People with certain health conditions could be missing out on vital support from the UK Government. There are 25 medical conditions that could qualify people for as much as an extra £691 per month from the Department for Work and Pensions.

The financial help is called Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and is designed to support people whose conditions affect their everyday lives. It can be as much as £172.75 per week - just under £700 per month and £8,000 per year.

The key to PIP is that it is based on how your illness affects your day-to-day life or mobility, rather than solely on the condition itself, reports Birmingham Live. That means it could be well worth investigating if you are not receiving it and have a condition that impacts your life every day.

Examples of conditions that could qualify for payments include respiratory diseases such as bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, empyema, and asthma. The amount offered by the DWP depends on how your condition influences your daily life, leading to two funds under the PIP scheme. You could potentially access:

  • The standard rate for daily living: £68.10 per week
  • Enhanced rate for daily living: £101.75 per week
  • The standard rate for mobility: £26.90 per week
  • Enhanced rate for mobility: £71.00 per week

    • A health professional will assess how your condition affects you, and this will be reviewed regularly to ensure you're getting the right support. To qualify for PIP, you must have a health condition or disability that has made daily life or moving around difficult for three months, and these problems are expected to continue for at least another nine months.

    You usually need to have lived in the UK for at least two of the last three years and be in the country when you apply. If your condition means you need help with any of the following, you should consider applying for PIP. Different rules apply if you are terminally ill, which you can find on the GOV.UK website.

    Conditions that could mean you qualify for PIP

    • Sleep apnoea - obstructive
    • Upper respiratory tract - other diseases of/type not known
    • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
    • Chronic bronchitis
    • Cystic fibrosis
    • Emphysema
    • Empyema
    • Bronchiectasis
    • Asthma
    • Asbestosis
    • Extrinsic allergic alveolitis
    • Fibrosing alveolitis
    • Sarcoidosis
    • Silicosis
    • Granulomatous lung disease and pulmonary infiltration
    • Pulmonary fibrosis - other/type not known
    • Pneumoconiosis
    • Pulmonary fibrosis
    • Pleura
    • Pleural effusion
    • Pneumothorax
    • Pulmonary embolus
    • Pneumonia
    • Lung transplantation
    • Heart and lung transplantation