Guide
How to write real-life examples for a PIP claim
Many people know what they struggle with, but find it hard to explain clearly. This guide is about preparing clearer notes before filling anything in officially.
- Plain English guide
- 4 minute read
- For PIP preparation
In this guide
Why this guide may help
Real-life examples can make your notes more useful because they show what actually happens day to day. They can help you move from a general statement about your condition to a clearer explanation of the difficulty, support, risk and impact involved.
Why real-life examples matter
PIP is about how daily living and mobility activities affect you, not just the name of your diagnosis. Examples may help show the difficulty you have, the help you need, risks, time taken, prompting, supervision, aids, recovery and how often something happens.
What a useful example includes
A useful example is usually specific. It says what happened, what support was needed and what the impact was.
- What you were trying to do
- What happened
- What help, prompting, aid or supervision you needed
- Whether it was safe
- How long it took
- How you felt afterwards
- How often it happens
Before and after example
This is only an example of useful detail. It is not advice on what you should write, and your own notes should reflect what actually happens to you.
Weak example
"I struggle to cook because of my condition."
Stronger example
"Last week I tried to make pasta for lunch. I forgot the pan was on and my partner had to come in when they smelled burning. I also found it hard to stand at the hob for more than a few minutes, so I had to sit down twice. Afterwards I felt exhausted and shaky and did not eat properly until later."
Common mistakes to avoid
These are common because difficult days can start to feel normal. You can always add more detail later.
- Only listing diagnoses
- Saying "I can't do it" without explaining what happens
- Forgetting help from another person
- Leaving out prompting or reminders
- Leaving out bad days because they feel normal
- Writing in a way that feels too polished or unnatural
A gentle checklist
Use these questions to check whether your note gives enough practical detail.
- Did I explain what happened?
- Did I say who helped me?
- Did I mention aids or adaptations?
- Did I describe risk or safety?
- Did I include how often this happens?
- Did I include what happened afterwards?
How PIP Companion can help
PIP Companion is not connected to the DWP and is not legal advice. It gives you a calmer place to prepare and organise your own notes.
- Build claim answers section by section
- Save evidence notes
- Organise real-life examples
- Review drafts for useful detail
- Export a preparation summary
Start organising your examples
Use PIP Companion to collect your notes section by section, save evidence examples and prepare a clearer summary before filling anything in officially.