The 10 freebies and discounts worth up to £70k you can get on PIP benefits in October --[Reported by Umva mag]

MILLIONS of people claiming the Personal Independence Payout (PIP) benefit are eligible for extra freebies and discounts.

Those who claim PIP for help with long-term health conditions and disabilities could be missing out on extra advantages which come with the benefit.

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PIP is an important benefit for adults aged 16 and over who have not reached state pension age (66) and is made up of two parts.

One is to help with day-to-day tasks and the other is to help with mobility for those who need help getting around.

And whether you are able to claim both depends on your disability and how it affects you.

The amount you can get within these brackets also differs depending on your individual circumstance.

Payments are issued every four weeks.

In April, payments for the daily living component increased from £101.75 to £108.55 for enhanced and £68.10 to £72.65 for standard.

The mobility component also rose from £71 to £75.75 for enhanced, and £26.09 to £28.70 for standard.

If you get both parts, you can receive a maximum of £184.30 every 4 weeks – which is nearly £10,000 a year.

Eligible applicants must have lived in England, Scotland or Wales for at least two of the last three years, and currently living in one of these countries.

Whereas the process is different if you’re from Northern Ireland, you live abroad, or you’re not a British citizen.

Health professionals assess the claimant to work out the level of financial help needed to support the mental or physical disability.

Then payments are made every four weeks into the individual’s bank account, tax-free.

Here are 10 freebies you can also get if you claim the PIP benefit. It could be worth thousands of pounds extra a year, but of course the exact amount can vary depending on your circumstances.

Council tax discounts – £2,171 average

People who claim benefits can apply on the Government website for a council tax reduction.

This means if you’re either the daily living or mobility part of PIP you could get money off your council tax bill.

Some claimants are eligible for as much as a full discount.

Though the amount will vary depending on where you live and how much of the benefit you receive.

The average Band D council tax set by local authorities in England for the 2024/25 financial year is £2,171 – meaning this much could be saved if you got a full discount.

In order to find out if you are eligible, contact your local authority, and they will seek a PIP letter as evidence.

Reportedly around 2.8 million people don’t take advantage of the council tax discount, meaning £2.7 billion goes unclaimed each year.

Blue badge – £3,800 average

With a blue badge, those with disabilities can claim exemption from certain parking restrictions and take advantage of designated parking spaces.

The spaces usually offer more room to the individual and are located closer to store entrances.

Blue badge holders can park on single or double lines for up to three hours as long as there are no loading or unloading restrictions.

They can also get free or discounted on-street parking.

According to Just Park, Brits spend £3,800 on parking on average each year.

Which means PIP claimants could be saving this much with their blue badge.

The blue badge must be visible to others and displayed on the windscreen of your car.

Those who qualify for a blue badge receive one of the following benefits:

• Disability living allowance
• War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
• Received a lump sum payment as part of the Armed Forces compensation scheme (tariffs 1 to 8)

Anyone with a limited ability to walk, a disability in their arms, or who are registered blind are eligible for the badge.

To apply, you must submit PIP evidence to your council – however they usually charge a fee up to £10.

Benefit boost – £7,334.40

Individuals on PIP as well as one of a number of other benefits can claim a premium – which is an extra benefit top up.

You can claim a boost if you’re receiving one of the following alongside PIP:

• Housing Benefit
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income Support
• Working Tax Credit
• Employment and Support Allowance – but only if you get the PIP daily living component
• Pension Credit – but only if you get the PIP daily living component

If eligible, you could get either:

• £39.85 a week for a single person (disability premium)
• £56.80 a week for a couple (disability premium)
• £76.40 a week for a single person (severe disability premium)
• £152.80 a week if you’re in a couple and are both eligible (severe disability premium)
• £19.55 a week for a single person (enhanced disability premium)
• £27.90 a week if you’re in a couple and at least one of you is eligible (enhanced disability premium)

This means with the maximum amount, you could claim up to £7,945.60 annually.

The top up can happen automatically – or, if you haven’t received it when you should have, you should get in touch with the department in charge of handling your benefits.

This will either be HMRC or the Department for Work and Pensions, and they will likely ask for proof of your PIP letter.

Go to Gov.uk and use the Benefits Calculator to check your eligibility.

Capped water bills – £1,053

If you are claiming PIP, you could also benefit from a water bill cap thanks to the WaterSure scheme.

This means your bill could be capped, so you’re paying less than others in your area.

Claimants must be on a water meter or be waiting to have one installed, and they should also be able to prove that their disability causes them to use more water than an average household.

According to WaterSure, the average water bill a household pays annually is currently £471.

This means your bill will be capped at this amount if you are claiming PIP.

However, according to Martin Lewis, one person was refunded £1,053 through the scheme.

This scheme applies to households in England only, and they should apply by contacting their water supplier via its phone line or website.

Vehicle tax reduction – £1,177.50

Vehicle tax is the same as road tax – it is the price you pay to drive on the roads.

People who claim the standard mobility component of PIP can get up to a 50% reduction in vehicle tax.

You can also get 100% off if you’re on the enhanced rate mobility component.

In some cases vehicle tax can hit prices of as high as £2,355 a year, so the reduction could be as much as £1,177.50 for PIP claimants.

This is not always the case, and the amount could likely be lower.

To be eligible, applicants must be registering the vehicle in their own name or the name of their nominated driver.

They must also provide:

• A letter or statement from DWP that shows your PIP rate and the dates you’re getting it
• The vehicle log book (V5C)
• A V10 form
• An original MOT or GVT certificate (if your vehicle needs one)
• A cheque or payable order (made out to “DVLA, Swansea”) for 50% of the full rate of car tax for the vehicle

Paperwork should then be sent to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BF.

Motability Scheme – £23,760

The Motability Scheme is designed to allow PIP claimants to lease a car for their specific needs.

There are over 2,000 cars to choose from and insurance, tax and servicing are all sorted within the lease.

This is for people on the higher rate of the mobility component on PIP, and who also have at least 12 months remaining on their allowance.

Car rental costs around £66 a day on average in London, which could typically amount to a whopping £23,760 over the year – a considerable save.

Go to motability.co.uk for information on how to apply.

Free prescriptions – £115.80

If you are claiming PIP and have a certain qualifying illness, you could get your NHS prescriptions for free.

The prescription charge is £9.65 which means you could save £115.80 a year.

The full list of disabilities are available on the NHS website, and include cancer diabetes and epilsepsy.

Claimants must provide a medical exemption ticket (MedEx) which you can get online if you ask your GP for a signed FP92A form.

Disabled person’s railcard – £113

According to National Rail, adults with a disability can get a third off of travel with a Disabled Persons Railcard.

This means you could claim an average annual savings of up to £113, says the group.

With your PIP award letter, you can apply on National Rail’s website.

Discounted days out – £144

Many attractions offer discounted prices to those who can show they are on PIP or have a blue badge.

National Trust and English Heritage offer free entry to a person and their carer through the Essential Compassion Card.

An annual pass for these sites usually costs £72 a year, meaning you could save a combined £144 with your carer also entering free.

Discounts can also extend to cinema, theatre and art gallery visits, as well as the additional bonus of reduced bus and train travel.

To browse which discounts you can get, disability charity Scope offer a useful summary of what’s on offer.

Disabled facilities grant – £30,000

PIP provides useful evidence for those wishing to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant.

This is a grant which allows you to rework your home to suit the needs of your disability.

For example, bar handles for bathrooms or ramps for wheelchair access.

People in England can get a grant up to £30,000, while those in Wales can get £26,000, and Northern Ireland £25,000.

This grant scheme does not include Scotland.

This is the general maximum, and could be much less depending on your circumstance.

Gov.uk specifies that in specific cases the grant could be even higher, based on the cost of the work on the property.

The grant can be acquired through your local council, so you should go to their website to find out how to apply.

How do I apply for PIP?

You can make a new PIP claim by calling the Department for Work and Pensions on 0800 917 2222.

There are also other ways to claim if you find it difficult to use a telephone. See Gov.UK for more information.

When you claim, you’ll need:

• 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

Someone else can call on your behalf, but you’ll need to be with them when they call.

You’ll then be sent a form to fill in, after which you’ll be invited for an assessment or your health or social care worker will be asked for information.

After this, you’ll be sent a letter telling you if your claim has been successful.

You can find out more on the government’s website.

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