PIP points checker
Walk through the same 12 activities DWP scores, using the official descriptors, and see roughly where your answers land. This is an estimate, not a decision.
What DWP asks when you ring - free, whether or not you use this checker.
12 activities, one screen each. Pick the statement closest to what happens on most days.
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What counts as "can do it"
DWP only counts something as something you "can do" if you can do it safely, to a good enough standard, as often as you need to, and within twice the time it would take most people without a disability or health condition. If any of those isn't true, or it isn't true on more than half of days, the lower descriptor usually applies instead.
How PIP points work
PIP looks at two separate things: daily living (things like preparing food, washing, or managing money) and mobility (planning a journey, and moving around). Each one is scored on its own, using its own set of 12 - or rather, its own subset of the 12 activities - 10 for daily living, 2 for mobility. Someone can qualify for one part, both, or neither.
For each activity, a short list of descriptors is compared against what actually happens - from "can do this without any difficulty" up to "cannot do this at all". Every descriptor carries a number of points. Only the highest-scoring descriptor that genuinely applies is used; points from different descriptors for the same activity are never added together.
What makes a descriptor apply isn't just whether something is possible in theory. DWP's own test asks whether it can be done safely, to a good enough standard, as often as it's needed, and within about twice the time it would take someone without the condition - and only if that's true on more than half of days. A single good day, or something managed once with a huge effort, doesn't change which descriptor honestly fits someone's normal range. This is exactly why the checker asks about a normal range of days, not a best day.
Once every activity in a part has its highest-scoring descriptor, the points for that part are added together. The two parts are then compared against the same scale, independently: 0 to 7 points is below the level needed for an award on that part, 8 to 11 is the standard rate, and 12 or more is the enhanced rate. A claim can land in a different band for daily living than it does for mobility, since the two are never combined. For example, someone who mostly manages at home but struggles significantly with getting around might score low on daily living and high on mobility - both outcomes are genuine and independent.
It's worth being honest rather than pessimistic when you go through the checker. It's common to underplay day-to-day difficulty, especially the first time it's written down - saying "I manage" when what actually happens is managing badly, slowly, or only with someone else's help. The checker's own descriptor wording is deliberately specific for this reason: it's not asking whether something is possible once, on a good day, with maximum effort, but whether it can be done reliably, safely, and without help, on more than half of an ordinary week.
Reliability matters as much as ability here. Someone who can technically wash and dress unaided, but who does so unsafely - slipping in the shower, or taking so long it becomes exhausting before the day has properly started - isn't "managing" in the way the test means. The same goes for anything that only works because someone else steps in: a reminder text, a call to check in, help cutting up food. If a descriptor mentions needing prompting, supervision or assistance and that's genuinely what happens, that's the honest answer, not the one that describes coping without it.
None of this replaces an assessment or a real decision. This checker turns the same public, official descriptors into a private, on-device estimate - it doesn't submit anything, store anything, or tell DWP anything. What you do with the result, if anything, is entirely up to you: use it to see where your answers might land, to decide which activities need the most detail in your own words, or just to understand the process before you start. See our full descriptor reference for the exact official wording and points behind every activity.
Common questions
Is this the real DWP assessment?
No. It's an independent estimate, using the same official descriptors DWP uses, so you can see roughly where your answers might land. Only DWP, with your form and any assessment, makes the actual decision.
Is anything I type saved or sent anywhere?
No. Your picks stay on your device for this visit only, so the result can be shown and, if you choose, carried into the free helper. Nothing is sent to a server or stored once you close the tab.
What if my result is below the level for an award?
That's what your picks suggest, not a decision - and not a reason to stop. Read "What counts as can do it" below, and the good-and-bad-days explainer, since a lot of claims undersell themselves on a first pass.
Does a high estimate mean I'll definitely get PIP?
No - it's still an estimate, never a promise. DWP decides based on your actual form, any evidence, and often an assessment, not on this tool's result.
Can I use this before or after I've claimed?
Either. Before claiming, it's a starting point for your answers. After a refusal, it can help you see which activities are worth focusing on in a reconsideration letter - the checker result links to both.
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Independent. Not part of DWP, the NHS or GOV.UK. We cannot promise an award.
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