Resources · Linkable asset
Quick answer: A PIP evidence diary is a day-by-day record of how arthritis affects everyday tasks and getting around. Keep it for at least 2 to 4 weeks, including bad days. Note what you tried, how long it took, any pain, aids or help you needed, and what happened afterwards. Use it to write your PIP form answers.
Clinically reviewed · Louis Maxwell, HCPC PH128483 · 23 October 2026
Educational information for people in the UK living with arthritis — not a diagnosis or personal medical advice. Check medicines and exercises with your GP, pharmacist or rheumatology team. For emergencies call 999; for urgent advice use NHS 111. See our medical disclaimer, editorial standards and claims policy.
Checked on 10 October 2026 against GOV.UK: Personal Independence Payment and the DWP PIP assessment guide. This diary is not a DWP form. It is a tool to help you remember and explain how arthritis affects you.
When you fill in the PIP form, it is easy to forget the bad mornings, the extra time things take, the help you quietly rely on and how you feel the day after a busy one. A diary solves this. It gives you real, specific examples in your own words, and shows how often difficulties happen, which is exactly what the assessment looks at. The templates below can be printed (use the print button above) or copied into a notebook or notes app.
Why a diary helps a PIP claim
PIP is not awarded for a diagnosis. It is based on how your condition affects 12 everyday activities. Three rules make a diary especially useful for arthritis:
- "Most of the time". GOV.UK says you must have difficulty with tasks on more than half of the days over a 12-month period. A diary shows how many days are affected, not just how bad the worst day is.
- The "reliably" test. The DWP assessment guide says you should only count as able to do something if you can do it safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time (no more than twice as long as someone without your condition would take). A diary captures the time, pain, rests and near misses that show this.
- Fluctuation. PIP regulations look at which descriptor applies on more than 50% of days. A diary covering several weeks shows the real pattern of good and bad days and flares.
How to use the templates
- Keep it for at least 2 to 4 weeks, ideally including a flare. If your claim form has already arrived, start straight away; GOV.UK says you should usually return it within 1 month, and you can ask the PIP enquiry line for more time.
- Fill it in at the end of each day, or ask someone to help if writing is painful. Voice notes on a phone are fine too.
- Be honest and specific. Record good days as well as bad. A diary that only shows bad days is less believable.
- Record what happens, not just what you do. Note time taken, pain before and after, rests, help needed, aids used, accidents and how you felt later or the next day.
- Use the weekly grid below for a quick overview, and the daily page for detail.
- Keep a copy and send a summary (not necessarily every page) with your form, along with clinic letters and prescription lists.
Template 1: weekly overview grid
Put a short note or code in each box. For example: OK (managed without difficulty), S (slow, more than twice as long), P (painful), A (used an aid), H (needed help or prompting), X (could not do it). Use the pain row for a 0 to 10 score.
| Activity | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain / stiffness (0–10) | |||||||
| Preparing food | |||||||
| Eating and drinking | |||||||
| Medicines / injections | |||||||
| Washing and bathing | |||||||
| Using the toilet | |||||||
| Dressing / undressing | |||||||
| Moving around (distance, aid, rests) | |||||||
| Going out / journeys | |||||||
| Help needed from someone else | |||||||
| Falls, near misses, dropped items |
Template 2: daily diary page
Copy this page for each day. Short notes are enough.
| Question | Your notes |
|---|---|
| Date, and was today a good, average or bad day? | |
| Morning stiffness: how long until you could move more easily? | |
| Pain score on waking, midday and evening (0 to 10) | |
| Washing and bathing: what you did, how long it took, aids or help used | |
| Using the toilet: any difficulty getting on or off, or managing clothing | |
| Dressing and undressing: fastenings, socks, shoes, time taken, help needed | |
| Preparing food: what you made, whether you sat down, used a microwave or needed help | |
| Eating and drinking: cutting food, lifting cups, any difficulty | |
| Medicines and treatments: opening packs, injections, reminders, help from others | |
| Moving around: how far you walked, how long it took, rests, aids, how you felt afterwards | |
| Going out and journeys: did you go out, how, and did anyone need to go with you? | |
| Falls, near misses, dropped items, burns or spills | |
| Tiredness and how today affects tomorrow | |
| Anything you could not do or put off because of your arthritis |
Template 3: prompts for each PIP activity
The PIP form asks about each activity in turn. These prompts help you notice the details that matter for arthritis.
| PIP activity | What to note in your diary |
|---|---|
| 1. Preparing food | Peeling, chopping, opening jars and packets, lifting pans or a full kettle, standing at the cooker, using a perching stool, relying on ready meals or a microwave |
| 2. Eating and drinking | Cutting food, holding cutlery, lifting a cup, needing adapted cutlery |
| 3. Managing treatments | Opening blister packs and bottles, self-injecting (for example methotrexate or a biologic), remembering doses, needing someone to help |
| 4. Washing and bathing | Getting in and out of the bath or shower, washing hair, reaching feet and back, using a shower seat or bath board, someone nearby for safety |
| 5. Managing toilet needs | Getting on and off the toilet, wiping, raised seat or rails, managing clothing |
| 6. Dressing and undressing | Buttons, zips, bras, socks, tights, shoes and laces, dressing aids, sitting to dress, time taken |
| 7. Communicating | Usually not affected by arthritis alone; note any difficulty if it applies to you |
| 8. Reading | Note any difficulty if it applies (for example holding books or papers with painful hands is not usually scored, but sight problems are) |
| 9. Mixing with other people | Anxiety, low mood or exhaustion that stops you engaging with others, if relevant |
| 10. Budgeting | Usually not affected by arthritis alone; note if another condition affects it |
| 11. Planning and following journeys | Relevant if anxiety, confusion or another condition affects journeys |
| 12. Moving around | Distance you can walk reliably and repeatedly, your pace, rests, aids, pain, and how you feel afterwards and the next day |
Template 4: walking and moving around log
Moving around is often the hardest activity to describe accurately. Measure a familiar route once (for example, front door to the end of the road) using a map app, then log each walk.
| Date | Route and distance | Aid used | Time taken | When did pain start? When did you stop? | How did you feel afterwards and the next day? |
|---|
Only walk as far as is safe and comfortable for you. Do not push yourself to "prove" a point; you should describe your usual ability, not test your limits.
Template 5: flare log
| Flare started | Flare ended | Joints affected | What you could not do during the flare | Help you needed | Contact with GP, rheumatology or 111 |
|---|
Add up how many days a month you are in a flare. This helps show whether difficulties happen on more than half of days.
Template 6: statement from someone who helps you
A short statement from a partner, relative, friend or carer can back up your diary. They can copy and complete this:
My name is [name]. I am [relationship, for example partner, daughter, neighbour] and I have known [your name] for [time]. I see them [how often].
Because of their arthritis, I help them with: [for example dressing most mornings, getting in and out of the bath, opening medicines, cooking hot meals].
On a typical day: [what they can and cannot do, how long things take].
On a bad day, which happens about [number] days a week or month: [what changes].
I have seen: [falls, near misses, burns, dropping things, needing to stop and rest].
Signed: [name] Date: [date] Contact number (optional): [number]
An illustrative example of a good entry
This is a made-up example to show the level of detail that helps. It is not a real person.
Tuesday, bad day. Hands and knees very stiff for about 90 minutes after waking. Could not grip the kettle until my tablets started working, so my partner made breakfast. Took about 35 minutes to dress sitting on the bed; partner did my bra and socks. Showered with the seat, but could not wash my hair. Walked to the corner shop with my stick (about 150 metres by map app), had to stop twice, took about 6 minutes and needed to sit down when I got home. Knees throbbing all evening.
Notice it includes time taken, help from another person, aids, distance, rests and the after-effects.
Template 7: one-page summary to attach to your form
At the end of your diary period, fill in this summary. It makes it easy for the person deciding your claim to see the pattern.
| Activity | Days with difficulty (out of total days recorded) | Aid or help needed | Typical time taken | Best example from the diary (date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preparing food | ||||
| Washing and bathing | ||||
| Dressing and undressing | ||||
| Managing treatments | ||||
| Moving around | ||||
| Other activities that apply to you |
Common diary mistakes to avoid
- Only writing "bad day" or "pain 8/10". Say what the pain stopped you doing, and what you did instead.
- Leaving out help you take for granted. If your partner always opens jars or does up your buttons, write it down, even if it feels minor.
- Forgetting the after-effects. If a trip to the shops means you spend the afternoon on the sofa, that affects whether you can do it repeatedly.
- Not mentioning things you avoid. If you no longer cook hot meals or have a bath because it is unsafe, say so and explain why.
- Exaggerating. An honest, consistent record is far more persuasive than one that does not match your clinic letters.
- Stopping once the form is sent. Keep going until the decision arrives. You may need it for an assessment or a challenge.
What to keep with your diary
- Your latest prescription list, including injections and side effects
- Clinic letters from rheumatology, orthopaedics, pain clinic, physiotherapy or occupational therapy
- Any care plan, equipment list or occupational therapy report
- Your supporter statement (Template 6)
- A copy of the completed PIP form before you send it
Turning your diary into form answers
- For each activity, count how many days in the diary you had difficulty, and how many of those you needed an aid, help or much more time.
- Write a short summary: "On about 5 days a week I need help to get dressed. It takes me around 30 minutes and I have to sit down."
- Add one or two specific examples from the diary.
- Explain what happens if you try without help: pain, risk of falling, not being able to repeat it later.
- Attach supporting evidence such as clinic letters and your prescription list.
Our complete PIP guide explains the points system, the form and the assessment in full. If you are refused, the diary is also useful evidence for a mandatory reconsideration or appeal.
Using the diary for other claims
The same records can help with Adult Disability Payment in Scotland, Attendance Allowance if you are over State Pension age (see our Attendance Allowance guide), a Blue Badge application, or a Work Capability Assessment for Universal Credit or ESA. In Northern Ireland, PIP is run by the Department for Communities, and the activities assessed are the same.
Getting free help
Citizens Advice (England and Wales), Citizens Advice Scotland, Advice NI, Turn2us, Scope and Disability Rights UK all provide free information or advice about disability benefits. We are not connected to these organisations. Many councils also run a welfare rights service. An adviser can look at your diary and help match your difficulties to the PIP descriptors.
When to talk to your GP or rheumatology team
A diary sometimes shows that things are worse than you realised. Contact your GP or rheumatology advice line if flares are getting more frequent or lasting longer, you are falling, or pain is stopping you looking after yourself. Get urgent help from NHS 111 or your GP the same day if a joint becomes suddenly hot, swollen and very painful, especially if you feel unwell or have a fever.
Sources and further reading
- GOV.UK: Personal Independence Payment
- GOV.UK: How to claim PIP
- DWP: PIP assessment guide part 2 – the assessment criteria
- The Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013, regulation 7
- mygov.scot: Adult Disability Payment
- nidirect: Personal Independence Payment
Frequently asked questions
How long should I keep a PIP diary?
Aim for at least 2 to 4 weeks, ideally including a flare and some better days. If your claim form has already arrived, start straight away and keep going while you fill it in.
Do I have to send my diary to DWP?
No, it is optional. Many people send a summary or a few representative weeks with their form, plus clinic letters and prescription lists. Keep the original and a copy of anything you send.
Is this diary an official DWP form?
No. It is a free template to help you record and explain how arthritis affects you. The official form is called 'How your disability affects you'.
What if writing is painful?
Ask someone to write for you, use voice notes or a notes app, or use short codes in the weekly grid. The detail matters more than the format.
Should I record good days too?
Yes. Recording good and bad days gives an honest picture and shows how often difficulties happen, which is what PIP looks at.
Can I use the diary in Scotland?
Yes. Adult Disability Payment looks at similar daily living and mobility activities, so the same records are useful for an ADP application.
Can someone else fill in the diary for me?
Yes. A partner, relative or carer can write it for you, or add their own notes about the help they give. Make sure it reflects what actually happens and that you agree with it.
Living With Arthritis · Charity 1218461 · 07760 512 084 · info@livingwitharthritis.org.uk · livingwitharthritis.org.uk/resources/pip-evidence-diary?utm_source=print-pip-diary&utm_medium=print&utm_campaign=month1-linkable&utm_content=pip-evidence-diary