Personal Independence Payment

Personal Independence Payment (abbreviated to PIP and usually pronounced as one word) is a welfare benefit in the United Kingdom intended to help working-aged people with the extra costs of living with a health condition or a disability. It is available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland but not in Scotland, where Adult Disability Payment (ADP) is available instead. It is non-means tested, non-contributory and tax-free; it is not linked to a person's ability to work and it is available equally to people in or out of work. It is not intended to be a substitute for a person's income, unlike Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance. Eligibility for PIP is based upon the practical effects of a condition on a person's life, rather than the condition itself. Children who receive Disability Living Allowance are invited to claim PIP from their 16th birthday. Once a claimant reaches State Pension age, they must claim Attendance Allowance instead.