PIP activity 6: Dressing and undressing
Dressing and undressing is activity 6 of the 12 PIP activities, and counts towards the daily living component. Putting on and taking off appropriate, unadapted clothing, including socks and shoes. Here’s what it covers, the descriptors and the points each one scores, and what assessors look for.
What this activity looks at
Whether you can put on and take off suitable, unadapted clothing, including socks and shoes.
Descriptors and points
The assessor picks the one descriptor that best fits you on most days. Only the highest-scoring descriptor that applies counts; points aren’t added up within an activity.
| Descriptor | What it means | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 6A | I can dress and undress unaided | 0 |
| 6B | I need an aid or appliance to dress or undress | 2 |
| 6C | I need prompting to dress, undress, or choose appropriate clothing | 2 |
| 6D | I need assistance to dress or undress my lower body | 2 |
| 6E | I need assistance to dress or undress my upper body | 4 |
| 6F | I cannot dress or undress at all | 8 |
What the assessor takes into account
- It’s about what you’re able to do, not how you choose to dress.
- Sitting or lying down to get dressed can be acceptable. It doesn’t automatically count as using an aid.
- It includes choosing clothes that suit the weather and the occasion.
- Button hooks and sock aids count as aids (6B).
- Needing encouragement to get dressed because of your mental health scores 6C.
How to describe this on your form
- Describe your worst days, not your best or average days. A descriptor applies if it’s true on more than half of days, and that includes conditions that vary or come in flare-ups.
- An activity only counts as something you can do if you can do it safely, repeatedly, to an acceptable standard, and in a reasonable time (no more than twice as long as someone without your condition). If any of these isn’t true on most days, say so and explain why.
- Be specific. Give distances, how long things take, how often problems happen, and examples of things that have gone wrong.
- Name any help you need using the words the DWP uses: supervision, prompting, assistance, or aids and appliances. “My partner helps me” is too vague; say what they do and why.
- Describe what your condition stops you doing, not just its name. Assessors score how your condition affects you, not the diagnosis.
- Avoid phrases like “I manage”, “I cope”, “I try my best” or “I sometimes have difficulty”. They suggest you can do the activity, and can cost you points.
How points turn into an award
Your points from activities 1 to 10 are added together for the daily living component.
- 8 to 11 points: standard rate, £73.90 a week
- 12 points or more: enhanced rate, £110.40 a week
2026/27 rates. Estimate your points across all 12 activities.
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