Worked examples of how anxiety and depression can be described on a PIP form, activity by activity, in plain first-person English. Read them, take what fits you, and put it in your own words.
Anxiety and depression rarely stop you doing a task because your body cannot manage it. They stop you because the motivation, the energy and the ability to cope are not there. That is exactly what a PIP assessment is meant to measure, but it is easy to under-describe, because on paper it can look as though you "can" do things when in reality you cannot do them reliably or without help.
These are the threads that run through a strong mental health claim, and through the examples below:
Two ideas decide how these answers are judged. The first is reliability: you have to be able to do a task safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, and in a reasonable time. If you can only do it some of the time, or only with someone pushing you, you cannot do it reliably. The second is "most days": a fluctuating mental health condition is judged on how you are on the majority of days, not on your best day. When you write your own answers, anchor them to your worst and most common days, not the odd day you cope.
The cards below show one honest way to describe each of the 12 activities for someone whose main conditions are anxiety and depression. Some activities score strongly for these conditions; on the physical activities, being honest that they are not affected keeps your whole form credible.
What to cover for each one. Your paid form writes the full answers for you.
Describe how, on most days, depression removes the motivation to plan and cook a meal, so it does not happen unless someone prompts you. Mention any prompting or encouragement you need to start, and the days you go without a proper meal or live on snacks. Explain that even if you physically could cook, you cannot do it reliably or to an acceptable standard on most days.
Explain that low mood and poor appetite mean you forget or skip meals unless a family member reminds you and sits with you. Mention who prompts you, how often you go without, and any days you eat almost nothing. The point to bring out is that you cannot manage this repeatedly without that reminding and support.
Describe how poor concentration and low motivation mean you forget doses or lose track of your medication. Mention the aids you rely on, such as a pill organiser, phone alarms or someone checking you have taken them. Explain that without this support you cannot manage your treatment safely or to an acceptable standard.
Explain that depression takes away the motivation to wash, so days can pass without you bathing until someone prompts you. Mention who encourages you and how often you go without. The reliability point to make is that you cannot keep this up repeatedly and to an acceptable standard without prompting on most days.
Anxiety and depression do not usually affect getting on and off the toilet or your continence. What can count is anxiety that brings on urgency or loose bowels, so you have had accidents or cannot be far from a toilet, or days so low that you cannot manage your own hygiene without someone prompting you. If neither of those is part of your day, leave this one alone rather than stretching it.
Describe how a lack of motivation means you stay in the same clothes for days and do not change unless someone encourages you. Mention any prompting you need to get dressed at all, and the days you do not get dressed. Explain that you cannot do this reliably or repeatedly without that support.
Explain that anxiety can make your mind go blank in important conversations, so you miss what is being said or cannot take it in. Mention needing someone with you to help you follow and respond, and how distress makes this worse. The point to bring out is that you cannot engage reliably and to an acceptable standard without support.
Describe how poor concentration means you read the same complex letter over and over and still cannot take it in. Mention needing someone to read and explain important documents for you, and any post you leave unopened. Explain that you cannot do this reliably or in a reasonable time without help on most days.
Explain that anxiety means bills and post go unopened and budgeting decisions feel overwhelming. Mention needing someone to sit with you to open post, prompt payments and make any complex money decision. The reliability point to make is that you cannot manage this safely and repeatedly without that support.
This activity is only about physically standing and moving, so mental health rarely reaches it and not being able to face going out belongs under planning and following a journey. What can count is a physical condition alongside your anxiety or depression, or medication that leaves you so dizzy or heavily sedated that you are unsteady on your feet and have to stop. If your walking is not limited, give the honest distance and put your detail where it belongs.
The tips above are general pointers. Your paid form gives you a full, ready-to-copy answer for all 12 activities, written from your exact conditions, medication, aids and bad days, not a general example. This is a worked example for anxiety and depression; yours is written for you. £99.99 one-off.
These are examples, not a script to copy word for word. The DWP looks for answers that sound like you, so take the parts that match your own experience and rewrite them in your own words, with your own detail: who prompts you and how, what happens on your worst days, and the times you have gone without because no one was there to help. The suggested descriptor on each card is only there to show you which difficulty the answer is pointing at; never write a descriptor letter or a point number on your actual form. The assessor works those out, and the decision is always the DWP's.
An example shows the shape of a good answer. FillMyPIP writes answers from your own conditions, medication, aids and bad days. See one activity of your own form written free at www.fillmypip.co.uk.
Guidance only, not legal or medical advice. Not affiliated with the DWP. Karol Slusarczyk t/a Benefits Expert, ICO registered (ICO:00014179042).
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