How long does a PIP claim take?

Source: DWP: Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2026, published 15 September 2026. Next update 15 December 2026.

The median is the middle claim of those DWP decided that month: half took longer and half were quicker. These are DWP's own figures for England and Wales. In Scotland, new claims go to Adult Disability Payment from Social Security Scotland.

• 18 weeksNew claim, registration to decision
• 21 weeksReassessment from DLA
• 3 daysSpecial rules (working days)
• 45 daysMandatory reconsideration

Where the 18 weeks go

A claim passes through four stages. The longest for a new claim is time with the assessment provider: 10 weeks of the 18 weeks.

The stages don't add up to the whole claim. DWP works out each stage's median separately, from the claims that finished that stage in the month, so the middle claim at one stage isn't the middle claim at the next.

Is PIP getting quicker or slower?

A new claim took 18 weeks in July 2026, 3 weeks longer than in July 2025, when it was 15. Over the last 12 months the slowest was January and February 2026, at 20 weeks. Reassessments took 21 weeks, 3 weeks longer than in July 2025, when it was 18.

Source: DWP: Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2026, published 15 September 2026. Tables 1A and 1B, normal rules.

How long claims still waiting have waited

At the end of July 2026, the median new claim still waiting for a decision had been in the system for 9 weeks, and the median reassessment for 12 weeks. This counts claims not yet decided, so it's a different measure from the times above, which count claims that were.

Source: DWP: Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2026, published 15 September 2026. Tables 3A and 3B.

Special rules for end of life

The special rules for end of life apply if a doctor or other medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live. There's no face-to-face assessment, and you get the higher rate of the daily living part.

New claims under the special rules took a median of 3 working days from registration to decision in July 2026. DWP didn't publish a figure for special rules reassessments that month, because fewer than 50 were decided: too few for a meaningful median.

Source: DWP: Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2026, published 15 September 2026. Tables 2A and 2B. The rule: gov.uk: Claiming PIP if you're nearing the end of life, checked 11 October 2026.

How long a mandatory reconsideration takes

If you disagree with the decision, the first step is to ask DWP to look at it again. This is a mandatory reconsideration. Those DWP finished in July 2026 took a median of 45 days from the request being registered to the new decision. That's down from 87 days in October 2025, the slowest month of the last 12.

You usually have one month from the date on your decision letter to ask for a mandatory reconsideration. You can ask later if you have a good reason, such as a stay in hospital or a bereavement.

Source: DWP: Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2026, published 15 September 2026. Table 4A, calendar days. The deadline: gov.uk: Mandatory reconsideration, checked 11 October 2026.

If the decision still stands, you can appeal to a tribunal. In April to June 2026, tribunals cleared 13,123 PIP appeals at a hearing and decided 8,781 of them in the claimant's favour: 66.9%. The Ministry of Justice's count of appeals cleared at a hearing includes some withdrawn on the day. It marks that quarter's figures provisional.

Source: Ministry of Justice: Tribunals statistics quarterly: April to June 2026, published 10 September 2026. Sheet SSCS_3, Personal Independence Payment.