When claiming PIP, you will be assessed by a health professional to work out how much help you need. The amount you get depends on how your condition affects you, not the condition itself. Express.co.uk spoke to Pat Lewis, tax department manager at Intellect Tax – financial experts, specialising in tax and benefits, to find out if you can get PIP for mental health issues.

Can you get PIP for mental health?

Ms Lewis said: “The short answer is if your mental health condition increases the level of help you need in undertaking daily tasks for the relevant period of time, then you should be eligible for PIP.

“The key thing to remember is that PIP is not paid just because you have a certain illness or disability – the crucial factor is how your condition impacts your daily life.”

The basic eligibility criteria are:
• You are between 16 years of age and retirement age
• You have lived in the UK for two of the past three years
• You have difficulty with getting around or daily tasks for the last three months
• You expect these conditions to last for at least nine months more
There are two elements to a PIP payment; a Daily Living Allowance and a Mobility Allowance.

READ MORE- PIP: Can I get PIP for depression?

READ MORE

• PIP: Can you get PIP for anxiety?

Eligibility for Daily Living Allowance

The impact of your condition to do the following tasks and consequently the amount of help you need to do the following would be considered:
• Preparing or eating food
• Washing bathing and using toilet
• Dressing and undressing
• Reading and communication
• Managing medicines and treatment
• Making decisions about money
• Engaging with other people

Mobility Allowance

The impact of your condition to do the following tasks and consequently the amount of help you need to do the following would be considered:
• Planning and following journeys
• Moving around

Ms Lewis said: “From 2018, The High Court ruled that people with mental health issues that stopped those making journeys due to psychological distress were entitled to Enhanced Rate Mobility PIP.

DON’T MISS…
PIP explained: What is PIP short for? What is PIP used for? [EXPLAINER]
PIP rates: Is PIP going up? [INFORMER]
PIP bank holiday payments 2020: What day will my PIP be paid? [INFORMER]

READ MORE

• PIP explained: What is PIP?

She said: “PIP is claimed via the Department for Work and Pensions and initially a claimant is sent a form to complete.

“An assessor then makes a visit to the claimant and assesses the claimant’s ability to do the tasks listed, scoring the claimant on their abilities.

“The point score for each task dictates the level of PIP which a claimant receives. The allowance is paid four weekly into a bank account.”

If you score between eight and 11 points on the Daily Living Allowance tasks, you will get £59.70 a week. But if you score over 12 points, you will get £89.15 per week.

For the Mobility Allowance part of PIP, if you score between eight and 11 points you will get £23.60 a week. If you score more than 12 points, you will get £62.25 per week.

How is PIP paid?

PIP is normally paid every four weeks. Once you have applied, you will receive a decision letter to tell you the date of your first payment, as well as the day of the week you will usually be paid on.

If your payment date is on a bank holiday, you will usually be paid before the bank holiday.

PIP is paid just like any other benefit, pension or allowance and is paid into your bank, building society or credit union account on the same day every month.

How do I apply for PIP?

You can make a new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claim by calling the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Someone else can call on your behalf, but you’ll need to be with them when they call.

There are also other ways to claim if you find it difficult to use a telephone.

Before you ring, you will nee the following information:

• your contact details, for example telephone number
• your date of birth
• your National Insurance number – this is on letters about tax, pensions and benefits
• your bank or building society account number and sort code
• your doctor or health worker’s name, address and telephone number
• dates and addresses for any time you’ve spent abroad, in a care home or hospital

You can also claim PIP via post. You can get a form to send information by post (although this can delay the decision on your claim). Write a letter to ask for the form, and address it to:

Personal Independence Payment New Claims
Post Handling Site B
Wolverhampton
WV99 1AH

Source: Read Full Article