What to Write on Your PIP Form - Examples That Score Points
Updated May 2026 · 10 min read · By PIPexpert
The words you use on your PIP2 form are the difference between 0 points and enhanced rate. The DWP doesn't score your condition - they score how you describe it. Below are real examples of what scores nothing and what scores points, for some of the most common PIP activities.
⚠ Important: These are general examples to show you the STYLE of language that works. Your form must describe YOUR specific difficulties. Generic phrases copied from the internet won't score well - the DWP can tell.
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Watch: a real Done For You report, from the form to your answers question by question (4 min).
Before you send it: paste each draft answer into our free PIP answer checker. It shows in a second whether the answer says how often, what help, how safely and what goes wrong, the things the decision maker scores.
Activity 1: Preparing Food
✗ SCORES 0 POINTS
"I have fibromyalgia and it causes me pain. Some days are worse than others. I try to cook but it's hard. I manage with help from my partner."
Why: "I manage" tells the DWP you cope. "Some days" means not the majority. "It's hard" means you CAN do it.
✓ SCORES 4 POINTS
"On the majority of days, widespread pain prevents me from standing at the kitchen worktop for more than 3-4 minutes. I cannot safely use sharp knives due to reduced grip strength. I have dropped hot pans twice in the past month. I require another person to prepare all cooked meals as I cannot do this safely or repeatedly."
Why: specific time limits, safety risks, real incidents, reliability criteria addressed, need for another person clearly stated.
Activity 4: Washing and Bathing
✗ SCORES 0 POINTS
"I find it difficult to wash myself sometimes. I have a shower stool which helps."
Why: "sometimes" means not the majority. "Which helps" means the aid solves the problem.
✓ SCORES 2-4 POINTS
"On the majority of days, I cannot wash my lower body (feet, lower legs) because bending causes severe pain in my spine. Even with a shower stool, I cannot reach below my knees. My partner has to wash my feet and lower legs. Washing my hair requires raising both arms which causes my shoulders to seize within seconds. I can only shower 2-3 times per week due to exhaustion afterwards."
Why: specific body parts named, aids mentioned but shown as insufficient, another person needed, frequency stated.
"Getting dressed takes me a long time because of my pain."
Why: no specifics, no mention of what you can't do, no time given.
✓ SCORES 2 POINTS
"I cannot bend to put on socks, shoes or trousers without severe pain. My partner puts my socks and shoes on every morning. I cannot fasten buttons or zips due to reduced grip and stiffness in my fingers, especially in the morning when stiffness is worst. Getting dressed takes 25-30 minutes compared to 5 minutes for most people."
Why: specific garments named, another person's help described, time comparison given, morning stiffness mentioned.
Activity 11: Planning and Following Journeys
✗ SCORES 0 POINTS
"I don't like going out much because of my anxiety."
Why: "don't like" is preference, not inability. No description of what happens.
✓ SCORES 4-10 POINTS
"I experience overwhelming panic attacks when attempting to travel to unfamiliar places. My heart races, I hyperventilate and I have vomited from anxiety on two occasions in the past month. I cannot use public transport alone because the crowds and enclosed space trigger a panic response. I need another person to accompany me on any journey to an unfamiliar place. Even with a companion, I have had to abandon journeys 3-4 times in the past month due to psychological distress."
Why: physical symptoms described, specific incidents, public transport issues, need for companion, frequency of abandoned journeys.
Activity 12: Moving Around
✗ SCORES 0 POINTS
"I can walk but not very far. I get tired and my legs hurt."
Why: "I can walk" is the worst opening. No distance. "Tired" is not a medical symptom.
✓ SCORES 8-12 POINTS
"I can only walk approximately 20 metres before severe pain in my lower back forces me to stop completely. After stopping, I need 5-10 minutes to recover before attempting to walk again. I use a walking stick at all times but even with this aid, I cannot walk more than 20 metres reliably. After walking this distance, the pain is so severe that I could not repeat the journey for at least one hour. I have fallen three times in the past two months due to my legs giving way."
Why: exact distance, recovery time, aid mentioned but insufficient, reliability criteria (cannot repeat), falls as safety evidence.
The Golden Rules of PIP Wording
Every example above follows the same pattern:
Be specific - distances in metres, times in minutes, frequencies per week/month
Describe the majority of days - not your best day, not your absolute worst
Name what you CANNOT do - not what you can do with difficulty
Mention another person - if someone helps you, say exactly what they do
Include safety risks - falls, burns, cuts, near-misses, collapses
Address reliability - even if you can do it once, can you do it again? How long does it take?
Never say "I manage" - this phrase alone costs thousands of people their PIP
⚠ These examples show the APPROACH. Do NOT copy them word-for-word onto your form. The DWP needs to hear about YOUR specific difficulties, YOUR incidents, YOUR daily reality. Generic answers score poorly.
The Four Phrases That Always Help
"On the majority of days..." - Establishes reliability test compliance
"I cannot do this safely because..." - Invokes safety reliability criterion
"Even with [aid], I still cannot..." - Shows aids are insufficient
"After doing this, I cannot..." - Demonstrates "repeatedly" reliability test
Words to Avoid Completely
"Manage" / "cope" / "get by" - All score zero
"Sometimes" / "occasionally" / "a bit" - Too vague
"I try" / "I push through" - Implies you can do it
"Most people would..." - Comparisons to others don't help
"It's not too bad" - Your own minimisation
"I do my best" - Sounds like you cope
Frequently Asked Questions
How much detail should I write?
As much as needed to score the descriptor properly. Most successful PIP2 forms use 4-6 sentences per activity. Less than 2 sentences risks scoring zero. More than 10 sentences may not be read fully by the assessor.
Should I use the exact descriptor wording?
Don't quote descriptors verbatim - sounds rehearsed. Use the concepts: "I need prompting", "I cannot do this safely", "I take twice as long as normal." Express your own reality in DWP-aware language.
Can I attach extra pages?
Yes. The boxes are small but you can write "see attached" and add additional pages. Number each page and reference the activity. Many successful forms run to 30-40 pages including evidence.
Should I describe my worst day or typical day?
Typical day on the majority of days. Mention your worst days as additional detail. Avoid describing only your best day - this is the most common mistake.
What if I have multiple conditions?
For each activity, consider the COMBINED impact of all your conditions. Mention which condition causes which difficulty. The total impact across conditions is what scores.
How honest should I be about good days?
Completely honest. Lying or exaggerating damages credibility. Be honest about both good days AND bad days, ensuring the bad days are clearly the majority if that's true.
What if I can do activities with significant effort?
That's what reliability criteria address. "Can do with severe pain afterwards" fails "acceptable standard." "Can do once but not repeatedly" fails "repeatedly." "Takes 3x normal time" fails "reasonable time." Explain WHY you cannot do it reliably.
Need help with your PIP form?
PIPexpert generates personalised PIP2 answers for all 12 activities based on your specific conditions. You can try one activity completely free to see what it produces.