MILLIONS claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to cover the cost of long-term health conditions.
But you might not be aware there are a host of freebies and discounts you can get on top.
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Households can claim council tax discounts, blue badges, free NHS prescriptions and more.
You can claim PIP if you are 16 or over and under the state pension age, currently 66.
It is worth up to roughly £170 a week too so it’s definitely worth looking into.
The benefit is made up of two parts and you can receive one or both, depending on your disability.
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The daily living part is designed to cover the cost of difficulties you might have preparing or eating food, washing, bathing and more.
The weekly rate is either £68.10 or £101.75 – you can get both elements which adds up to £172.15.
Meanwhile, the mobility part is given to those who need help after leaving home or moving around and is worth either £26.90 or £71.
It’s worth noting that payments for PIP are going up from April by 6.7%, in line with the consumer price index level of inflation for September 2023.
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It means the maximum payment someone can get will rise to over £180 within months.
Either way, here are the added freebies and discounts you can get on the benefit for now.
Council tax discounts
If you’re on either the daily living or mobility part of PIP you might be able to get money off your council tax bill.
But the amount you can get off varies depending on how much PIP you actually receive and where you live.
You have to contact your local authority to find out what discount you’re entitled to, and it might ask for a PIP letter as proof.
You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government’s council locator tool on its website.
The average Band D council tax set by local authorities in England for the 2023/24 financial year is £2,065.
So if you got a full discount, you’d make a fair saving.
Blue Badge
You can use your PIP award letter to apply for a blue badge, although some councils can charge up to £10 for it.
Blue badge parking spaces tend to be closer to the front of shop entrances, making your experience easier.
It’s worth noting you can’t use them for off-street car parks, such as those provided by shopping centres, hospitals or supermarkets.
If you’re on PIP and looking to claim a blue badge, you should contact your local council to apply.
Benefit boost
If you’re on PIP and one of a number of other benefits, you might be entitled to a top-up, also known as a premium.
These are the other benefits you will need to be receiving alongside PIP to get a top-up:
- Housing Benefit
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Employment and Support Allowance – but only if you get the PIP daily living component
- Pension Credit – but only if you get the PIP daily living component
You should get in touch with the department in charge of issuing you your benefits, which will be either by the HMRC or the Department for Work and Pensions.
You may need to send them a PIP award letter and they will tell you how much extra you’ll be entitled to.
Vehicle tax reduction
You might be entitled to a complete vehicle tax exemption if you’re on PIP, depending on your circumstances.
You can apply for 100% off if you’re on the enhanced rate mobility component of the benefit.
Meanwhile, you can get a 50% reduction if you’re on the standard rate mobility component.
In some cases, you can pay up to £2,595 on vehicle tax, so an exemption is worth a fair amount.
You can apply for a discount or exemption on the Government’s website.
If you’re applying for the first time, you should be able to do it at your local Post Office branch.
To find your nearest branch, you can go on the Post Office’s website and use its branch finder or phone 0345 722 3344.
Free prescriptions
If you’re on PIP and depending on whether you have a qualifying disability, you might be able to get your NHS prescriptions free.
Some of the illnesses that make you qualify are cancer, diabetes and epilepsy. The full list is on the NHS website.
To claim the freebie you need a medical exemption certificate (MedEx).
Speak to your GP and ask for an FP92A form, which they will sign and you can use to claim the MedEx online.
The current prescription charge is £9.65 per item, so based on one a month, you would save £115.80 a year.
Disabled Facilities Grant
If you’re disabled and need to make changes to your home to suit your needs you can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant.
For example, you might need to widen doors or install ramps to allow for wheelchair access.
Or you might need to have a heating system that suits your specific needs put in.
The grants you can get vary depending on where you live.
If you live in Wales you can get up to £36,000 worth of support, £30,000 in England and up to £25,000 in Northern Ireland.
You apply through your local council which has six months to let you know what decision it has come to.
Disabled person’s railcard
A disabled person’s railcards can give you up to a third off rail fares, worth £4.26 per journey or £91 a year, according to National Rail’s website.
A commuter travelling from Peterborough to London would save £5.75 while Newcastle to York falls from £19.10 to £12.60.
You can apply for the railcard on National Rail’s website.
Bear in mind, the amount you’ll save will vary depending on what time you’re travelling.
Capped water bills
You might be able to get help with your water bill via the WaterSure scheme.
But you’ll need to be on a water meter, or be waiting to have one installed and have a need to use lots of water.
If you qualify, which isn’t guaranteed, your water bill is capped and you won’t pay more than the average metered bill for your area.
The WaterSure scheme applies to only households in England. You can apply through your water supplier.
There are different schemes for those in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Lease a vehicle with PIP cash
You might be able to use your PIP allowance to lease a car that suits your needs through the Motability Scheme.
If you are on the higher rate of the mobility component of PIP and have 12 months or more remaining on your allowance, you can apply.
You’ll have over 2,000 cars to choose from and insurance, tax and servicing are all included.
You can find more details at Motability.co.uk.
Discounted days out and memberships
You may be able to get discounts on days outs and memberships if you’re on PIP.
Several companies offer money off for those on benefits.
You may be able to get discounts on cinema, theatre and art gallery visits or train and bus travel.
Disability charity Scope has a useful page on some of the discounts you can get.
How to apply for PIP
You can make a new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claim by calling the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 0800 917 2222.
There are also other ways to claim if you find it difficult to use a telephone. See gov.uk for more information.
When you claim, you’ll need:
- Your contact details
- Date of birth
- National Insurance number
- 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
Someone else can call on your behalf, but you’ll need to be with them when they call.
You’ll then be sent a form to fill in, after which you’ll be invited for an assessment or your health or social care worker will be asked for information.
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After this, you’ll be sent a letter telling you if your claim has been successful.
You can find out more about applying on the Government’s website.
