PIP managing treatments: descriptors and example answers
The managing treatments activity asks whether you can manage medication, therapy or monitoring a health condition, such as checking blood sugar or doing physiotherapy at home. DWP looks at whether you can do this safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, and in a reasonable time. It also looks at how many hours of therapy you need help with each week.
Whether you can manage medication, therapy or monitoring, safely, on most days.
In this guide
In short
- It covers medication, monitoring a condition, and therapies done at home.
- Remembering doses, injecting, and monitoring blood sugar or blood pressure all count.
- How many hours a week you need help with therapy matters too.
- Describe most days, and what a bad day looks like.
Pick your medication, monitoring or therapy, and any help you need. The helper writes it up in plain words for question 5.
What the activity asks
Managing treatments is question 5 on the PIP2 form. Its full name is 'managing therapy or monitoring a health condition'. It asks whether you can manage medication, monitor a health condition, or manage a therapy done at home, such as physiotherapy.
Treatment given in hospital or by a clinic isn't counted here, only what you manage yourself, at home.
Key things that count
These all count for this activity:
- remembering to take medication, opening bottles or blister packs, or measuring a dose;
- injecting yourself, monitoring blood sugar or blood pressure, or changing a dressing;
- doing physiotherapy or exercises at home;
- aids such as a pill organiser, or an app or alarm reminders;
- needing someone to prepare your medication, do your monitoring or therapy, or put in eye drops or creams;
- needing supervision in case something goes wrong.
How many hours a week a therapy takes also matters: the descriptors are banded by up to 3.5, 3.5 to 7, 7 to 14, and more than 14 hours a week.
What 'reliably' means
For every activity, DWP should only count what you can do:
- safely, without real risk of harm, such as taking the wrong dose;
- to an acceptable standard;
- repeatedly, as often as you'd reasonably need to;
- in a reasonable time, no more than twice as long as someone without your condition.
So if you often miss doses, or your condition gets worse because you skip therapy or monitoring, say so. That's part of whether you can manage this reliably.
The descriptors
These are the official statements, from the least help to the most. DWP picks the one that fits you on more than half of days. The PIP descriptors guide shows how each one is scored.
- Either (i) does not receive medication or therapy or need to monitor a health condition; or (ii) can manage medication or therapy or monitor a health condition unaided.
- Needs either (i) to use an aid or appliance to be able to manage medication; or (ii) supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage medication or monitor a health condition.
- Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes no more than 3.5 hours a week.
- Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 3.5 but no more than 7 hours a week.
- Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 7 but no more than 14 hours a week.
- Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage therapy that takes more than 14 hours a week.
Example answers
Invented examples, not real claims. Write your own in your own words, about your own day.
Weak: "I sometimes forget my tablets."
This doesn't say how often, what happens, or what help is needed.
Clearer: "I use a pill organiser, but I still forgot my evening tablets three times last week because I lose track of the days. Someone checks the organiser each evening to see if I've taken them. I also do physiotherapy exercises at home twice a day, about 20 minutes each time, and need someone to remind me to start."
This says what's hard, the aid used, the help needed, how often it happens, and a real example.
Good days and bad days
DWP looks at what's true on more than half of days over a year. If managing your medication, monitoring or therapy varies, say what you can manage on a typical day and on a bad day, and how many bad days you have in a normal week or month.
Evidence that helps
Useful evidence includes a letter from a GP, pharmacist, physiotherapist or specialist nurse that mentions your medication, monitoring or therapy, a prescription list, or a therapy timetable. Send copies, not originals. See what to send with your PIP form.
Common questions
Does managing my own medication count for PIP?
Yes. If you need an aid, prompting, supervision or help to manage your medication or monitor a health condition, describe that under this activity.
What counts as therapy for this activity?
Therapy done at home, such as physiotherapy, exercises or dressing changes, counts. Treatment given in hospital or by a clinic doesn't count here.
Does checking my blood sugar count?
Yes. Monitoring a health condition, such as checking blood sugar or blood pressure, is part of this activity.
Why does it ask how many hours a week?
The time a therapy takes each week affects how the activity is assessed. Say roughly how long it takes, including any help you need.
Does forgetting medication count as needing prompting?
Yes. If you need reminding to take medication, or someone checks you've taken it, that's a form of help this activity covers.
Claiming is free
You can apply to DWP directly, and Citizens Advice can help at no cost. We're here if you'd rather do it yourself, at your own pace, any time, with no appointment to wait for.
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Sources
- The Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013, Schedule 1 - legislation.gov.uk - checked 27 September 2026
- PIP assessment guide part 2: the assessment criteria - GOV.UK - checked 27 September 2026