PIP Daily Living Activities Explained — All 10 Activities and Descriptors (2025)

How PIP daily living is assessed

The daily living component of PIP is assessed across 10 activities that cover key aspects of everyday life. For each activity, there are several descriptors that describe different levels of difficulty. Each descriptor carries a point score, and the descriptor that best fits your situation on the majority of days is the one that should be applied. You score from each activity independently — it is the highest applicable descriptor for each activity that counts, not a combination. To qualify for the standard rate of PIP daily living (currently up to £72.65 per week), you need to score 8 points or more across all 10 activities combined. To qualify for the enhanced rate (currently up to £108.55 per week), you need to score 12 points or more. The points from different activities are added together. Importantly, when assessing whether you can carry out an activity, the DWP should consider whether you can do it safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, and in a reasonable time period. Even if you can technically do something, if doing it causes you significant pain, takes you much longer than someone without your condition, or puts you at risk, this should be reflected in the descriptor chosen.

Activities 1-5: Food, nutrition, therapy, washing, and toileting

Activity 1 — Preparing food: This covers your ability to prepare and cook a simple meal. It is not about complex cooking — the test is whether you can peel and chop vegetables, open tins, use a cooker safely, and make a simple one-course meal. Descriptors range from being able to prepare food unaided (0 points) to being unable to prepare and cook food at all (8 points). If you need aids, prompting, supervision, or assistance, there are intermediate descriptors with varying point scores. Activity 2 — Taking nutrition: This covers your ability to eat and drink, including cutting food, conveying food to your mouth, and chewing and swallowing. It also covers whether you need a therapeutic diet or feeding through a tube. Descriptors range from being able to take nutrition unaided (0 points) to needing a device to receive nutrition (e.g., parenteral nutrition) and needing another person to manage it (10 points). Activity 3 — Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition: This covers time spent managing medication, therapy, or monitoring a condition (such as dialysis, oxygen therapy, physiotherapy exercises, or checking blood sugar levels). Points are awarded based on the type and amount of therapy or monitoring needed. Activity 4 — Washing and bathing: This covers your ability to wash your face, hands, body, and hair. Activity 5 — Managing toilet needs or incontinence: This covers using the toilet, cleaning yourself afterwards, and managing any incontinence aids or devices.

Activities 6-10: Dressing, communicating, reading, socialising, and budgeting

Activity 6 — Dressing and undressing: This covers putting on and taking off clothes and shoes, including fastening buttons and zips. Points are awarded based on whether you can dress unaided, need aids (such as adapted clothing or long-handled shoe horns), need help from another person, or are unable to dress at all. Activity 7 — Communicating verbally: This covers your ability to express and understand verbal information, including over the phone and face to face. It takes into account the use of hearing aids, communication devices, or sign language interpreters. Activity 8 — Reading and understanding signs, symbols, and words: This covers your ability to read and understand written information, including signs, labels, and simple written text. This is relevant for people with visual impairments, learning disabilities, or cognitive conditions. Activity 9 — Engaging with other people face to face: This covers your ability to interact with others, including the impact of conditions such as anxiety, autism, PTSD, or cognitive impairments. Descriptors consider whether you need prompting, social support, or are unable to engage at all due to the impact on your mental health. Activity 10 — Making budgeting decisions: This covers your ability to make financial decisions about day-to-day spending, such as buying food or paying bills. It is relevant for people with learning disabilities, mental health conditions, or brain injuries that affect their ability to manage money.

Tips for describing your daily living needs

When completing the PIP2 form or attending an assessment, it is important to describe how your condition affects each activity in as much detail as possible. Focus on your worst days, not your best days — the DWP guidance says the test is how you are affected on the majority of days, and if your bad days make up more than half the time, those should be reflected in the assessment. For each activity where you have difficulty, try to explain: what help you need and why, who helps you and how often, what would happen if you did not have help (the consequences), how long the activity takes you compared to someone without your condition, whether you use any aids or adaptations, and how your condition varies from day to day. Be specific rather than general. Instead of saying "I have trouble cooking", explain: "I am unable to stand at the cooker for more than a few minutes due to pain in my back and legs. I have burned myself twice in the last three months because I lose grip in my hands and cannot safely handle hot pans. My partner prepares my meals on approximately five days out of seven. On better days I can make a sandwich but I cannot cook a hot meal safely without supervision."

Related Benefit Pages

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

For working-age adults whose health affects daily living or mobility.

Attendance Allowance

For people over State Pension age who need help with personal care.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

For children under 16 with a health condition or disability that affects daily life.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as an "aid" for PIP daily living activities?

An aid is any device or tool that helps you carry out an activity. This includes things like perching stools, bath seats, grab rails, adapted cutlery, jar openers, pill dispensers, long-handled shoe horns, communication devices, and adapted clothing. If using an aid allows you to carry out an activity that you otherwise could not do, this can still score points — typically 2 points for needing an aid to carry out the activity.

What does "reliably" mean in PIP assessments?

The DWP says that to be able to carry out an activity "reliably", you must be able to do it safely (without risk of harm to yourself or others), to an acceptable standard, repeatedly (as often as is reasonably required), and in a reasonable time period (no more than twice as long as someone without a health condition). If you cannot meet all four of these criteria, you may score points even if you can technically do the activity.

Can mental health conditions score points on daily living activities?

Yes. Mental health conditions can score points across many daily living activities. For example, severe depression or anxiety might affect your ability to prepare food (activity 1), wash and bathe (activity 4), engage with others (activity 9), or make budgeting decisions (activity 10). Conditions like psychosis, PTSD, or cognitive impairments can affect almost all activities. The key is to explain specifically how your mental health condition affects each relevant activity.

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Important: Benefits Robin is not affiliated with the DWP or UK Government. We provide information and assistance, not legal or financial advice. These are estimates based on your answers. Final decisions are made by the DWP.