PIP Form Help: How to Fill In the PIP2 Questionnaire

The PIP2 form is where your claim is won or lost

The PIP2 — officially called "How your disability affects you" — is the most important document in your claim. Decision makers and assessors read it before they speak to you. What you write here shapes whether you score enough points for an award, so it's worth taking time to get it right.

You have one calendar month to return the form. If you need longer, call 0800 121 4433 before the deadline to request an extension.

The structure of the PIP2

The form has four sections:

1. Section 1 — About your health condition or disability: list every condition, including undiagnosed symptoms. Name each medication, its dose, and any side effects (drowsiness, nausea, brain fog). Describe all therapies and how long they take each week.
2. Section 2 — About your health professionals: list up to three people who can speak to your limitations (GP, consultant, occupational therapist, community psychiatric nurse).
3. Section 3 — How your condition affects your day-to-day life: this includes the ten daily living activities, two mobility activities, and Question 15 for additional information.
4. Section 4 — What happens next.

What to write for each activity

The DWP is not asking whether you can do an activity at all. They want to know whether you can do it reliably — meaning safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly throughout the day, and within a reasonable time (no more than twice as long as someone without your condition).

For each activity, answer four questions in your own words:

• What happens when you try? Describe the specific difficulty. "I drop pans because my grip fails" is better than "I struggle with cooking."
• How often? State how many days per week each difficulty occurs. Regulation 7 selects the descriptor most often satisfied over the required period: a descriptor met on more than half the days applies; if two or more each meet that test, the highest-scoring applies; if none does but non-zero descriptors together cover more than half the days, the most frequently met applies, with a higher score breaking a tie.
• What help do you need? Name any aids or appliances you use (shower stool, perching stool, dosette box, adapted cutlery) and any human help (prompting, supervision, physical assistance).
• What happens afterwards? Describe pain, exhaustion, or distress that follows the activity — this matters for the "repeatedly" test.

Common mistakes on the PIP2

Writing about diagnosis instead of function. "I have fibromyalgia" tells the decision maker nothing about your daily life. "On four or five days a week, the pain in my hands and wrists is bad enough that I cannot grip a pan safely or hold a knife to cut vegetables" does.

Describing your best days only. The form asks about your typical and worst days. If you can manage an activity on good days but not on the majority of days, say so.

Leaving boxes blank. A blank box is read as "no difficulty." If you struggle with an activity, write something — even a few sentences.

Forgetting aids and appliances. Using a shower stool, a perching stool, a walking stick, or a reminder app is evidence of limitation. If you need an aid, tick the box and explain what it does for you.

Not mentioning help you need but don't get. If nobody helps you with washing and you can't do it properly as a result, that still counts as needing assistance. Describe what would happen without help — or what does happen because you don't have it.

Tips for the open text boxes

Write in the first person. Use specific, concrete language. Include times and frequencies where you can. If you run out of space, attach extra pages — write your name, National Insurance number, and the question number on each sheet.

A carer, family member, or friend can help you fill in the form, or write it for you based on what you tell them. The claimant normally signs the declaration; an appointee, attorney or deputy can sign for them, and the form also allows someone else to sign if the claimant is too ill or disabled to sign.

A structured approach makes the form easier

The PIP Claim Guide for England and Wales includes an activity-by-activity drafting worksheet that walks you through all 12 activities with prompts for what to include. It also covers how to describe fluctuating symptoms under the majority-of-days rule and how to index your evidence so the decision maker can match it to each activity.

See more England and Wales guides →