Evidence and adjustments
Personal Independence Payment looks at how a health condition or disability affects specified everyday activities, and how long those difficulties have lasted. A dyslexia report can describe some of the functional difficulties a person experiences, but it is only ever part of the picture, and it is not the right evidence for every part of a claim.
Please read this first
We say this early because people are sometimes told, informally, that they need a new dyslexia diagnosis in order to claim. That is not something we can confirm, and an assessment should never be purchased on that assumption alone. It is always worth checking what you already have first.
The starting point
PIP considers difficulty with specified daily living and mobility activities, and how long those difficulties have lasted and are expected to last.
Having a dyslexia diagnosis does not by itself mean somebody will qualify, and the absence of one does not prevent an application.
A diagnostic report can help explain difficulties with reading, understanding written information, communication, memory, processing or organisation.
A dyslexia report is not written to address the full range of activities considered within a PIP claim, and it does not attempt to.
Medical, occupational or other professional evidence may be required alongside, or instead of, an educational report.
Defining Dyslexia has no role in the decision. Please use the current official guidance when making a claim.
How difficulties are described
Applications turn on how activities are actually managed day to day, not on the wording of a label.
Existing decisions
An existing dyslexia report can be reviewed to identify information that is relevant to the activities being considered. Quite often the useful material is already there and simply has not been drawn out. A new dyslexia assessment should only be considered if it would answer a genuine unmet assessment question, for example, if you have never been assessed and want to understand your own profile properly.
Defining Dyslexia does not provide legal advice, medical evidence or representation at a tribunal. Free, independent advice on benefit decisions is available from advice and advocacy organisations, and the official guidance below explains the process for challenging a decision.
Check the current rules yourself
Benefit rules and processes are set by the Department for Work and Pensions. Always work from the official guidance rather than from any private website, including ours.
The official overview of PIP for people aged 16 and over, including how to claim and what happens after a claim is made.
Decision made by: DWP
Explains that PIP looks at difficulty with specified everyday activities and mobility, and at how long those difficulties have lasted and are expected to last.
Decision made by: DWP
Describes the everyday activities considered within a claim and the kind of information a claimant is asked to provide about the support they need.
Decision made by: DWP
The current process for asking DWP to look at a decision again, and what happens if you go on to appeal.
Decision made by: DWP, and then an independent tribunal
Information checked against current GOV.UK guidance. Benefit rules and processes can change, so always check the official information before applying.
Knowledge Centre
After a dyslexia assessment, you will receive a written report. For many families and adults, this is the document they have been working towards, and it can feel like a lot to take in…
Read the articleWhen parents receive a dyslexia assessment report, one of the first things they notice is the numbers. There are scores for reading, spelling, memory, processing speed, and more, and it…
Read the articleReceiving a dyslexia assessment as an adult can be a genuinely life-changing moment. For many people it brings an enormous sense of relief, finally having an explanation for…
Read the articleWhere are you on the journey?
Only the steps that are likely to be genuinely relevant.
