In 2023, there were 71,984 PIP claimants with depression listed as their main disabling condition. This makes it the eleventh most common condition to get an award of PIP for out of over 500 conditions listed by the DWP.
So, if you have depression and it affects your daily living activities, such as cooking, washing, dressing or mixing with other people or your ability to get around, you should definitely consider making a claim.
Learn more or take the test
You can read more about claiming PIP for depression or take our simple online test now to find out if you might be able to make a claim.
Success rates
The DWP refer to this condition as 'depressive disorder' and list it with other mood disorders. There is also a separate, and much more common classification of ''Anxiety and depressive disorders - mixed'.
The success rate for PIP claims for depression on its own is 51%, compared to an overall average of 53%. So you have a slightly less than average chance of getting an award for depression , but still a very good chance.
Award rates
Please note, percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding.
23% of PIP claimants with depression , get the enhanced rate of both the daily living and the mobility component.
Daily living awards
Enhanced daily living 48%
Standard daily living 50%
No daily living 3%
Mobility awards
Enhanced mobility 31%
Standard mobility 30%
No mobility 40%
89% of claimants with depression who get an award get the daily living component, compared to 76% who get the mobility component.
Age range
The ages of those currently in receipt of PIP for depression are:
- 16-29 years 12%
- 30-49 years 37%
- 50-64 years 40%
- 65 and over 11%
PIP rates
The rates of PIP from April 2024 are:
Daily Living component
Standard rate: £72.65
Enhanced rate: £108.55
Mobility component
Standard rate: £28.70
Enhanced rate: £75.75
So, an award of the enhanced rate of PIP for both components means an extra £184.30 a week.
PIP is paid on top of almost every other benefit and may lead to an increase in some benefits or entitlement to additional benefits.
The enhanced rate of the mobility component also gives access to the Motability scheme.
How you qualify for PIP
This information applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland – Scotland has a separate system. You need to be aged at least 16 before you can receive PIP and you need to start your claim before you reach state pension age.
The best way to decide whether you might be eligible for PIP is to look through this list of PIP activities and think about the ways that your condition affects your ability to carry them out. You are awarded points according to the level of difficulty you have with each of these activities, with sufficient points leading to an award of PIP.
Daily living activities
There are 10 daily living activities:
- Preparing food
- Taking nutrition
- Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition
- Washing and bathing
- Managing toilet needs or incontinence
- Dressing and undressing
- Communicating verbally
- Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words
- Engaging with other people face-to-face
- Making budgeting decisions
Mobility activities
There are two mobility activities:
- Planning and following journeys
- Moving around
Remember that you need to be able to complete the activities
- to a reasonable standard,
- safely,
- repeatedly
- taking no more than twice as long as it would take a person without a health condition.
Points for depression
Below are some examples of the issues that you might have because of depression . Do remember, that if you have other conditions, you can take those into account too.
Difficulties with concentration may mean you start to cook a meal but then become distracted, leaving pans to burn or food to get cold in the microwave. You may need supervision because of this issue.
If you feel hopeless or worthless, you may need to be prompted not to neglect yourself and this can include ensuring that you eat meals.
If you have a history of self-harm or suicidal thoughts, you may require someone else to supervise you when taking your medication.
You might wash or bathe but not to an acceptable standard because, for example, your mood is low and you lack interest in your appearance.
You may lack the motivation to change your clothing and need prompting to make sure you put on clean clothes or change out of your nightclothes.
Issues with concentration/focus may cause you to miss social cues and so struggle to form relationships with others. You might need someone to support you with understanding.
Due to poor concentration, you may take wrong turns when walking/driving or miss your stop when on public transport unless you have someone to prompt you about this.
There are more examples of ways that depression may affect your PIP score in the PIP test for depression.
Benefits and Work members can also download a ‘PIP for depression Supplementary Guide’ from the PIP Guides page with even more examples and case studies, to complement our main guide to claiming PIP.
Take the next step
Claiming PIP isn't easy. And getting the correct award is even harder.
But there are things you can do to greatly increase your chances of getting the right result.
One of them is to use our highly detailed, step-by-step Guide to PIP claims and reviews, which will support you through every stage of the system.
Because filling in the 37 page PIP2 ‘How your disability affects you’ form in as much detail as possible is vital.
It not only means you are giving accurate and consistent evidence from the outset, it also improves your chances of overturning an unfair decision if you have to go to appeal.
Our guide takes you through the PIP2 form, box-by-box, explaining the kind of information you need to put in each one.
Being fully prepared for an assessment is vital too. Knowing what questions you are likely to be asked and what unspoken assumptions may be made based on your answers, unless you deal with them, can make all the difference. Our guide will ensure you are as ready as you possibly can be.
And because we’ve been supporting claimants for 20 years and have a community of thousands of members who keep us updated with their experiences, we can make sure you are prepared for any unfair tactics the DWP might employ.
And we have guides to every other part of your PIP claim too, from mandatory reconsideration, to appeal to review. Plus a forum where you can ask questions, regular news items and more.
So, whether you’ve tried claiming PIP before and been unsuccessful, or you’ve never had any experience of the benefits system, join the Benefits and Work community to give yourself the best possible chance of getting the right award.
Even if you are not ready to subscribe to the site yet, you can download our guide to ‘The First Steps To PIP Success’ for free and also join the 120,000 people who subscribe to our free fortnightly newsletter.
