Money Advice Service

If you were getting Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and have been reassessed for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), your income might have changed. This page tells you more about ways you can manage your money to cope with your new circumstances.

If your PIP award has reduced or stopped

Following your assessment, you might now qualify for a lower rate of PIP than you were getting on DLA, or your award could have been stopped entirely.

If you’re now having to manage on less money, read our guide: Moving from DLA to PIP – what to do if your award is reduced or stopped

If your PIP award is more than you got on DLA

Your health needs or disability might have increased since your last assessment.

If your PIP award is more than you were getting on DLA, you might now qualify for extra help that wasn’t available before.

Extra benefits and help if your PIP award has increased

If you’re now getting the enhanced rate of the mobility component of PIP you might qualify for help with transport costs through otability or the Blue Badge parking scheme.

You might also qualify for discounts on public transport if you’re getting any rate of PIP.

Find out more about help with travel costs in our guide Motability, Blue Badge Scheme and discounted travel

Disability premiums

If you’re now getting the daily living component of PIP, you might be entitled to extra disability premiums if you’re getting certain benefits, including:

  • Housing Benefit
  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Not everyone can claim disability premiums. To find out if you might qualify see the Turn2Us website
Your local Citizens Advice Bureau can carry out a full benefits check to make sure you’re getting everything you’re entitled to

Charitable grants if your PIP award has increased

You might also qualify for charitable help and grants to help with the extra costs of your illness or disability.

To find out more, read our guide: Charitable grants for ill or disabled people

Making the most of your new income

Now is a very good time to look at the rest of your finances to make sure you’re making the most of the income you have.

  • Spend some time looking at whether you can cut costs with the help of our Quick cash finder.
  • Save money on your phone, broadband, energy and water bills with the help of our How to save money on household bills.
  • If you have a car, you might be able to cut your fuel and maintenance costs. Or if you use buses and trains a lot, there are ways to save here too. Read Cut down on car and travel costs.
  • Cut the cost of your shopping by taking advantage of discount vouchers and coupons. Find out more in Smarter shopping – tips and tricks to save money when shopping.
  • Find out more in Living on a low income – tips.
  • You can get a reduction on your Council Tax bill if you’re disabled, and you need to live in a larger home than you would otherwise need. If you’re the only adult in your household, or you only share your home with a live-in carer, you can get 25% off your Council Tax bill. Find out more about the Disabled Band Reduction Scheme on GOV.UK.

Saving money

Once you’ve looked at your household spending, you might be able to put a little bit away if you don’t already have savings.

Saving just two or three pounds a week can make a difference and help you cope with unexpected expenses or to plan for big events, like birthdays or Christmas.

Read our Beginner’s guide to managing your money for more tips and ideas on how to make the most of your income.

This article is provided by the Money Advice Service.