The Short Answer
Walking distance is scored in five fixed bands under one activity, moving around. Above 200 metres scores nothing, above 50 metres scores 4 points, 20 to 50 metres scores 8 points unaided or 10 using an aid, and 20 metres or less scores 12 points. Twelve points pays the enhanced mobility rate. The distance counted is the one you can repeat, not the furthest you have ever managed. The calculator above uses the descriptors as Schedule 1 sets them out.
The Walking Distance Bands
Five bands, each with a fixed distance and a fixed score. The table below sets them out with the mobility rate each one reaches on its own, before any points from planning and following journeys are added.
| Distance you can stand and then move | Points | Rate on this descriptor alone |
|---|---|---|
| More than 200 metres | 0 | None |
| More than 50 but no more than 200 metres | 4 | None on its own |
| More than 20 but no more than 50 metres, unaided | 8 | Standard |
| More than 20 but no more than 50 metres, using an aid | 10 | Standard |
| More than 1 but no more than 20 metres | 12 | Enhanced |
| Cannot stand, or cannot move more than 1 metre | 12 | Enhanced |
Last checked: 6 August 2026
The 4-point band pays nothing by itself because the mobility threshold is 8. It still matters: added to 4 points for needing prompting on the journeys activity, it reaches 8 and pays the standard rate. The PIP Points Calculator scores both mobility activities together.
How the Distance Is Measured
On an ordinary outdoor surface, including kerbs, and at a distance you can repeat. The DWP assessment guide directs that the activity "should be judged in relation to a type of surface normally expected out of doors, such as pavements on the flat" and that this "includes the consideration of kerbs".
Standing and then moving has a precise meaning too. The guide states that it "requires an individual to stand and then move independently while remaining standing", and that it "does not include a claimant who stands and then transfers into a wheelchair or similar device". Limited pauses do not end the attempt: a pause to step up onto a kerb does not count as stopping.
Why Reliability Changes the Answer
The distance that counts is the one you can manage repeatedly, to an acceptable standard, in a reasonable time. The assessment guide states that "the reliability criteria should be applied when assessing what distances the claimant can achieve", which converts a single measurement into a question about a normal day.
A 200-metre walk completed once, followed by two days unable to leave the house, is not a 200-metre capability for scoring purposes. The practical test is what you could do again within a reasonable period, on more than half of the days across a 12-month period.
Measuring Your Own Distance
Pace a known route and note where you stop, on several different days. The bands that matter are 20 metres, 50 metres and 200 metres, and the DWP assessment guide directs that the reliability criteria apply to whichever distance you record. Twenty metres is roughly the length of two double-decker buses, or five parked cars. Fifty metres is about the length of an Olympic swimming pool.
A measurement repeated over a week or two is more useful than one taken on a single day, because it answers the reliability question at the same time as the distance question. Record the date, the distance, whether an aid was used, and what happened afterwards.
Score the Whole Mobility Component
Moving around is one of two mobility activities, and points from both are added together. Schedule 1 of the PIP Regulations 2013 scores it in fixed distance bands, and 12 points in the component pays the enhanced mobility rate. Two tools complete the component:
- Score both mobility activities together with the mobility points calculator.
- Score all 12 activities in the PIP Points Calculator.
Related guidance: PIP Points for Moving Around.