AFA Personal Independence Payment
- A disability benefit for working age people who need extra because of an illness or long term health condition.
- The criteria is plit into Daily Living (issues with things like preparing food, washing and bathing, and communicating) and Mobility (issues with navigating or physically mobilizing).
- As a disability benefit, people receiving PIP are also exempt from the Benefit Cap (a government policy restricting the amount of money a person can claim in Benefits)
- It is not means-tested, meaning savings and investments do not affect eligibility
- A person can be in or out of work and claim PIP
- Age 16- 66 (working age)
- A person must have a long-term illness or health issue
- April 2025- April 2026 weekly rates:
| Daily Living component | Mobility Component | |
| Standard Rate | £73.90 | £29.20 |
| Enhanced Rate | £110.40 | £77.05 |
- To make a claim for PIP, call the new claims phone line on 0800 917 2222
- A person is then sent out a questionnaire to fill in and return
- A telephone or face-to-face health assessment may be arranged
- A decision will be made on the claim
- There are long waiting times and the application process is lengthy
- Medical evidence is strongly recommended
- Refer clients to Citizens Advice Wandsworth for assistance
- PIP has a high rate of refusal so it is worth challenging a negative decision
- Challenging a decision made by the Department for Work and Pensions is called a “Mandatory Reconsideration”. Usually this should be done within 1 month of the decision.
- Clients can request this themselves by calling the PIP helpline and requesting a review- 0800 121 4433
- It is more likely to be successful if extra medical information can be submitted.
- If a client needs help, please signpost them to Citizens Advice Wandsworth
- If a client wants to challenge a decision made by PIP
- If a client needs assistance to make a claim for PIP
- Please note – we prioritize ongoing casework for emergency and complex cases, when capacity is limited we may provide advice only to either the referrer or directly to the client
