Extra money and help PIP entitles you to

If you or your partner claim Housing Benefit, make sure you tell your local council you’re getting PIP. You should also tell them if the amount of PIP you get changes.

You might get more Housing Benefit if you get PIP, because of changes to the way it’s calculated.

There's no time limit to report a PIP award but you should do it as soon as possible so you get everything you're entitled to.

If you or your partner get Pension Credit, make sure you tell the Pension Service. You should also tell them if the amount of PIP you get changes. You can check how to contact the Pension Service.

You might be able to get a top-up to your Pension Credit. This is called the ‘severe disability addition’ (SDA). You can get the SDA if you get the PIP daily living component and meet other conditions.

The SDA is worth an extra £86.05 a week if you don't live with a partner. If you do live with a partner, it is worth either £86.05 or £172.10, depending on the other conditions.

There's no time limit to report a PIP award but you should do it as soon as possible so you get everything you're entitled to.

If you’re awarded PIP, you might be able to get more Universal Credit. This applies to both single and joint Universal Credit claims.

You should tell the DWP about your PIP award through your online journal.

You should also tell them if the amount of PIP you get changes.

There's no time limit to report a PIP award but you should do it as soon as possible so you get everything you're entitled to.

If you need help or support reporting your PIP award, call the Universal Credit helpline.

If you’re awarded PIP, the benefit cap won't apply to you. This means your Universal Credit won't be reduced. The benefit cap is removed from when your PIP award starts.

You might get more Universal Credit if you have difficulty working because you're sick or disabled. The DWP might say you have 'limited capability for work' (LCW) or 'limited capability for work-related activity' (LCWRA). 

If you haven't reached State Pension age

You can't usually be assessed for LCW or LCWRA for the first time if your weekly earnings are at least 16 times the hourly minimum wage.

This rule doesn't apply if you get PIP. If you don't already have LCW or LCWRA, you should ask the DWP for an assessment.

You should tell the DWP if you’re sick or disabled and get Universal Credit and PIP.

If you've reached State Pension age

You'll get LCW or LCWRA automatically because you get PIP.  You won't need to get a work capability assessment. Tell the DWP that you've been awarded PIP.

If you get your housing costs paid in your Universal Credit element

You might get more housing costs element. You can check how much Universal Credit you'll get.

These benefits have ended for most people. 

In the past, you could also get a top-up in your income-based JSA, Income Support or Housing Benefit. You could also get a top-up in your income-related ESA, but only if you got the daily living component with your PIP.

If you claimed PIP when you were getting one of these benefits

You should tell the office that paid you the old benefit if you got PIP. Tell them even though your old benefit has ended. You might get a lump sum for your old benefit - known as a ‘backpayment’.

You should also tell them if your PIP was reviewed while you were getting one of these older benefits and your PIP payments changed. If your PIP payments increased, you might get a backpayment.

You should tell them as soon as possible, so you get the extra money you're entitled to.

If you moved to Universal Credit from one of these benefits

You might now be entitled to more Universal Credit if you get PIP. This can be complicated, you can talk to an adviser.

Working Tax Credits ended for everyone on 5 April 2025.

If you started a claim for PIP before this date, you must tell HMRC if your claim for PIP was successful. You must do this within 1 month of the date on your PIP ‘decision notice’ - this is the letter that tells you your claim for benefits has been successful.

If you do this, HMRC should pay you a lump sum for the tax credits you missed while you were waiting for a decision on your disability benefit claim. They should do this even if your decision is after tax credits ended on 5 April.

You can only report your successful disability benefit claim by phoning HMRC. It’s important to do this as soon as you can so you don’t lose this extra money.

If you moved to Universal Credit from Working Tax Credit

You might now be entitled to more Universal Credit if you get PIP. This can be complicated, you can talk to an adviser.

You should tell your local council that a child or qualifying young person you're responsible for got PIP. Tell them even though your Housing Benefit has ended. You might get a lump sum - known as a ‘backpayment’.

If you started a claim for PIP for a child or qualifying young person while you were still getting Child Tax Credit, you must tell HMRC if the claim for PIP was successful. You must do this within 1 month of the date on the PIP ‘decision notice’ - this is the letter that tells you the claim for benefits has been successful.

If you do this, HMRC should pay you a lump sum for the tax credits you missed while you were waiting for a decision on the disability benefit claim. They should do this even if your decision is after your tax credits ended.

You can report the successful disability benefit claim by phoning HMRC. It’s important to do this as soon as you can so you don’t lose this extra money.