Brits with a common eye condition may be able to claim the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if they meet certain eligibility criteria, figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) suggest. Cataracts is a condition “where the lens in your eye becomes cloudy, causing blurred vision and loss of sight”, the NHS website explains. “It usually affects older adults and can be treated with surgery,” the health service adds. And while it’s highly treatable, with most people seeing their vision improve soon after surgery, some people develop severely limited vision before they’re able to get it. This could be the case for an extended period depending on how long you have to wait for your operation.
Depending on how a cataract or cataracts is impacting your daily life and mobility, you may be able to claim support through PIP. PIP is a benefit paid out by the department that can help with extra living costs if you have both a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, and difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition, the GOV.UK website explains.
You must also expect the difficulties to last for at least 12 months from when they started, it adds. PIP comes in two parts, daily living and mobility, with the former based on whether you’re able to do a range of household tasks like washing and cooking, and the latter based on your mobility and travel requirements. You must be 16 and over and under State Pension age for a new claim.
However, while you’ll continue getting it beyond that point if you have an approved claim, you generally can’t make a new claim after reaching State Pension age. For the mobility part, the lower rate is £30.30 per week, and the enhanced rate is £80. That would mean you’d get £194.60 per week in total if you meet the eligibility for the higher rate in both England and Wales. The enhanced rate for both parts comes to £778.40 every four weeks, which is when the benefit is paid.
Northern Ireland has PIP, and though it’s a devolved matter, the rules largely run in parallel with those in the rest of the UK. PIP has been replaced with the Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in Scotland, though it also has most of the same eligibility criteria. You could be approved for PIP due to the impact of a wide range of visual disease, including cataracts.
According to DWP figures, there were 1,018 cases where cataract was listed as the primary disabling condition for people with PIP entitlement awarded both the daily living component and the mobility component at the enhanced rate as of July 31, 2026.
However, it’s important to note that 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, rather than the specific condition itself, as per The Daily Record.
This assessment is made by the DWP based on independent medical advice. The department will do follow-up reviews of your eligibility, and you’re required to inform them if your condition improves.
You can find out more about eligibility and how the benefit works on the GOV.UK website.
