What the question is asking
This question is about how your condition makes it difficult for you to manage everyday purchases and transactions.
This means things like:
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paying in shops and restaurants
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budgeting for and paying your bills, for example utility bills, credit card bills
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budgeting for bigger things, such as a TV or sofa
It’s about the decisions you need to make rather than whether you can physically get money out of a purse or wallet to pay for things.
Tick box question 12a
Does your condition affect you managing your money?
- Yes
- No
You should probably tick “Yes” if you need help:
- paying in shops and restaurants
- understanding how much things cost
- understanding how to make your money last
- understanding how to pay your bills on time
- understanding what happens if you don’t pay your bills – for example, your gas might be cut off
- understanding how to save for a specific item, like a TV
Question 12b
Tell us about the difficulties you have with managing your money and how you manage them.
It’s important you tell the DWP more by explaining your situation in the box.
It’s your chance to give the DWP a true picture of how your condition affects your ability to make decisions about money. They’ll use this to decide if you get PIP.
You can also use this space to explain what help you need but don’t get.
Someone reminds or assists you
Make it clear if you need help but don’t get it. If you do get help, give the relationship of the person to you (for example, carer or friend) and explain:
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why they help
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how they help, for example they might take your money and pay on your behalf
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how often they help
Make it clear if you need them to:
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remind you to do something like pay a bill
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tell you how to do something like pay a bill
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physically help you, for example pay the bill for you
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help all of the time or just sometimes or say if it’s too difficult to predict
- be on hand, for example to help you if you get confused
Always tell the DWP what the effects are (or would be) if you don’t get help. For example if you’re more likely to:
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experience physical or mental side effects like confusion, discomfort or tiredness
- get into financial difficulty
Time it takes
Think about whether it takes you at least twice as long to make a decision about money as someone without your condition.
Think about how long it takes you to pay for something in a shop or restaurant compared with how long it takes a friend. It’s ok to estimate but say if you are. If it’s too hard to estimate explain why – for example, because your condition fluctuates.
Remember to:
- explain if it takes you even longer on a bad day
- say if it takes longer if you have to do it repeatedly
Good days and bad days
Explain how you cope on both good days and bad days and how you manage over a longer period of time (like a week). This gives the DWP a better picture of how you cope most of the time.
Make it clear:
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if you have good days and bad days
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how often you have bad days
- how your difficulties and symptoms differ on good days and bad days
It’s ok to estimate your bad days but say if you are. If it’s too difficult to estimate – explain why. For example, because your condition fluctuates.
Symptoms like confusion or discomfort
Explain whether the difficulties you have managing your money cause you any physical or mental symptoms (like confusion, discomfort or tiredness).
It’s helpful to explain the symptoms and give an example, including:
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how often you have them
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how long they last
- if they’re likely to increase the risk of an accident
- if they affect your ability to carry out any of the other activities on your PIP claim form