- Step 1 is a mandatory reconsideration (MR): you ask DWP to look at the decision again. You usually need to ask within one month of the date on your decision letter.1
- If you miss the month, you can still ask, but you must explain why you are late, for example a hospital stay or a bereavement.1
- Step 2, if the MR does not change the decision, is an appeal to an independent tribunal. You appeal within one month of the date on your mandatory reconsideration notice, online or on form SSCS1.2
- Over the five years to January 2026, 27% of PIP mandatory reconsiderations led to a change in award.3 At tribunal the picture is different: in January to March 2026, 67% of PIP appeals were decided in the claimant's favour.4
First, read the decision letter and the assessment report
Your decision letter shows the points you were given for each activity. Ring the PIP enquiry line and ask for a copy of the assessment report (sometimes called the PA4). It sets out what the assessor wrote about each activity and why, and it is the single most useful document for a challenge.
Go through it activity by activity. For each one, write down what was recorded, what actually happens on most days, and which descriptor you think applies instead. Mistakes are often small and specific: a statement that you walked into the room without difficulty, a note that you can cook when you only use a microwave, or a missing mention of the prompting someone gives you to wash or take medication.
Our PIP points guide lists every descriptor and its points, so you can see exactly which line you are arguing for and how many points it would add.
How to ask for a mandatory reconsideration
You can ask by phone or in writing. Writing is usually better because it gives you a record and lets you set out your reasons in order. Use the CRMR1 form or a letter, and include your name, National Insurance number and the date of the decision you are challenging.
Be specific. Rather than 'I disagree with the decision', say which activities you are challenging, the descriptor you believe applies, and why. For example: 'Activity 4, washing and bathing: I was awarded 0 points. I cannot get in or out of the bath without my partner's help on most days, so descriptor 4e (3 points) applies.'
Send any new evidence you have, or say it is on its way. Helpful evidence includes letters from a GP, consultant, specialist nurse, occupational therapist or community mental health team, a care plan, prescription lists, and a short statement from someone who sees how your condition affects you day to day. Evidence about function (what you can and cannot do, how often, and what happens when you try) is worth more than evidence that only confirms a diagnosis.
Keep copies of everything you send and note the date. If you post it, get proof of postage.
What happens after you ask
A different decision maker at DWP looks at the whole award again. They may phone you to talk it through. If they offer a different award on the call, you do not have to accept it on the spot; you can ask for time to think, especially if the offer still leaves you below the points you believe you score.
When they have decided, DWP sends you a mandatory reconsideration notice. Keep it safe, because you need it to appeal. In January 2026 the median time to clear a PIP mandatory reconsideration was 79 days.3
Remember that the whole award is looked at, not only the part you are unhappy with. In practice awards are rarely reduced at this stage, but if one component looks generous compared with your evidence, it is worth getting advice before you ask.
Appealing to the tribunal
If the mandatory reconsideration notice does not give you the award you think is right, you can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal, which is independent of DWP. Appeal within one month of the date on the notice. You can do it online through the GOV.UK appeal service or by post on form SSCS1, and you need your National Insurance number and the notice itself.2
You will be asked whether you want a hearing or a decision on the papers. Choosing a hearing, in person, by phone or by video, gives you the chance to explain in your own words and to answer the panel's questions. For PIP the panel is usually a tribunal judge, a doctor and a member with experience of disability.
DWP sends its response bundle before the hearing. Read it, and send the tribunal any further evidence well before the date. Sometimes DWP reviews its decision after you appeal and offers a better award, which ends the appeal if you accept it.
Waiting times for a hearing can be long, often several months. If you have a PIP award that is still running, it carries on while you wait. If a refused renewal ended your award, payments stop until the appeal is decided. If you win, the award is normally backdated to the date of the decision you challenged.
Why so many PIP appeals succeed
The low change rate at mandatory reconsideration and the much higher success rate at tribunal tell you something useful: the first two stages lean heavily on the assessment report, while the tribunal hears from you directly and weighs all the evidence fresh.
That is not a promise that any individual appeal will succeed, and appeals can feel daunting. But it does mean that a refusal at mandatory reconsideration is not the end of the road, and many people who were refused at both early stages are awarded PIP by a tribunal.
Getting free help
You do not have to do this alone. Citizens Advice, local welfare rights services (often run by the council), disability charities and some law centres help with PIP challenges free of charge, and some will represent you at a hearing. Ask early, because appeal deadlines are short and advice services can be busy.
In Scotland, PIP has been replaced by Adult Disability Payment from Social Security Scotland. The challenge route is called a re-determination and the time limits are different, so use the mygov.scot guidance instead of this page.