How do I appeal a PIP decision?

Deadlines you must not miss

• Mandatory reconsideration: within one month of the date on your PIP decision letter. If you write, your letter or form must arrive by then.
• Tribunal appeal: within one month of the date on your mandatory reconsideration notice.

If you are late, you can still ask, but you must explain why. Good reasons include a stay in hospital or a bereavement. A late appeal might not be accepted.

Step 1: ask for mandatory reconsideration

Mandatory reconsideration means DWP looks at its own decision again. You usually have to do this before you can appeal. Your decision letter tells you if you can skip it.

1. Find the contact details on your decision letter.
2. Contact DWP by phone, by letter, or with form CRMR1.
3. Say which parts of the decision you think are wrong, and why.
4. Send any evidence that backs this up.

Your request must include:

• the date of the original decision
• your full name, address and date of birth
• your National Insurance number
• why you think the decision is wrong

DWP then sends you a "mandatory reconsideration notice" with its answer. In July 2026 the typical (median) wait for a reconsideration of a new PIP claim was 45 calendar days. Over the 5 years to July 2026, 27% of PIP reconsiderations led to a change in award.

What evidence helps

Your decision letter shows the points you got for each activity. Pick the activities where you think you should have scored more, and give real examples from your daily life.

Useful evidence is anything that shows how your condition affects you, such as a report from a specialist. Do not send general factsheets, sick notes or medical certificates. They do not help.

Step 2: appeal to the tribunal

The Social Security and Child Support Tribunal is independent of DWP.

1. Have your National Insurance number and mandatory reconsideration notice ready.
2. Appeal online, or by post using form SSCS1.
3. Choose whether to go to a hearing or have the case decided on the papers.
4. Send extra evidence as early as you can.

DWP sends the tribunal its response, and you get a copy. It usually takes at least 6 months for an appeal to be heard. Sometimes DWP changes its mind first: for first decisions made between April 2021 and March 2026, DWP changed the decision in the claimant's favour before the hearing in 17% of PIP appeals lodged.

At a hearing, a judge and one or two experts ask you about your daily life. You can claim back travel costs, such as public transport fares or 45p a mile if you drive.

If you lose, you can only go further (to the Upper Tribunal) if the tribunal got the law wrong. Ask for a written "statement of reasons" within one month of the decision first.

Free help

Citizens Advice can help you for free with forms, evidence and hearings. For questions about your appeal, call the tribunal helpline on 0300 123 1142 (England and Wales) or 0300 303 5170 (in Welsh).

If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland

• Scotland: you get Adult Disability Payment from Social Security Scotland instead. Ask for a redetermination within 42 calendar days, then appeal to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland within 31 calendar days of the result. Late requests can be accepted for a good reason, up to one year after the original decision letter.
• Northern Ireland: ask the PIP Centre for a mandatory reconsideration within one calendar month. Then appeal to The Appeals Service within one month of the date of your reconsideration notice.

Related guides

• How do I challenge a benefit decision?
• How do PIP points work?
• What happens at a PIP assessment?
• How long does a PIP claim take?
• Who can get PIP?

Where this comes from

• Mandatory reconsideration (GOV.UK) and how to ask for it
• Challenge a decision made by DWP: form CRMR1
• Appeal a benefit decision, including submitting your appeal, after you submit, the hearing and if you're unhappy with the decision
• DWP PIP statistics to July 2026
• How to challenge a decision (mygov.scot)
• PIP in Northern Ireland (nidirect) and appeal a benefits decision (nidirect)