Award ends
If you qualify for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), you usually get an award for a fixed amount of time:
- One year (if your condition is likely to change)
- Two years
- Three years
- Five years
- Ten years
How long your award is depends on how likely it is that your needs will change over time. You will be contacted in the last year of your award to renew your claim.
Light touch reviews
Light touch reviews apply if you:
- are over 66, or
- have a severe, lifelong condition and get the enhanced rate of both daily living and mobility components
If light touch reviews apply to you, your PIP will only be reviewed every 10 yearsand the review will be simpler.
Award reviewed
Your award of PIP may be reviewed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) at any time, even if you have an award for a fixed amount of time.
When the DWP reviews your claim, you will be sent a letter with a PIP review form. The letter will ask you to complete and return the PIP review form before the date on the letter. If you don’t send the form back in time, the DWP will stop your claim unless you have a good reason for sending it in late. You will need to tell them why you sent the form late.
When the DWP receives your PIP review form, they will decide whether your PIP claim should stop or continue.
Something changes
Your award of PIP might change if something in your life changes. For example, if your health gets better, your PIP may go down or stop. If your health gets worse, your PIP may go up.
It is up to you to tell the DWP when your condition gets better or worse.If you don’t tell the DWP at the time, you could miss out on benefits that you are entitled to or you could be overpaid benefits that you would have to pay back. If you don't tell the DWP about changes when you should, you may be investigated for fraud.
If you are an appointee for someone claiming PIP, for example you claimed PIP on behalf of your disabled child, you have responsibility for the claim. That means you must update the DWP about any changes.
Hospital
If you are 18 or over, your PIP stops after you have been a patient in hospital for 28 days in a row. It starts again after you are discharged from hospital.
Read our Benefits when in hospital guide
Care Home
The daily living component of your PIP stops after you have been living in a care home for 28 days. It starts again if and when you leave to live independently.
The mobility component of PIP continues to be paid as normal however long you live in a care home.
Read our Benefits when in a care home guide
Getting Older
Getting older does not stop your PIP award but it can stop you from renewing your claim or making a new claim.
If you are over 66 and you want your PIP to continue, make sure you renew your claim when your current award ends.
If you areover 66 and your last award of PIP ended over a year ago, you cannot renew your claim or make a new claim. You may be able to claimAttendance Allowanceinstead but this does not include a mobility component.
