How to answer PIP descriptors for a 16-year-old moving from DLA

Wow the media and right wing have really succeeded in demonising disability benefits huh

Is your son in education? Put his name into the search on your email to get evidence. When the school ring me to pick my son up because he has fallen asleep in class I ask them to send me an email so I have it in writing as evidence that he doesn't sleep well.

Hi all, when transferring from dla to pip, do you get a back payment if the amount your awarded from pip is higher then the amount you already receive from dla.
TIA 😊

is he medicated? If so, show proof. Has he seen the GP for a review? Include that.

Can he travel alone, follow a route, will he be capable of learning to drive?

Does he need reminding to shower, to take meds, to brush teeth?

Can he order an Uber, catch a train, read a timetable, go to classes, meet friends etc

You don’t tell them your worst day is the norm.. you just be honest and tell them that it is a worst day and how often they occur. There are times during waking hours that I look perfectly normal, about 1/3 of my day. Another 1/3 is a struggle and the final 1/3 I am at my worst. This is what I told the PIP assessor. If I’d told them that I was always like it that would be totally wrong and they could quite literally say I had lied.

Don’t listen to the haters. They don’t understand what they’re talking about.

Can I suggest you look up Charlie Anderson’s videos on YouTube? They were beyond helpful when my dd was moving from DLA to PIP.

You have to understand where you fit into the criteria and nobody tells you.

Youd have been better off posting in the disability section @TheOpalFox.

These threads are full of people who are jealous of the help disabled people get when they themselves were happy to accept furlough payments in their times of need 🙄.

Answer each question as it would be on his worst day. Be detailed, be specific. Send as much evidence as you can, the more evidence you have the better.

So the charity Contact (for disabled children) have a great helpline and guide on how to complete PIP on their website....

You can use DS’s EHCP and the evidence in section K.

I assume op means her disability is making it hard to fill out the form.

Its quite different than the DLA form. Is there somone that could help you?

You get an opportunity on the form to explain the challenges your child has doing a set of tasks (they are around care, comms and mobility) and any support they have to do them and what would happen if that support wasnt in place. Then you add evidence of what you said.

Do you not have anything from school or your GP?

There’s this general up-to-date guide https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip

And they’re doing a new survey (with comments) https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/have-you-helped-your-child-move-from-dla-to-pip?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Benefits+and+Work&utm_content=V2+6+May+2026+Newsletter

It is not typical for someone with ADHD to qualify for PIP. If his circumstances are very severe and they actually interfere with him functioning day-to-day, you need to make that really clear

I understand you are also disabled, but your disability is not relevant to his claim

I get PIP. I was successful when I transferred from DLA to PIP right at the beginning of it all. I have always been honest, as you should be. I had a face to face assessment, and they’re starting to do a hell of a lot of more. The assessors can see straight through the bullshit when people exaggerate, then we get the moaning of “it’s not fair, they’re so mean…”

You absolutely do need to send in medical evidence to back up your claim too, for my review I sent in 499 pages, otherwise you might as well not bother.

You need to answer honestly and have professionals who can back up your statements. They are not interested in labels, in diagnosis, they are interested in the difficulties he has compared to a person of his age and experience. Eg is he physically capable of preparing food and managing the routine of eating rather than is he a good cook, because most 16 year olds are not. Does he need help with self care, or does he need reminding to do every day tasks a typical 16 year old manages themselves.

there is no lower rate but standard and enhanced are similar

You're gonna get grief for asking this question, because people think you are lying if you don't magically know how to answer the questions, but the truth is the way you phrase the answers matters massively and a lot of us struggle with phrasing things DUE TO OUR DISABILITY, so it's a valid question.

For example, if you answer "I can do x if y", all they hear is "I can". You have to start your answers with "I can't safely, reliably and repeatedly do x, due to y" and then say how that impacts your life.

So something like "I can't safely, reliably and repeatedly cook a meal, because I struggle to focus long enough to cook safely. I can start cooking and then suddenly walk away because I get distracted by my phone, a noise, or another thought. I completely forget I was cooking until I smell burning or someone reminds me. This has happened several times, and started a fire."

I used answers from autism life journal (they have answers for other conditions, not just autism)

Some do have F2F assessments.

Some have a paper-based assessment, some have phone assessments, some have virtual assessments and some have F2F assessments.

Are you appointee? If you need help completing the form see if CAB or a local charity can help.

Don’t base your answers on the worst day and don’t exaggerate. PIP is based on the majority of the time, that is more than 50% of the time.

The criteria for DLA and PIP are different, so some will be eligible for DLA but not go on to be eligible for PIP.

It is useful to say wjat he cannot do compared with a 'typical' 16 year old. Even needing to be prompted to everyday tasks.

You are filling it out for him, not yourself so your own disability is irrelevant. You could see where the points are awarded, so if you son has difficulty with tasks points are awarded too, so bathing, toileting, cooking etc, you then to describe his difficulties and how you assist him (if you do).

How would u answer the descriptors plz. ?

Truthfully???