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Personal Independence Payment - PIP Assessment - Speaking

A straightforward guide to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) test, what the activities are and what you can score points for

Speaking

Communicating verbally is a daily living activity. Add the points you score for this activity with the points you score for other daily living activities to find out if you may be entitled to the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

When you are looking at how many points you score for speaking, think about what help you need most of the time to do it:

  • Safely
  • Well enough
  • Often enough
  • Fast enough

You score the points for the sentence that is true for most or over half of the time. If more than one sentence is true, you normally only get points for the sentence that is true for the most time. You can only score one set of points for speaking, do not add them together.

No points

You can speak and understand other people speaking without any help or special aids.

Examples of special aids:

  • Hearing aid
  • Communication book

Two points

You can only speak or hear if you use a special aid.

Four points

You need a specially trained person or an experienced person to help you to speak more than one sentence or to understand someone saying more than one sentence.

Examples of a specially trained person:

  • NOT someone to interpret English
  • Someone to interpret sign language
  • Support worker who can communicate with people with your disability

Examples of an experienced person:

  • A friend or family member who has helped you to speak before
  • Support worker who has communicated with people with your disability

Eight points

You need a specially trained person to help you to speak to say a simple sentence or understand someone saying a simple sentence.

12 points

You cannot speak or understand other people speaking, even with a specially trained person to help you.

Reviewed: February 2023

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