The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that people with four specific chronic pain conditions may be eligible for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) worth up to £778 a month, or £114 a week.
DWP medical guidance groups a number of conditions under the heading “chronic pain syndromes”. These include fibromyalgia, chronic pain syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD).
PIP eligibility criteria and assessment
To receive PIP, applicants must demonstrate difficulty with everyday tasks or getting around due to a physical or mental health condition. These difficulties must have lasted, or be expected to last, for at least 12 months from when they started.
The payment is not based on the condition itself or the medication a person takes. Instead, it is based on the level of help needed because of how the condition affects the individual. Claimants are assessed on their need for help with specific activities.
These activities include preparing and cooking food, eating and drinking, managing treatments, washing and bathing, managing toilet needs or incontinence, dressing and undressing, communicating with others, reading and understanding written information, mixing with others, making decisions about money, planning a journey or following a route, and moving around.
Applying for PIP and key considerations
The DWP advises that help received may come from another person, an aid such as a walking stick or guide dog, or an adaptation to the claimant's home or car. If any of this help is needed because of a condition, the DWP suggests considering an application.
Applicants must be living in England or Wales when they apply, unless they or a close family member are in the armed forces. The DWP also warns that PIP cannot be backdated, meaning no money will be paid for the period before the claim is made.
People unsure about how long their difficulties might last are encouraged to speak to a healthcare professional. The DWP advises not to wait for a condition to improve before claiming, as delays could result in lost payments.
