Why most PIP claims fail
The DWP scores your PIP2 form against specific descriptors using specific language. Vague answers like "I struggle to cook" or "I find it hard to walk far" score zero points. Answers that specify frequency, difficulty, cause, aids and unmet help - and address the four reliability criteria - can score 8 to 12 points per activity. Below are real examples showing the difference.
Read this first: The examples below are anonymised illustrations of what a strong PIP2 answer looks like. Do not copy them word-for-word - your claim must reflect your real situation. The DWP scores you on what is true for YOU. Examples show the structure, language and descriptor mapping you should aim for, personalised to your own conditions and difficulties.
Example 1: Anxiety with panic attacks
Engaging with other people face to face
PIP2 Question 12 · Daily Living activity #9
Targeting descriptor
"Needs social support to be able to engage with other people" 4 points
On most days (5 to 7 days a week) I cannot reliably engage with unfamiliar people without significant distress. I cancel around half of social plans I make and have missed three GP appointments in the past six months when no one could come with me.
The difficulty is that my anxiety triggers panic attacks in unfamiliar settings - rapid heart, shaking, dry mouth and a strong urge to leave. Even getting to the appointment requires my partner to drive me. Once there, if I am asked a difficult question my mind goes blank and I cannot articulate what I came to say.
Aids and help: My partner attends every medical and DWP appointment with me. They recap what was said when I lose track and advocate when I cannot speak for myself. I cannot rely on phone or video calls because the anticipatory anxiety builds for days beforehand.
Help needed but not received: When my partner is unavailable, I miss the appointment rather than attend alone. I have asked my GP about referral to a community mental health team but currently rely solely on my partner.
I cannot engage with unfamiliar people safely (panic risk), to an acceptable standard (cannot articulate my needs), or repeatedly (one social interaction leaves me unable to engage further for 2 to 3 days).
The difficulty is that my anxiety triggers panic attacks in unfamiliar settings - rapid heart, shaking, dry mouth and a strong urge to leave. Even getting to the appointment requires my partner to drive me. Once there, if I am asked a difficult question my mind goes blank and I cannot articulate what I came to say.
Aids and help: My partner attends every medical and DWP appointment with me. They recap what was said when I lose track and advocate when I cannot speak for myself. I cannot rely on phone or video calls because the anticipatory anxiety builds for days beforehand.
Help needed but not received: When my partner is unavailable, I miss the appointment rather than attend alone. I have asked my GP about referral to a community mental health team but currently rely solely on my partner.
I cannot engage with unfamiliar people safely (panic risk), to an acceptable standard (cannot articulate my needs), or repeatedly (one social interaction leaves me unable to engage further for 2 to 3 days).
"I have anxiety. I get nervous around new people and sometimes I have panic attacks. I prefer to stay at home. My partner usually comes with me to appointments because I do not like going alone."
DWP score: likely 0-2 points. Vague, no frequency, no reliability criteria addressed, no specific examples.
Get this kind of answer written for your specific conditions, across all 12 PIP activities.
Try free preview →Example 2: Fibromyalgia with chronic fatigue
Preparing food
PIP2 Question 3 · Daily Living activity #1
Targeting descriptor
"Needs supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal" 4 points
On most days (4 to 6 days a week) I cannot prepare and cook a simple meal safely or to an acceptable standard. On my worst days (2 to 3 per week) I cannot prepare any food at all and rely on cold sandwiches or ready meals heated by my partner.
The difficulty is that fibromyalgia causes widespread pain that worsens with standing and gripping. I cannot stand at the worktop for more than 5 to 8 minutes before my legs and lower back become unbearable. Chronic fatigue means even peeling vegetables exhausts me - my hands shake and I drop knives. I have burned myself twice in the last 12 months because brain fog made me forget the hob was on.
Aids and help: I use a perching stool, a kettle tipper, and lightweight pans recommended by my OT. My partner supervises me whenever I attempt to cook anything involving heat. On bad days they cook entirely.
Help needed but not received: If my partner works late, I go without a hot meal. I have applied for adult social care assessment for additional support but currently rely only on my partner.
I cannot prepare food safely (history of burns, dropping items), to an acceptable standard (unable to complete a meal), repeatedly (one cooking attempt uses my entire energy budget), or in a reasonable time period (a meal takes me 90 minutes when it should take 20).
The difficulty is that fibromyalgia causes widespread pain that worsens with standing and gripping. I cannot stand at the worktop for more than 5 to 8 minutes before my legs and lower back become unbearable. Chronic fatigue means even peeling vegetables exhausts me - my hands shake and I drop knives. I have burned myself twice in the last 12 months because brain fog made me forget the hob was on.
Aids and help: I use a perching stool, a kettle tipper, and lightweight pans recommended by my OT. My partner supervises me whenever I attempt to cook anything involving heat. On bad days they cook entirely.
Help needed but not received: If my partner works late, I go without a hot meal. I have applied for adult social care assessment for additional support but currently rely only on my partner.
I cannot prepare food safely (history of burns, dropping items), to an acceptable standard (unable to complete a meal), repeatedly (one cooking attempt uses my entire energy budget), or in a reasonable time period (a meal takes me 90 minutes when it should take 20).
"I have fibromyalgia and I get tired easily. Some days I cannot cook because of pain. My partner helps me with meals when I cannot manage. I try to use the microwave when I can."
DWP score: likely 0-2 points. No frequency, no specific examples, no aids mentioned, none of the reliability criteria addressed.
Get all 12 activities written this way, mapped to YOUR conditions.
Try free preview →Example 3: ADHD with executive dysfunction
Making budgeting decisions
PIP2 Question 10 · Daily Living activity #10
Targeting descriptor
"Needs prompting or assistance to be able to make simple budgeting decisions" 2 points
On most days I cannot reliably make or manage simple budgeting decisions without prompting from my mother. I have missed three rent payments in the past 12 months despite having the money in my account - I simply forgot or got distracted by another task. I have been in arrears with my energy supplier twice for the same reason.
The difficulty is that my ADHD causes executive dysfunction. I struggle to initiate boring tasks (paying bills), I lose track of time and money flow, and I impulse-spend when emotionally dysregulated. I have spent grocery money on online shopping more than once and then could not afford food until next payday.
Aids and help: My mother sets up reminders on my phone for every bill due date and rings me on the day. She helps me check my bank balance weekly and intervenes when she notices large unusual transactions. Direct debits help for fixed amounts but I still need prompting for variable bills (council tax catch-up, vet bills, etc).
Help needed but not received: When my mother is on holiday or unwell, my finances start to slip within a week. I have been on a 14-month waiting list for an NHS ADHD coaching service.
I cannot make simple budgeting decisions reliably without prompting, and the consequences (rent arrears, food insecurity) show the difficulty is genuine.
The difficulty is that my ADHD causes executive dysfunction. I struggle to initiate boring tasks (paying bills), I lose track of time and money flow, and I impulse-spend when emotionally dysregulated. I have spent grocery money on online shopping more than once and then could not afford food until next payday.
Aids and help: My mother sets up reminders on my phone for every bill due date and rings me on the day. She helps me check my bank balance weekly and intervenes when she notices large unusual transactions. Direct debits help for fixed amounts but I still need prompting for variable bills (council tax catch-up, vet bills, etc).
Help needed but not received: When my mother is on holiday or unwell, my finances start to slip within a week. I have been on a 14-month waiting list for an NHS ADHD coaching service.
I cannot make simple budgeting decisions reliably without prompting, and the consequences (rent arrears, food insecurity) show the difficulty is genuine.
"I have ADHD and I am bad with money. I sometimes forget to pay bills. My mum helps me with money stuff. I get into debt sometimes."
DWP score: likely 0 points. No frequency, no specific examples of consequences, no descriptor language, no reliability criteria.
See examples like this for the 12 activities, written for your conditions.
Try free preview →Example 4: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome & POTS
Moving around
PIP2 Question 14 · Mobility activity #12
Targeting descriptor
"Can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres" 12 points - Enhanced Mobility
On most days I can walk no more than 20 metres before I have to stop and sit down. On bad days (2 to 3 per week) I cannot walk at all and stay in bed or on the sofa. Even on better days, walking 30 to 40 metres once uses my entire daily walking capacity - I cannot do it again later the same day.
The difficulty has three causes. POTS causes my heart rate to spike and blood pressure to drop within metres of standing, leading to pre-syncope. EDS causes my ankle and knee joints to subluxate unpredictably under load - I have fallen six times in the past year. Post-exertional malaise means a 20-metre walk leaves me bedbound for the rest of the day.
Aids and help: I use a walking stick on most days indoors and for short outdoor trips. For any outing over 50 metres (hospital appointments, supermarket, shopping centres) I use a manual wheelchair pushed by my partner. I cannot self-propel because my shoulders subluxate.
Help needed but not received: A powered wheelchair would give me independence but cost has prevented this. Without my partner pushing the manual chair I cannot leave the house for non-essential reasons.
I cannot move safely (history of 6 falls in 12 months), reliably (cannot repeat distances), or in a reasonable time period (20 metres takes 3 to 4 minutes with rests).
The difficulty has three causes. POTS causes my heart rate to spike and blood pressure to drop within metres of standing, leading to pre-syncope. EDS causes my ankle and knee joints to subluxate unpredictably under load - I have fallen six times in the past year. Post-exertional malaise means a 20-metre walk leaves me bedbound for the rest of the day.
Aids and help: I use a walking stick on most days indoors and for short outdoor trips. For any outing over 50 metres (hospital appointments, supermarket, shopping centres) I use a manual wheelchair pushed by my partner. I cannot self-propel because my shoulders subluxate.
Help needed but not received: A powered wheelchair would give me independence but cost has prevented this. Without my partner pushing the manual chair I cannot leave the house for non-essential reasons.
I cannot move safely (history of 6 falls in 12 months), reliably (cannot repeat distances), or in a reasonable time period (20 metres takes 3 to 4 minutes with rests).
"I have EDS and POTS. I struggle to walk far. I get dizzy and my joints hurt. I use a walking stick most days and a wheelchair sometimes when I go out."
DWP score: likely 0-4 points. No specific distance, no frequency, no fall history, no reliability criteria, no mention of repeatedly criterion.
The full Done For You report covers all 12 activities at this depth.
Try free preview →The 5-part structure every PIP2 answer needs
Every example above follows the same structure because that is what the DWP scores against. Use this for your own answers:
- Frequency. Specify how often the difficulty occurs (most days = more than 50% of days). Quantify in days per week.
- What the difficulty is. Be concrete - "cannot stand for more than 5 minutes" not "I struggle to stand".
- Why (linked to condition). Connect the difficulty to your specific diagnosis. The DWP cannot infer this.
- Aids and help received. List everything - physical aids, supervision, prompting, who and how often.
- Help needed but not received. Often forgotten but critical - describes the gap between current support and what you need.
Then reference the four reliability criteria - safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, in a reasonable time. These multiply your score on every activity.
Get this for all 12 activities, written for your conditions
Done For You generates complete PIP2 answers for every activity, mapped to descriptors, ready to copy onto your form. Includes assessment prep, evidence checklist, GP letter template and "What NOT to say" guide.
Try one activity free first → See pricing optionsWant more worked examples for your own condition? Our sister site FillMyPIP publishes free example PIP2 answers for 29 conditions, from fibromyalgia and anxiety to COPD and arthritis, each written activity by activity in the same descriptor-led structure.
Frequently asked questions
Are these PIP form examples real?
The examples on this page are anonymised illustrations of the structure and language used in successful PIP claims, written specifically to show how PIPexpert maps your conditions to the official descriptors. Your generated report will be different because it uses your specific conditions, how they affect your daily life, and the aids you use. The example structure and descriptor mapping approach is what stays consistent.
Can I just copy these examples for my PIP claim?
No, and you should not. The DWP scores your claim on what is true for you, not on what is true for someone else. If your difficulties do not match the example, copying it would be inaccurate and would harm your claim. The examples show what good PIP2 answers look like so you understand the standard - your own claim must reflect your real situation.
Why do my answers need to look like this?
PIP is scored against specific descriptors using specific language. Vague answers like "I struggle" or "I find it hard" score zero points. Answers that address the four reliability criteria - safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, in a reasonable time - and that match the wording of the official descriptors score the most points.
How is what PIPexpert generates different from these examples?
These examples show ONE activity each for ONE condition. The PIPexpert Done For You report covers all 12 PIP activities, personalised to your specific combination of conditions, with descriptor mapping, ready-to-use PIP2 language, evidence checklists and assessment prep. The examples on this page are a tiny fraction of what you get.
What is the difference between a good and a bad PIP form answer?
A bad answer says "I struggle to cook" or "I sometimes need help washing". A good answer specifies the frequency (most days), what the difficulty is (cannot stand for more than 5 minutes), why (pain from condition X causes Y), what aids are used (perching stool, grab rails), what help is received (partner supervises) and what help is needed but not received (no one available to wash my hair on bad days). The reliability criteria should be referenced explicitly.