The Short Answer
You can get PIP with POTS (postural tachycardia syndrome) if its effects on standing, moving and daily tasks score at least 8 points in a component on more than half of the days; the diagnosis alone does not decide it. Moving around scores the distance you can stand and then move, and cooking, washing and dressing score the aids, supervision or help you need. Eight points pays the standard rate and 12 points pays the enhanced rate.
Can You Get PIP for POTS?
Yes, PIP can be awarded for POTS when its effects on the assessed activities score at least 8 points in the daily living or mobility component. The regulations list no qualifying conditions, so the conditions assessed on the same activities are all scored by the same 12 descriptors.
GOV.UK sets out the eligibility test, checked on 30 September 2026. You are 16 or over, you have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, you have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around, and you expect the difficulties to last at least 12 months from when they started.
| Fact | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Points for the standard rate | 8 in a component | PIP Regulations 2013, regs 5(3) and 6(3) |
| Points for the enhanced rate | 12 in a component | PIP Regulations 2013, regs 5(3) and 6(3) |
| How often a descriptor must apply | Over 50% of the days of the required period | PIP Regulations 2013, reg 7(1) |
| The required period | 3 months before and 9 months after the assessment date | PIP Regulations 2013, reg 7(3) |
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Which PIP Activities Can POTS Affect?
Where standing is limited, the activities that can score are moving around, preparing food, washing and bathing, and dressing and undressing. The table quotes the Schedule 1 descriptors for the standing-based tasks, and the moving around descriptors follow in full below.
| Activity | Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Daily living 1: Preparing food | b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to either prepare or cook a simple meal. | 2 |
| Daily living 1: Preparing food | e. Needs supervision or assistance to either prepare or cook a simple meal. | 4 |
| Daily living 4: Washing and bathing | b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to wash or bathe. | 2 |
| Daily living 4: Washing and bathing | c. Needs supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe. | 2 |
| Daily living 6: Dressing and undressing | b. Needs to use an aid or appliance to be able to dress or undress. | 2 |
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The preparing food descriptors score cooking safely as well as standing to cook. For washing, the guide says descriptor c "may apply to claimants who … require supervision for safety reasons", and that use of both a bath and a shower should be considered. It defines supervision as "a need for the continuous presence of another person for the purpose of ensuring the claimant’s safety to avoid a harm occurring".
How Does 'Stand and Then Move' Apply to POTS?
The moving around activity scores the distance you can stand and then move, and the guide requires that distance to be reliable. These are the six Schedule 1 descriptors.
| Activity | Descriptor | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Mobility 2: Moving around | a. Can stand and then move more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided. | 0 |
| Mobility 2: Moving around | b. Can stand and then move more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided | 4 |
| Mobility 2: Moving around | c. Can stand and then move unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres. | 8 |
| Mobility 2: Moving around | d. Can stand and then move using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres. | 10 |
| Mobility 2: Moving around | e. Can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided. | 12 |
| Mobility 2: Moving around | f. Cannot, either aided or unaided, – (i) stand; or (ii) move more than 1 metre. | 12 |
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The guide states that "‘stand and then move’ requires an individual to stand and then move independently while remaining standing". It adds that "the reliability criteria should be applied when assessing what distances the claimant can achieve". The manner of moving counts as well: consideration includes "the claimant’s gait, their speed, the risk of falls and symptoms or side effects that could affect their ability to complete the activity". The distance is judged on "pavements on the flat", including kerbs. The moving around distance bands page covers how distance is measured.
Do a Perching Stool or Shower Seat Count as Aids?
Yes, the assessment guide names both as aids: a perching stool for preparing food and a shower seat for washing and bathing. For cooking, it states that aids "could include, for example, prostheses, perching stool, and spiked chopping boards". For washing, it lists a "shower seat where the claimant has difficulty standing for the time taken to shower".
An aid scores 2 points where it is needed to complete the task. The guide sets one limit: where an object "would usually or normally be used in the same way by someone without any limitation", such as "sitting on a bed whilst getting dressed", it is unlikely to be treated as an aid. The page on Aids and Appliances sets out the full test.
How Many PIP Points Could You Score With POTS?
The score is one descriptor per activity, added within each component, so daily living and mobility are never combined. This example is illustrative arithmetic, not a forecast of any decision.
| Component | Descriptors that apply | Points | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily living | Preparing food e (4), washing and bathing c (2), dressing and undressing b (2) | 8 | Standard rate |
| Mobility | Moving around c (8) | 8 | Standard rate |
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At the 2026/27 rates that combination is £76.70 plus £30.30, or £107.00 a week. Where another diagnosis is present, the guide states that the impact of "all impairment types must be taken into account across the activities". The guides to PIP for Heart Conditions and PIP for Hypermobility & EDS show how those conditions map to the same descriptors. To score your own answers, work out your walking ability points for the distance bands, or total both components across all 12 activities.
What Evidence Supports a POTS Claim?
Evidence that describes what happens when you stand, move or complete a task is what the descriptors score; a diagnosis letter alone does not score. Six kinds of evidence are useful.
- A letter from a cardiology, autonomic or GP clinic that describes the effect on standing and moving, not only the diagnosis
- A dated record of faints, near-faints or forced sitting or lying down, with the task being attempted
- Distances you can stand and then move, measured on several different days, with what happened afterwards
- A list of aids such as a perching stool or shower seat, and when each was needed
- A written statement from a person who stays with you while you bathe or cook, describing when and why
- An occupational therapy assessment of your home
The record of days is what the 50% rule counts, and the wider guidance on presenting evidence is in the evidence guidance for claims and appeals.
How Much PIP Would You Get With POTS, and Is It Backdated?
PIP pays the same four weekly rates for every condition: £76.70 or £114.60 for daily living and £30.30 or £80.00 for mobility in 2026/27. No amount depends on the diagnosis. The current weekly amounts are shown with earlier years.
| Award | Weekly | Every 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Daily living standard | £76.70 | £306.80 |
| Daily living enhanced | £114.60 | £458.40 |
| Mobility standard | £30.30 | £121.20 |
| Mobility enhanced | £80.00 | £320.00 |
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If an award is made, entitlement starts from the date of the claim, or from the date the three-month qualifying period was satisfied for new claims, according to DWP statistics wording checked on 30 September 2026. Months spent waiting for a decision are therefore paid as arrears, and you can calculate the arrears on a POTS award in the back pay calculator.