More than 1.2 million people across England and Wales are receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for muscle and joint conditions as of July 2026, according to the latest official figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
PIP is a benefit that helps with extra living costs for people with a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability who have difficulty with certain everyday tasks or getting around. It is paid in two parts: daily living and mobility. The daily living component is based on whether you can do tasks like washing and cooking, while the mobility component is based on your mobility and travel needs.
PIP is available to people over 16 and under State Pension age. You can continue receiving it beyond that age if you have an approved claim, but you generally cannot make a new claim after reaching State Pension age.
How much can you get?
PIP is paid at two rates depending on your needs. For daily living, the lower rate is £76.70 per week and the higher rate is £114.60 per week. For mobility, the lower rate is £30.30 per week and the higher rate is £80. This means you could receive up to £194.60 per week in total if you qualify for the higher rate on both components, which equates to around £778 per month.
Northern Ireland also has PIP, and while it is a devolved matter, the rules largely run in parallel with those in the rest of the UK. In Scotland, PIP has been replaced by the Adult Disability Payment (ADP), which has most of the same eligibility criteria.
Who is affected?
The latest figures show that the 1.2 million people receiving PIP for muscle and joint conditions account for almost a third of the 4.1 million people now receiving the disability benefit. Musculoskeletal conditions can affect the muscles, bones, joints and surrounding tissues, with symptoms potentially impacting both mobility and everyday activities.
DWP data lists 86 individual musculoskeletal conditions among the health issues recorded for people receiving PIP at that time, as reported by the Daily Record. However, PIP is not awarded on the basis of a diagnosis alone. Entitlement depends on how a long-term health condition or disability affects someone's ability to carry out specific daily living and mobility activities. This assessment is made by the DWP based on independent medical advice.
List of conditions
Below is the list of 86 musculoskeletal conditions being supported through PIP to provide support with either daily living, mobility needs or a combination of both components. It is not a definitive list, and you should not be put off making a claim if a condition you have does not feature, as the award is based on how you are affected by the condition rather than the specific condition itself.
- Osteoarthritis of Hip
- Osteoarthritis of Knee
- Osteoarthritis of other single joint
- Primary generalised Osteoarthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Pain syndromes - Chronic - Other / type not known
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Arthritis - Psoriatic
- Arthritis - Reactive
- Inflammatory arthritis - Other / type not known
- Juvenile chronic arthritis (Still's disease)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Crystal deposition disorders - Other / type not known
- Gout
- Pseudogout
- Osteochondritis
- Osteonecrosis
- Osteomalacia
- Osteoporosis
- Other metabolic and endocrine disorders of musculoskeletal system
- Paget's disease
- Rickets
- Achondroplasia
- Epiphyseal dysplasia - multiple
- Genetic disorders, dysplasias and malformations - Other / type not known
- Hereditary multiple exostosis (diaphyseal aclasis)
- Hypermobility syndrome
- Marfan's syndrome
- Osteogenesis imperfecta
- Tumours of bone - benign
- Compartment syndrome (Volkmann's ischaemia)
- Fracture complications - Other / type not known
- Sudek's atrophy
- Generalised musculoskeletal disease - Other / type not known
- Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)
- Rotator cuff disorder
- Shoulder disorders - Other / type not known
- Shoulder instability
- Elbow disorders - Other / type not known
- Golfers elbow (medial epicondylitis)
- Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Dupuytrens contracture
- Tendon lesions
- Tenosynovitis
- Wrist and hand disorders - Other / type not known
- Cervical disc lesion
- Cervical spondylosis
- Neck disorders - Other / type not known
- Whiplash injury
- Back pain - Non specific (mechanical)
- Back pain - Specific - Other / type not known
- Kyphosis
- Lumbar disc lesion
- Lumbar spondylosis (OA spine)
- Schuermann's disease
- Scoliosis
- Spinal stenosis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Dislocation of the hip - congenital
- Hip disorders - Other / type not known
- Perthes disease
- Slipped upper femoral epiphysis
- Bursitis
- Chondromalacia patellae
- Knee disorders - Other / type not known
- Ligamentous instability of knee
- Meniscal lesions
- Osgood schlatters disease
- Osteochondritis dissecans
- Patellar dislocation - Recurrent
- Ankle and foot disorders - Other / type not known
- Club foot (talipes)
- Fore foot pain (Metatarsalgia)
- Hallux valgus /rigidus
- Amputation - Lower limb(s)
- Amputation - Upper limb(s)
- Amputations - Upper & Lower limb/s
- Abdomen - Injuries/Fracture/Dislocation of
- Lower limb - Injuries/Fracture/Dislocation of
- Multiple - Injuries/Fracture/Dislocation
- Pelvis - Injuries/Fracture/Dislocation of
- Spine - Injuries/Fracture/Dislocation of
- Thorax - Injury/Fracture/Dislocation of
- Upper limb - Injury/Fracture/Dislocation of
- Musculoskeletal disease - Regional / Localised - Other / type not known
If you have one of these conditions and it affects your daily living or mobility, you may be eligible for PIP. The amount you receive depends on how your condition affects you, not just the diagnosis itself.
