PIP mixing with people: descriptors and example answers
Mixing with other people asks whether you can engage face to face with other people, including people you don't know. It looks at whether you need prompting, social support, or whether trying causes overwhelming distress or a real risk of harm to you or someone else.
Whether you can mix with other people face to face, and what happens if trying causes distress or risk.
In this guide
In short
- It's about engaging with people face to face, not written or online contact.
- Social support means help from someone trained or experienced, not just company.
- Overwhelming distress or a real risk of harm to you or someone else both count.
- Describe what happens on most days, not just your worst day.
Pick what happens when you try to engage with people, and what helps. The helper writes it up in plain words for question 11.
What the activity asks
Mixing with other people is question 11 on the PIP2 form. The official name is 'engaging with other people face to face'. It looks at whether you can meet, talk with and respond to other people in person, understand body language, and get on with people, including people you don't know.
This is different from talking, listening and understanding, which is about whether you can speak and understand what's said. This activity is about engaging with people at all, whatever your communication is like.
What counts for this activity
DWP looks at a few specific things for this activity:
- Engaging face to face. Interacting with people, understanding body language and building relationships, including with people you don't know.
- Social support, meaning support from a person trained or experienced in helping you engage with others, not just company from someone you know.
- Overwhelming psychological distress, meaning engaging with people causes distress that goes beyond normal nervousness.
- Risk of harm, meaning engaging with people could lead to behaviour that's a real risk of harm to you or someone else.
What 'reliably' means
For every activity, DWP should only count what you can do:
- safely, without real risk of harm to you or someone else;
- 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 can go to one appointment but then need days to recover, or you can only manage it with someone trained to support you, say so.
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.
- Can engage with other people unaided.
- Needs prompting to be able to engage with other people.
- Needs social support to be able to engage with other people.
- Cannot engage with other people due to such engagement causing either (i) overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant; or (ii) the claimant to exhibit behaviour which would result in a substantial risk of harm to the claimant or another person.
Example answers
Invented examples, not real claims. Write your own in your own words, about your own day.
Weak: "I don't like being around people."
This doesn't say what happens, how often, or what you need.
Clearer: "On most days I can't go into a shop or waiting room without someone I trust coming with me. Being around strangers or noise makes my heart race and I start shaking. Last month I had to leave a GP waiting room after five minutes because I felt panic rising and thought I might shout at someone. Without someone with me I don't go out to unfamiliar places at all."
This says what triggers it, what happens, how often, 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 mixing with people varies, say what a typical day is like and what a bad day is like, and how many bad days you have in a normal week or month. A diary for a couple of weeks can help you work this out.
Evidence that helps
Useful evidence includes a letter from a GP, psychiatrist, psychologist or community mental health team, a support worker's report, or a note from someone who goes out with you. Send copies, not originals. See what to send with your PIP form.
Common questions
What does 'social support' mean for PIP?
Social support means help from someone trained or experienced in helping you engage with others, such as a support worker. It's different from just having someone with you for company.
Does anxiety count for the mixing with people activity?
Yes, if it causes overwhelming distress when you try to engage with people, or leads to behaviour that risks harm to you or someone else. Describe what happens, not just that you feel anxious.
Is mixing with people the same as talking to people?
No. Talking, listening and understanding is a separate activity. Mixing with people is about coping with engaging with others face to face, whatever your communication is like.
What if I can cope with people I know but not strangers?
Say so. Describe what happens with people you don't know, since that's part of what this activity looks at.
Do good and bad days matter for this activity?
Yes. DWP looks at what's true on more than half of days. Describe a typical day and a bad day, and how often bad days happen.
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