The 10 freebies and discounts worth up to £70k you can get on PIP benefits in October

MILLIONS of people claiming the Personal Independence Payout (PIP) benefit are eligible for extra freebies and discounts.

Those who claim PIP for help with long-term health conditions and disabilities could be missing out on extra advantages which come with the benefit.

PIP is an important benefit for adults aged 16 and over who have not reached state pension age (66) and is made up of two parts.

One is to help with day-to-day tasks and the other is to help with mobility for those who need help getting around.

And whether you are able to claim both depends on your disability and how it affects you.

The amount you can get within these brackets also differs depending on your individual circumstance.

Payments are issued every four weeks.

In April, payments for the daily living component increased from £101.75 to £108.55 for enhanced and £68.10 to £72.65 for standard.

The mobility component also rose from £71 to £75.75 for enhanced, and £26.09 to £28.70 for standard.

If you get both parts, you can receive a maximum of £184.30 every 4 weeks - which is nearly £10,000 a year.

Eligible applicants must have lived in England, Scotland or Wales for at least two of the last three years, and currently living in one of these countries.

Whereas the process is different if you're from Northern Ireland, you live abroad, or you're not a British citizen.

Health professionals assess the claimant to work out the level of financial help needed to support the mental or physical disability.

Then payments are made every four weeks into the individual's bank account, tax-free.

Here are 10 freebies you can also get if you claim the PIP benefit. It could be worth thousands of pounds extra a year, but of course the exact amount can vary depending on your circumstances.

Council tax discounts - £2,171 average

People who claim benefits can apply on the Government website for a council tax reduction.

This means if you're either the daily living or mobility part of PIP you could get money off your council tax bill.

Some claimants are eligible for as much as a full discount.

Though the amount will vary depending on where you live and how much of the benefit you receive.

The average Band D council tax set by local authorities in England for the 2024/25 financial year is £2,171 - meaning this much could be saved if you got a full discount.

In order to find out if you are eligible, contact your local authority, and they will seek a PIP letter as evidence.

Reportedly around 2.8 million people don't take advantage of the council tax discount, meaning £2.7 billion goes unclaimed each year.

Blue badge - £3,800 average

With a blue badge, those with disabilities can claim exemption from certain parking restrictions and take advantage of designated parking spaces.

The spaces usually offer more room to the individual and are located closer to store entrances.

Blue badge holders can park on single or double lines for up to three hours as long as there are no loading or unloading restrictions.

They can also get free or discounted on-street parking.

According to Just Park, Brits spend £3,800 on parking on average each year.

Which means PIP claimants could be saving this much with their blue badge.

The blue badge must be visible to others and displayed on the windscreen of your car.

Those who qualify for a blue badge receive one of the following benefits:

• Disability living allowance
• War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement
• Received a lump sum payment as part of the Armed Forces compensation scheme (tariffs 1 to 8)

Anyone with a limited ability to walk, a disability in their arms, or who are registered blind are eligible for the badge.

To apply, you must submit PIP evidence to your council - however they usually charge a fee up to £10.

Benefit boost - £7,334.40

Individuals on PIP as well as one of a number of other benefits can claim a premium - which is an extra benefit top up.

You can claim a boost if you're receiving one of the following alongside PIP:

• Housing Benefit
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income Support
• Working Tax Credit
• Employment and Support Allowance - but only if you get the PIP daily living component
• Pension Credit - but only if you get the PIP daily living component

If eligible, you could get either:

• £39.85 a week for a single person (disability premium)
• £56.80 a week for a couple (disability premium)
• £76.40 a week for a single person (severe disability premium)
• £152.80 a week if you’re in a couple and are both eligible (severe disability premium)
• £19.55 a week for a single person (enhanced disability premium)
• £27.90 a week if you’re in a couple and at least one of you is eligible (enhanced disability premium)

This means with the maximum amount, you could claim up to £7,945.60 annually.

The top up can happen automatically - or, if you haven't received it when you should have, you should get in touch with the department in charge of handling your benefits.

This will either be HMRC or the Department for Work and Pensions, and they will likely ask for proof of your PIP letter.

Go to Gov.uk and use the Benefits Calculator to check your eligibility.

Capped water bills - £1,053

If you are claiming PIP, you could also benefit from a water bill cap thanks to the WaterSure scheme.

This means your bill could be capped, so you're paying less than others in your area.

Claimants must be on a water meter or be waiting to have one installed, and they should also be able to prove that their disability causes them to use more water than an average household.

According to WaterSure, the average water bill a household pays annually is currently £471.

This means your bill will be capped at this amount if you are claiming PIP.

However, according to Martin Lewis, one person was refunded £1,053 through the scheme.

This scheme applies to households in England only, and they should apply by contacting their water supplier via its phone line or website.