points | Enhanced rate (£108.55/week) |
You only score the highest applicable descriptor for each activity — points don’t stack within a single activity.
The 10 Daily Living Activities
Activity 1: Preparing Food
This assesses your ability to prepare and cook a simple meal from fresh ingredients.
| 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 |
Key point: A “simple meal” means a cooked one-course meal for one using fresh ingredients — not a ready meal or sandwich.
Activity 2: Taking Nutrition
This assesses your ability to eat and drink.
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Can take nutrition unaided | 0 |
| Needs to use an aid or appliance to take nutrition, or needs supervision, prompting, or assistance to take nutrition | 2 |
| Needs a therapeutic source to take nutrition | 2 |
| Needs prompting to take nutrition | 4 |
| Needs assistance to manage a therapeutic source of nutrition | 6 |
| Cannot convey food and drink to mouth and needs another person to do so | 10 |
Activity 3: Managing Therapy or Monitoring a Health Condition
This covers managing medication, monitoring conditions (like blood sugar), and doing therapy or exercises prescribed by a health professional.
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Either does not need therapy or monitoring, or can manage it unaided | 0 |
| Needs to use an aid or appliance to manage therapy or monitor condition | 1 |
| Needs supervision, prompting, or assistance to manage therapy or monitor condition | 1 |
| Needs supervision, prompting, or assistance to manage therapy that takes no more than 3.5 hours a week | 2 |
| Needs supervision, prompting, or assistance to manage therapy that takes more than 3.5 but no more than 7 hours a week | 4 |
| Needs supervision, prompting, or assistance to manage therapy that takes more than 7 but no more than 14 hours a week | 6 |
| Needs supervision, prompting, or assistance to manage therapy that takes more than 14 hours a week | 8 |
Key point: This includes any therapy recommended by a doctor, nurse, or other health professional — physiotherapy exercises, breathing exercises, dialysis, managing stoma care, wound dressings, and similar.
Activity 4: Washing and Bathing
This assesses your ability to wash your whole body.
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Can wash and bathe unaided | 0 |
| Needs to use 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 wash body between shoulders and waist | 4 |
| Cannot wash and bathe at all and needs another person to wash entire body | 8 |
Key point: “Washing” means being able to do so to an acceptable standard of hygiene. If you can physically wash but miss areas, or can only manage some days, you may score points.
Activity 5: Managing Toilet Needs or Incontinence
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Can manage toilet needs or incontinence unaided | 0 |
| Needs to use 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
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Can dress and undress unaided | 0 |
| Needs to use an aid or appliance to dress or undress | 2 |
| Needs prompting or assistance to dress or undress lower body | 2 |
| Needs prompting or assistance to dress or undress upper body | 4 |
| Cannot dress or undress at all | 8 |
Key point: This includes selecting appropriate clothing. If you need prompting to dress appropriately for the weather or occasion, that counts.
Activity 7: Communicating Verbally
This assesses your ability to express and understand spoken information.
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Can express and understand verbal information unaided | 0 |
| Needs to use 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
| Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|
| Can read and understand basic and complex written information | 0 |
| Needs to use an aid or appliance (other than glasses) to read or understand written 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 | 8 |
Key point: “Basic” written information means signs and symbols like safety signs, or simple sentences. “Complex” means more than one sentence of written information.
Activity 9: Engaging with Other People Face-to-Face
This assesses your ability to engage socially, particularly relevant for mental health conditions, autism, and learning disabilities.
| 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 overwhelming psychological distress | 8 |
Key point: “Social support” means support from someone trained or experienced in helping people engage socially — not just a companion.
Activity 10: Making Budgeting Decisions
This assesses simple financial decisions, not complex budgeting.
| 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 | 6 |
Key point: A “simple budgeting decision” means things like paying for an item at a shop. “Complex” means things like planning weekly expenditure or managing a household budget.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Standard Rate Award (9 points)
| Activity | Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing food | Needs prompting | 2 |
| Washing and bathing | Needs assistance below waist | 2 |
| Dressing | Needs assistance lower body | 2 |
| Managing therapy | Needs help 1-3.5 hours/week | 2 |
| Engaging with others | Can engage unaided | 0 |
| Total | 8 |
Result: Standard rate — £72.65/week
Example 2: Enhanced Rate Award (14 points)
| Activity | Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing food | Cannot prepare and cook food | 8 |
| Washing and bathing | Needs assistance between shoulders and waist | 4 |
| Managing toilet needs | Needs assistance | 4 |
| Communicating | Can communicate unaided | 0 |
| Total | 16 |
Result: Enhanced rate — £108.55/week
What “Reliably” Means
When the DWP assesses your activities, they consider whether you can do them:
| Reliably Means | Examples |
|---|---|
| Safely | Without risk of falling, burning yourself, or other harm |
| To an acceptable standard | Properly washed, not just splashing water; food cooked safely |
| Repeatedly | More than once if needed — not just on good days |
| In a reasonable time | Roughly twice as long as someone without a condition |
If you can technically do an activity but not reliably, you should score points for needing help or supervision.
Claiming Both Components
You can claim both the daily living and mobility component at the same time. They are assessed separately, and qualifying for one doesn’t affect your entitlement to the other.
Maximum PIP Award 2026-27
| Components | Weekly | 4-Weekly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhanced daily living + enhanced mobility | £184.30 | £737.20 | £9,583.60 |
What Daily Living PIP Unlocks
Unlike the mobility component, the daily living component doesn’t automatically unlock benefits like Blue Badge or Motability. However, it can:
| Benefit | How Daily Living PIP Helps |
|---|---|
| Carer’s Allowance | Someone caring for you may claim £81.90/week |
| Council Tax Reduction | May qualify as severely mentally impaired exemption |
| Blue Badge | Enhanced daily living + cognitive/mental health condition may qualify via discretionary route |
| Vehicle tax exemption | Only with mobility component |
PIP Rate History
| Tax Year | Daily Living Standard | Daily Living Enhanced |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | £72.65 | £108.55 |
| 2025/26 | £72.65 | £108.55 |
| 2024/25 | £68.10 | £101.75 |
| 2023/24 | £61.85 | £92.40 |
| 2022/23 | £61.85 | £92.40 |
Tips for Your PIP Claim
Document Everything
| What to Include | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Medical evidence | Letters from GP, consultants, therapists |
| Medication list | Shows severity and ongoing treatment |
| Typical day description | How activities are really affected |
| Bad day examples | Assessors often focus on best days — counter this |
| Third-party statements | Family, friends, carers who see your struggles |
At the Assessment
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Describe your worst days | Minimise symptoms |
| Explain how long tasks take | Rush to prove capability |
| Mention if you need rest after | Say “I manage” without context |
| Bring someone for support | Go alone if anxious |
If You’re Refused or Scored Too Low
- Mandatory reconsideration — Request within one month of decision
- Tribunal appeal — If reconsideration unsuccessful, appeal to independent tribunal
- Success rates — Around 70% of PIP appeals to tribunal succeed