Personal Independence Payments (PIP)

If you qualify as a disabled person according to the Equality Act 2010 you may be entitled to Personal Independence Payments (PIP). This is an additional payment from the Government to help you cover the extra costs associated with being disabled / having an impairment, whether or not you are in work. PIPs are not means-tested, so you can still go to work and get PIP, and it doesn’t matter how much you earn.

For example:

  • If you have severe endometriosis or adenomyosis, and suffer from heavy and prolonged bleeding, you may need extra period products to prevent leaking. Or to wash your clothes more often, which means buying more laundry detergent and higher electricity bills.
  • If endometriosis affects your bowels, you may need to spend money on a special toilet seat and extra toilet paper.
  • If you suffer from extreme fatigue and spend money on taxis to get you to work rather than queuing and standing on public transport.
  • If you are not able to work, you may be able to claim for Universal Credit support. For more information about Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payments, or benefits in general, you may wish to visit the UK Government website.

You can seek help with claiming benefits from Citizen’s Advice or Welfare Rights in your local authority (council) if they provide such a service.

Patient Perspectives

Our patient perspectives are taken from interviews with endometriosis patients and the 2018 survey

  • Extreme pelvic pain related to menstrual bleeding. I have been hospitalised overnight due to pain at least 4 times, and for around a year was taking morphine regularly for the extreme pain. The pain disabled me and caused me to have to drop out of university for a year.
  • I try and reduce stress, because for me, stressful situations tend to trigger an episode of pain. If I get an episode of pain, then it basically makes me housebound, I don’t want to be too far from home. I don’t want to be too far from a bathroom, to put it bluntly.
  • I’ve had heavy and irregular periods, severe pain in my belly, my back, my legs. I’ve had fatigue, nausea, all sorts really. It’s hard to pinpoint everything, I guess, because it’s just normal for me now. It’s just the pain constantly, the periods, the bowel problems, everything like that.

Frequently Asked Questions

Links

GOV.UK information on Personal Independence Payments

Guidance on Personal Independence Payments (PIP) from the UK Government

Citizens Advice Wales

Citizens Advice Wales offer confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free.