IF you are suffering with back pain you could be eligible for an extra benefit worth up to £9,000 a year.
Those who face the pain as a result of a chronic or long term health condition could get a cash boost.
If you are living with back pain you could be entitled to claim PIP[/caption]
Personal Independence Payments (PIP) is paid to people with long-term physical or mental health conditions or disabilities.
The payment can boost your income by thousands of pounds a year, and you can be eligible whether you are in work or not.
There are two elements to PIP: a daily living component if you need help with everyday tasks and a mobility part if you need help getting around.
But in total the payments can be worth up to £187.45 a week so if you don’t claim it already, check to see if you are eligible.
The DWP says that while there is no specific list of conditions that entitle people to PIP, the impact it has on your daily life could mean you are eligible.
The department will then assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks.
For each task they will look at whether you can do it safely, how long it takes you, how often your condition affects this activity.
They will also look at whether you need help to do it, from either a person or using extra equipment.
Who can claim PIP
To claim this benefit you must be aged 16 or above.
You also must have a long term health condition, which can be physical or mental.
You must also expect the difficulties to last for at least 12 months from when they started.
Claimants can also receive PIP while also getting other benefits, such as Universal Credit.
If you are above state pension age you can apply for Attendance Allowance instead.
Or if you’ve received PIP before, you can still make a new claim if you were eligible for it in the year before you reached state pension age.
How much you can get
How much money you will receive depends on the severity of your condition.
Those who claim the lower daily living part will receive £73.90 a week, while those on the higher rate can get £110.40.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
You may also get the mobility part of PIP if you need help going out or moving around. The weekly rate for this is either £29.20 or £77.05.
Payments are usually made every four weeks directly into your bank account, and they’re tax-free.
How you can apply
You can apply for PIP over the phone by ringing the new claims phone line on 0800 917 2222.
When you claim, you’ll need the following information:
- Your contact details
- Date of birth
- National Insurance number
- Bank or building society account number and sort code
- Your doctor or health worker’s name
- Address and telephone number,
- Dates and addresses for any time you’ve spent abroad, in a care home or hospital
From here you will be sent a form to fill out, after that you will be invited for an assessment or your health and social care worker will be asked for information.
After this you will be sent a letter telling you if your claim has been successful.
If you apply for PIP and are unsuccessful you can appeal a decision.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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