People on Universal Credit who have a health condition may be able to increase their benefit payments and get more than £1,000 a month.

Claimants who have a long-term condition may also be eligible for Personal Independence Payment, which provides support for people who have a condition or illness that affects their daily life or ability to move around.

PIP is tax-free. A single claimant over 25 on Universal Credit could get up to £1,059.74 a month.

PIP is not means-tested, so an applicant’s savings or income are not taken into account when their award is determined.

The benefit is being replaced by Adult Disability Payment in Scotland, which has the same payment rates and eligibility criteria.

The claimant needs to expect their condition to affect them for at least a year from when they started to be impacted.

They may qualify if they have difficulties with preparing or cooking or eating food, managing medication, washing, bathing, using the toilet, dressing and undressing , engaging and communicating with other people, reading and understanding written information, making decisions about money, planning a journey or following a route, or moving around.

There are more than 500 conditions that can qualify a person to receive PIP.

Some of the most common are: Haematological Disease, infectious disease, malignant disease, metabolic disease, psychiatric disorders, neurological disease, visual disease , hearing disorders, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease, diseases of the liver or gallbladder or biliary tract, skin disease general or regional musculoskeletal disease, autoimmune disease (connective tissue disorders), genitourinary disease, endocrine disease, respiratory disease, multisystem and extremes of age, or diseases of the immune system.

PIP payments are made up of a daily living part and a mobility part, with a lower and higher rate depending on the level of support a person needs.

The standard weekly rate of daily living is £68.10 while the enhanced rate is £101.75.

The standard weekly rate for mobility is £26.90 while the enhanced rate is £71.

This means a person who receives both higher rates would get around £691 a month which, on top of the Universal Credit standard allowance, would be over £1,000 for single claimants aged 25 or over, or for joint claimants.

The current monthly rates for the standard allowance are £292.11 for single people under the age of 25, £368.74 for single over-25s, £485.51 for join claimants who are both under 25, and £578.83 for joint claimaints where one or both are over the age of 25.