ADHD has a hefty price tag. Your symptoms often create invisible costs that neurotypical people will rarely face. From buying takeaways when cooking is overwhelming to replacing your keys for the fourth time this year, the formidable “ADHD tax” is real.

The financial consequences of things like time blindness, executive dysfunction, and memory problems cannot be overstated. When ADHD creates real barriers to your daily tasks, such as preparing meals, managing self-care, or engaging with people, there is help available. PIP can provide additional financial support for the challenges you combat every day.

What is PIP?

We’ll start with the basics. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a type of benefit to support people with the extra costs of living with a long-term health condition or disability.

Unlike some benefits, it doesn’t depend on your income or savings and you don’t need to currently be working to apply for it. PIP has two components:

• Daily living: Payments for difficulties with everyday tasks like preparing food, managing medications, washing, or dressing, etc.

• Mobility component: Payments for difficulties getting around, e.g. equipment and travel.

For ADHD, you may fall into the ‘daily living’ component. Each component has two rates — standard and enhanced — depending on how severe your difficulties are.

How Much is a PIP Payment?

For daily living, the standard PIP payment is £73.90 per week, while the higher payment is £110.40 per week. For the mobility route, the standard payment is £29.20 with the enhanced one coming to £77.05. The payment is tax free and doesn't impact your income or savings.

Can You Claim PIP for ADHD?

The short answer is yes. You can make a PIP claim based on your ADHD diagnosis. However, your eligibility rests on how your life is affected and the difficulties it causes you.

If you want to make a successful claim, you will need to demonstrate how your ADHD affects your daily life. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) assesses the impact your condition has on your life and then determines whether you’re eligible for payments.

Let’s take a look at the ADHD symptoms that may affect your PIP eligibility:

• Executive dysfunction impacting plans and tasks

• Time blindness making it difficult to manage your schedule

• Impulsivity leading to safety concerns

• Sensory sensitivities affecting daily activities

• Difficulty managing self-care routines

• Problems with memory and organisation

• Emotional regulation challenges

Chances are, you may be impacted by some or all of the above occasionally. However, to qualify for PIP, you need to show that these issues impact you most days. If that sounds familiar to you, let’s talk about how you can apply.

How to Make a Claim for PIP

To start your application, go to the government’s How to Claim section. You can make a PIP claim via phone, post, or by using the online application system.

Follow our tips when applying for PIP:

• Have medical reports, assessments, and evidence ready

• Include details from healthcare professionals, therapists, or coaches

• Ask for supporting evidence from these professionals, if available

• Be clear on how your ADHD affects your daily life

• Keep a record of challenges with organisation, memory, and impulse control

• Demonstrate how these challenges negatively impact your life

• Provide solid examples of the problems you face due to your ADHD
  

Not all PIP claims are successful. However, the more detail and evidence you provide, the more likely you are to be awarded a regular payment. If you are refused a PIP payment, you have the chance to re-apply, and there is no official waiting period.

Takeaway

The "ADHD tax" doesn't have to drain your finances without any support. If you can show that your condition creates real challenges in your daily life, PIP may provide the support you need. Remember, you're not asking for something you don't deserve. This benefit is there to help manage the extra costs your ADHD creates.