PIP Knowledge 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the lower age limit for making a new claim for PIP?
- 14 years old
- 16 years old (Correct answer)
- 18 years old
- 21 years old
Correct answer: 16 years old
A person must be aged 16 or over to make a new PIP claim; children under 16 may instead claim Disability Living Allowance for Children.
Question 2: Which of the following conditions does NOT automatically qualify a claimant for PIP?
- Terminal illness under Special Rules
- Being registered blind
- Having a learning disability
- Receiving Carer's Allowance for someone else (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Receiving Carer's Allowance for someone else
Receiving Carer's Allowance means you care for someone else and has no bearing on your own entitlement to PIP, which is based solely on your own health condition.
Question 3: Which document does a claimant typically need to obtain from their GP to support a PIP claim under the Special Rules for Terminal Illness?
- A DS1500 / SR1 form (Correct answer)
- A GP letter on headed paper
- An ESA50 questionnaire
- A hospital discharge summary only
Correct answer: A DS1500 / SR1 form
A DS1500 (now called the SR1) is completed by a clinician and confirms the terminal illness diagnosis, enabling fast-track PIP processing.
Question 4: Which statement about PIP and means-testing is correct?
- PIP is means-tested and reduced if savings exceed £16,000
- PIP is means-tested based on household income
- PIP is not means-tested and is paid regardless of income or savings (Correct answer)
- PIP is means-tested only for claimants over 60
Correct answer: PIP is not means-tested and is paid regardless of income or savings
PIP is not means-tested; it is based entirely on how a person's condition affects them, not on their income, savings, or employment status.
Question 5: If a PIP claimant's condition improves significantly, what are they legally required to do?
- Nothing; DWP will detect the improvement automatically
- Notify DWP of the change in circumstances within 1 month (Correct answer)
- Reapply for PIP at the lower rate
- Wait until their scheduled review date
Correct answer: Notify DWP of the change in circumstances within 1 month
Claimants must report changes that affect their PIP award within one month; failure to do so can result in overpayment recovery or a fraud investigation.
Question 6: The 'preparing food' activity under PIP Daily Living assesses which of the following?
- Whether the claimant can afford healthy food
- Whether the claimant can plan a weekly shopping list
- Whether the claimant can cook a simple meal unaided using a conventional cooker (Correct answer)
- Whether the claimant can follow a complex recipe
Correct answer: Whether the claimant can cook a simple meal unaided using a conventional cooker
The activity tests whether a claimant can safely prepare and cook a simple one-course meal using a conventional cooker, not complex cooking or shopping tasks.
Question 7: What is the purpose of the PIP 'award review' process?
- To check the claimant is still eligible and that the award reflects their current needs (Correct answer)
- To automatically increase the award in line with inflation
- To verify the claimant is spending PIP on disability-related costs
- To transfer the claimant onto Universal Credit
Correct answer: To check the claimant is still eligible and that the award reflects their current needs
Award reviews allow DWP to check whether a claimant's circumstances have changed and whether the current award level still correctly reflects their needs.
PIP Knowledge 5
What is the lower age limit for making a new claim for PIP?