10 freebies and discounts you can get on PIP in June worth up to £40k including council tax discount
MILLIONS of people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to help cover the cost of long-term health conditions can get extra support with freebies and discounts.
The lesser-known help can make life more comfortable for struggling families dealing with the rising cost of living.
PAPeople who receive PIP could receive extra support worth thousands of pounds[/caption]
The perks include council tax discounts, blue badges and free NHS prescriptions.
You can claim PIP if you are 16 or over and under the state pension age – currently 66 – and get up to roughly £180 a week.
The benefit is made up of two parts and you can receive one or both, depending on your disability.
The daily living part is designed to cover the cost of difficulties you might have preparing or eating food, washing, bathing and more.
The lower weekly rate is £72.65 and the higher weekly rate is £108.55.
And the mobility part is given to those who need help after leaving home or moving around and is worth either £28.70 or £75.75.
Council tax discounts
If you’re on either the daily living or mobility part of PIP you might be able to get money off your council tax bill, or get it wiped completely, through Council Tax Support.
The amount you can get off varies depending on how much PIP you receive and where you live.
The average Band D council tax set by local authorities stands at £2,171, meaning even a discount of 10% is worth £217.
You can find help get by using the Government’s online tool at gov.uk/apply-for-council-tax-discount.
Your local authority will confirm the discount you’re entitled to but might ask for a PIP letter as proof.
Benefit boost
If you’re on PIP and one of a number of other benefits, you might be entitled to a top-up, also known as a premium.
These are the other benefits you will need to be receiving alongside PIP to get a top-up:
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
Get in touch with the department in charge of issuing you your benefits, which will be either by the HMRC or the Department for Work and Pensions.
You may need to send them a PIP award letter and they will tell you how much extra you’ll be entitled to.
Blue Badge
Blue badge parking spaces tend to be closer to the front of shop entrances, making your experience easier.
You can use your PIP award letter to apply for a blue badge.
Some councils can charge up to £10 for the badge which you will need to display in your vehicle.
If you’re on PIP and looking to claim a blue badge, contact your local council to apply.
Vehicle tax reduction
You could be entitled to a complete vehicle tax exemption if you’re on PIP, depending on your circumstances.
You can apply for 100% off if you’re on the enhanced rate mobility component of the benefit.
And you can get a 50% reduction if you’re on the standard rate mobility component.
In some cases, you can pay up to £2,595 on vehicle tax, so an exemption is worth a fair amount.
You can apply for a discount or exemption on the government’s website.
If you’re applying for the first time, you should be able to do it at your local Post Office branch.
To find your nearest branch, you can go on the Post Office’s website and use its branch finder or phone 0345 722 3344.
Free prescriptions
People receiving PIP and who meet specific criteria can get free NHS prescriptions.
Some of the illnesses that make you qualify are cancer, diabetes and epilepsy. The full list is on the NHS website.
To claim the freebie you need a medical exemption certificate (MedEx).
Speak to your GP and ask for an FP92A form, which they will sign and you can use to claim the MedEx online.
NHS prescriptions currently cost £9.90 in the UK, based on one prescription per month, that’s a £118.80 saving over the year.
Disabled Facilities Grant
If you’re disabled and need to make changes to your home to suit your needs you can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant.
For example, you might need to widen doors or install ramps to allow for wheelchair access.
Or you might need to have a heating system that suits your specific needs put in.
This money isn’t a loan and you don’t need to repay the cash.
The grants vary depending on where you live.
If you live in Wales you can get up to £36,000 worth of support, £30,000 in England and up to £25,000 in Northern Ireland.
You apply through your local council which has six months to let you know what decision it has come to.
Disabled person’s railcard
A disabled person’s railcards can give you up to a third off rail fares.
If another adult is travelling with you, they can also get a third off their ticket price.
A ticket from Manchester to London normally costing £76.30 would cost £50.35 with the railcard, saving a decent £25.95.
You can apply for the railcard on National Rail’s website.
Capped water bills
You might be able to get help with your water bill via the WaterSure scheme.
But you’ll need to be on a water meter or be waiting to have one installed and have a need to use lots of water.
If you qualify, your water bill is capped and you won’t pay more than the average metered bill for your area.
The amounts you can get off vary, but one saver got more than £1,000 refunded through the scheme.
The WaterSure scheme applies to only households in England. You can apply through your water supplier.
There are different schemes for those in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Lease a vehicle with PIP cash
You might be able to use your PIP allowance to lease a car that suits your needs through the Motability Scheme.
If you are on the higher rate of the mobility component of PIP and have 12 months or more remaining on your allowance, you can apply.
You’ll have over 2,000 cars to choose from and insurance, tax and servicing are all included.
You can find more details at motability.co.uk.
Discounted days out and memberships
You may be able to get discounts on days outs and memberships if you’re on PIP.
Several companies offer money off for those on certain benefits.
You may be able to get discounts on cinema, theatre and art gallery visits or train and bus travel.
Disability charity Scope has a useful page on some of the discounts you can get.
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.
How to 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 phone.
When you submit a 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 about applying on the Government’s website.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings