Activity 3: Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition

Scores the help you need to manage medication and therapy, or monitor a health condition. Therapy time is calculated per week; supervision or prompting needs (not just taking a pill) trigger the highest scores.

All figures on this page are taken from Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027 (DWP, published April 2026) and the Universal Credit Act 2025. Author: Oliver Wakefield-Smith. Last full review: 22 June 2026. Next scheduled review: April 2027 (post-uprating). See the full sources register.

Descriptors and points

A. Either does not receive medication or therapy or need to monitor a health condition; or can manage medication or therapy or monitor a health condition unaided.
0 pts
B. Needs any one or more of the following: (i) to use an aid or appliance to manage medication; (ii) supervision, prompting or assistance to manage medication; (iii) supervision, prompting or assistance to monitor a health condition.
1 pt
C. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to manage therapy that takes no more than 3.5 hours a week.
2 pts
D. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to manage therapy that takes more than 3.5 but no more than 7 hours a week.
4 pts
E. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to manage therapy that takes more than 7 but no more than 14 hours a week.
6 pts
F. Needs supervision, prompting or assistance to manage therapy that takes more than 14 hours a week.
8 pts

Worked example: Type 1 diabetes with hypoglycaemia awareness loss

Your partner monitors your blood sugar overnight because you no longer feel hypos. Descriptor b (supervision to monitor a health condition) applies, scoring 1 point.

Descriptor scored: B, 1 point.

Reliability test

Whatever descriptor you pick must apply to you safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, and in a reasonable time. If you can only manage the activity on a good day, the next-higher descriptor usually applies. This is the single most common reason claimants are under-scored on assessment.

Source

Descriptors and points are taken from Schedule 1 of the Social Security (PIP) Regulations 2013. Interpretation guidance is in the PIP assessment guide (DWP, Feb 2026).

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