Feed yourself
Taking nutrition 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 feeding yourself, 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 feeding yourself, do not add them together.
No points
You can cut your food, put food and drink in your mouth, chew and swallow without any help.
Two points
You need someone else to help you cut your food.
You can only eat your food, and drink, if someone is with you to keep you safe.
You use a parenteral or enteral tube with a delivery system or pump to eat and drink.
You need a special aid to cut your food, put food or drink in your mouth, or chew and swallow.
Examples of special aids:
- Knives, forks or spoons with extra large grips
- Stabilising fork or spoon for people with tremors
- Special cups
Four points
You can only cut your food, put food and drink in your mouth, chew or swallow if someone reminds you or tells you to.
Six points
You need someone else to help you use a parenteral or enteral tube to eat and drink.
Ten points
You need someone else to put food or drink in your mouth for you.
Updated May 2017