PIP award rates
In January to March 2026, 49.0% of initial PIP decisions made after an assessment were awards: 99,840 of 203,630. Across 2025/26 the award rate was 50.9%, down from 64.3% in 2018/19.
Source: DWP: Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2026, published 15 September 2026. Tables 5B (ii) and 5C (ii), England and Wales.
These are first decisions, made after the assessment and before any mandatory reconsideration or appeal. They cover new claims and people moving from Disability Living Allowance together. They leave out claims that ended before an assessment, for example when the form wasn't returned, and decisions at a later award review.
The award rate by year
| Year | Decisions | Awards | Award rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 720,870 | 366,900 | 50.9% |
| 2024/25 | 829,150 | 460,750 | 55.6% |
| 2023/24 | 796,520 | 449,570 | 56.4% |
| 2022/23 | 766,500 | 409,680 | 53.4% |
| 2021/22 | 553,090 | 289,940 | 52.4% |
| 2020/21 | 453,710 | 246,380 | 54.3% |
| 2019/20 | 541,830 | 337,690 | 62.3% |
| 2018/19 | 564,970 | 363,440 | 64.3% |
Source: DWP: Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2026, published 15 September 2026. Quarters from tables 5B (ii) and 5C (ii) added up by financial year. DWP rounds each count to the nearest 10.
New claims and reassessments
DWP awards PIP far more often to people moving from Disability Living Allowance than to new claimants: 77% against 48% in 2025/26. Reassessments made up 43% of decisions in 2018/19 and 10% in 2025/26.
That change in who was being assessed explains most of the fall. With 2018/19's mix, 2025/26's award shares would give an overall rate of about 60%, against the actual 51%. For new claims alone, the award rate went from 55% to 48% over the same years.
| Year | New claims | Awarded | Reassessments | Awarded | Share reassessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 647,100 | 48% | 73,770 | 77% | 10% |
| 2024/25 | 752,050 | 53% | 77,090 | 79% | 9% |
| 2023/24 | 723,660 | 54% | 72,850 | 80% | 9% |
| 2022/23 | 689,740 | 51% | 76,760 | 76% | 10% |
| 2021/22 | 480,510 | 49% | 72,570 | 73% | 13% |
| 2020/21 | 368,580 | 50% | 85,120 | 72% | 19% |
| 2019/20 | 317,200 | 52% | 224,630 | 76% | 41% |
| 2018/19 | 321,720 | 55% | 243,250 | 76% | 43% |
Source: DWP: Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2026, published 15 September 2026. Tables 5E (i) and 5E (ii). DWP rounds these award shares to the nearest whole percent.
Quarter by quarter
- Award rate
Source: DWP: Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2026, published 15 September 2026. Tables 5B (ii) and 5C (ii). Each point is a calendar quarter, labelled by its first month.
After the first decision
Some people turned down at first get PIP after asking DWP to look again or appealing to a tribunal. How often that happens is on the PIP appeal success rate. DWP doesn't publish a single “awarded in the end” rate, because some people's awards change at both stages and would be counted twice.
Award rates by condition
DWP's quarterly PIP tables don't break the award rate down by condition. DWP publishes that through Stat-Xplore, where PIP clearances can be split by main disabling condition and outcome.
Questions people ask
What percentage of PIP claims are successful?
In January to March 2026, 49.0% of initial PIP decisions made after an assessment were awards: 99,840 of 203,630, according to DWP. Across 2025/26 it was 50.9%. These are first decisions, before any mandatory reconsideration or appeal.
Has the PIP award rate gone down?
Yes: 64.3% of decisions after an assessment were awards in 2018/19, against 50.9% in 2025/26. DWP awards reassessments far more often than new claims (77% against 48% in 2025/26), and reassessments were 43% of decisions in 2018/19 against 10% in 2025/26. The new-claim rate went from 55% to 48%.
Does the award rate count people who win at mandatory reconsideration or appeal?
No. It counts first decisions only. Some people turned down at first get an award after a mandatory reconsideration or a tribunal appeal, so the share who end up with PIP is higher. DWP doesn't publish one final figure, because some people change at both stages.
What is the PIP award rate for my condition?
DWP's quarterly PIP tables don't break award rates down by condition. DWP publishes that through Stat-Xplore, its online statistics tool, where PIP clearances can be split by main disabling condition and award.
Where these figures come from
DWP's PIP statistics, table 5B (ii) for the number of initial decisions after an assessment each quarter, and table 5C (ii) for how many of those were awards. Table 5B prints the award rate rounded to a whole percent; this page works it out from the counts to one decimal place. The split by claim type comes from tables 5E (i) and 5E (ii), which only give the rounded percentage.
How the descriptors score is on the PIP points calculator, and how long a decision takes on how long a PIP claim takes.
We are not the DWP and can't see your claim. For help with a claim, Citizens Advice and Scope give free advice.