If you disagree with a PIP decision, such as a refusal, a lower award than expected, or a reduction or stop after a review, you can ask DWP to look at it again. A PIP appeal usually has two stages: you ask DWP for a mandatory reconsideration first, and only then can you appeal to the independent tribunal. In April to June 2026, 67% of PIP decisions cleared at a tribunal hearing were overturned in the claimant's favour. This guide explains both stages, the deadlines and the evidence.
Key points
✓Ask DWP for a mandatory reconsideration, usually within one month of the date on your decision letter.
✓You usually cannot appeal to the tribunal until you get your mandatory reconsideration notice. You usually need to appeal within one month of the date on it.
✓For initial PIP decisions after an assessment from April 2021 to March 2026, 15% of completed mandatory reconsiderations changed the award (DWP).
✓In April to June 2026, 67% of PIP decisions cleared at a tribunal hearing were overturned in the claimant's favour (Ministry of Justice).
✓A descriptor only applies if you can do the activity safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and within a reasonable time period.
Get the official form
To appeal a benefits decision by post, use form SSCS1, the notice of appeal. GOV.UK publishes it, and you can also appeal online.
If you need a printed version, contact your local court.
If you live in England, Wales or Scotland, you can appeal online instead. You then do not have to post in an appeal form or your mandatory reconsideration notice.
If you do not have internet access or do not feel confident using it, phone We Are Group on 03300 160 051, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, or text FORM to 60777 and someone will call you back.
The benefit appeals helpline can help with questions about appealing. For England and Wales it is 0300 123 1142, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm.
GOV.UK last updated its page for this form on 18 August 2026, when an amended Welsh version of the form was uploaded.
To appeal online, GOV.UK says you will need:
your National Insurance number
the details of the representative helping with your appeal, if you are using one
your mandatory reconsideration notice, or the reason you did not need a mandatory reconsideration, which is in your decision letter
There is a different process if you live in Northern Ireland, or if you want to appeal a decision made by Social Security Scotland.
What to check in your PIP decision
Your PIP decision letter includes a written statement of the reasons, so you do not need to ask for one. Read it with your assessment report, which you can ask DWP for. DWP's guide for assessors says:
A snapshot view of your condition on a particular day at a particular time is not an adequate assessment.
Informal observations should be balanced with evidence from professionals who may have seen you more regularly.
The assessor should give a justification for each descriptor choice where appropriate.
The assessor should take into account how your condition varies and whether you can do the activities reliably.
Where the report or decision falls short of these, say so in your challenge. Our guide on challenging your assessment report goes through them in detail.
Stage 1: Mandatory Reconsideration
Before you can appeal, you usually need to ask DWP to look at the decision again, which GOV.UK calls mandatory reconsideration. It is free, and your decision letter will say if you can appeal straight away:
1
Ask within one month
You usually need to ask within one month of the date on your decision letter. If you write, the letter or form must arrive by then. You can ask later for a good reason, for example if you have been in hospital or had a bereavement, and you must explain why your request is late. Regulation 6 of the Decisions and Appeals Regulations 2013 only lets DWP extend the time if you ask within 12 months of the latest date for asking, which is about 13 months after you were notified of the decision, and only if it is reasonable and special circumstances made it impracticable to ask in time. A request for an extension that is refused cannot be renewed.
2
Ask by phone, by letter or on the form
The contact details are on your decision letter. Give the date of the original decision, your name and address, your date of birth and your National Insurance number, and explain what part of the decision is wrong and why.
3
Send evidence that supports your reasons
Only send evidence you have not already sent. It could be new medical evidence, or reports or care plans from specialists, therapists or nurses. Write your full name, date of birth and National Insurance number at the top of each piece. You cannot claim back the cost of evidence you pay for.
4
Leave out what will not help
GOV.UK says not to include general information about your condition (such as factsheets), medical certificates or sick notes, or appointment cards and letters about appointments or tests.
5
Wait for the mandatory reconsideration notice
DWP will send a mandatory reconsideration notice telling you whether it has changed the decision. It explains the reasons and the evidence the decision was based on.
For initial PIP decisions after an assessment from April 2021 to March 2026, 15% of completed mandatory reconsiderations changed the award, so 85% did not, and 35% of completed reconsiderations then went on to an appeal (DWP, PIP statistics to July 2026). If the reconsideration does not change the decision, you can still appeal.
In Scotland this works differently. If you live in Scotland you apply for Adult Disability Payment instead of PIP, and challenging a decision has its own steps and deadlines:
You ask Social Security Scotland for a re-determination, not a mandatory reconsideration. You have 42 calendar days (6 weeks) to ask. A late request can be accepted with a good reason, as long as it is no more than one year after you got the decision letter.
When they get your request, Social Security Scotland tell you how long they have to make a new decision.
You can then appeal to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland within 31 calendar days of getting their re-determination letter, or their letter saying they could not make the decision in time. A late appeal may be accepted with a good reason, up to one year after that letter.
Stage 2: Appeal to the tribunal
If you think the decision in the mandatory reconsideration notice is wrong, you can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. It is supported by HM Courts and Tribunals Service and is independent of government:
1
Appeal online or on form SSCS1
You usually need to appeal within one month of the date of your mandatory reconsideration notice. To appeal online you need your National Insurance number, your mandatory reconsideration notice and your representative's details if you have one. To appeal by post, use form SSCS1.
2
If you are late
If you start your appeal after a month, you have to explain why. The tribunal rules treat an appeal made within 12 months after the time limit as in time if DWP does not object, unless the tribunal directs otherwise, and the time cannot be extended by more than 12 months.
3
DWP sends its response
Your appeal is sent to DWP, which responds explaining why it made the decision. You get a copy of the response. The tribunal, you and your representative see a copy of the assessment report.
4
Send your evidence early
Send any evidence as soon as you can so the tribunal has time to read it, online or by post. The tribunal must not take into account circumstances that did not exist when the decision was made, so evidence should describe how you were at that date.
5
The hearing and the decision
You choose whether to go to the hearing. A judge and one or two experts decide the appeal. You get the decision by post, and you may get it on the day if you go. If the tribunal got the law wrong, you can ask for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal.
In Northern Ireland, you ask the PIP Centre for a mandatory reconsideration and appeals go to the Appeals Service, not the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. The steps and forms are different:
Apply for a mandatory reconsideration within one calendar month of the date on your decision notice. The time limit can be extended in exceptional circumstances; contact the PIP Centre about these.
Ask the PIP Centre by phone, by letter, or on the MR2(NI) request form.
A case manager who was not involved in the original decision looks at it again, and you get a Mandatory Reconsideration Notice.
You cannot appeal to the Appeals Service until you have had a mandatory reconsideration.
Appeal online, on form NOA1 (SS), or by letter. The appeal must be in writing, give your reasons, be signed, and include the Mandatory Reconsideration Notice.
Your appeal must be received by the Appeals Service within one month from the date of the Mandatory Reconsideration Notice. If it is late, you must explain why.
The Appeals Service asks the department to prepare a written response for the tribunal, and sends you a copy.
The PIP Centre's number for existing claims and enquiries is 0800 587 0932. For the hearing itself, see the Northern Ireland section of our PIP tribunal hearing guide.
PIP appeal success rates
The latest official figures, with the period each covers:
Stage
Figure
Mandatory reconsiderations that changed the award (DWP, initial decisions April 2021 to March 2026)
15%
Appeals lapsed because DWP changed the decision before the hearing (same period)
17%
DWP decisions cleared at a tribunal hearing that were overturned (same period)
65%
PIP decisions cleared at a tribunal hearing that were overturned (Ministry of Justice, April to June 2026)
67%
These are figures for all PIP challenges, not a prediction for yours. The PIP appeal success rate guide shows the trend since 2023.
What evidence to include in your appeal
Evidence needs to support your reasons for saying the decision was wrong. GOV.UK gives these examples:
New medical evidence
Reports or care plans from specialists, therapists or nurses
A letter from someone who knows you
Tie each piece to the activity and descriptor it supports. The PIP descriptors set out the wording and points for each activity.
The reliability test
Regulation 4 of the PIP Regulations 2013 says you can only be assessed as satisfying a descriptor if you can do what it describes in all four of these ways:
Safely
In a manner unlikely to cause harm to you or to another person, either during or after completion of the activity.
To an acceptable standard
The legislation does not define it. DWP's assessment guide says the term has its ordinary meaning and that an acceptable standard is one which is 'good enough'.
Repeatedly
As often as the activity is reasonably required to be completed.
Within a reasonable time period
No more than twice as long as the maximum time a person without your condition would normally take.
A descriptor applies if it is satisfied on over 50% of the days of the required period. Describe how you manage on most days, including bad days, and any after-effects of doing an activity.
Getting help with your appeal
GOV.UK says you can get free help and advice from Citizens Advice and Advicenow. You can also appoint someone as a representative to help you with your appeal, such as a welfare rights adviser.
If you need help using the online appeal service, GOV.UK lists a support line on the appeal a benefit decision page.
First ask DWP for a mandatory reconsideration, usually within one month of the date on your decision letter, by phone, by letter or on the form. When you get the mandatory reconsideration notice, you can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal, usually within one month of the date on it, online or on form SSCS1.
How long does a PIP appeal take?
Social Security and Child Support appeals decided in April to June 2026 had a mean age of 37 weeks at disposal (Ministry of Justice, Tribunal Statistics Quarterly). GOV.UK says it usually takes at least 6 months for an appeal to be heard.
Can I appeal a PIP decision after the deadline?
You can ask for a mandatory reconsideration after one month for a good reason, such as being in hospital or a bereavement, and you must explain why it is late. If you start a tribunal appeal after a month, you have to explain why, and your appeal might not be accepted.
What evidence should I send with my PIP appeal?
Evidence that supports your reasons for saying the decision was wrong, such as new medical evidence, reports or care plans from specialists, therapists or nurses, or a letter from someone who knows you. Only send evidence you have not already sent, and it should describe how you were when the decision was made.
Know Your Rights UK. "PIP Appeal: How to Challenge a PIP Decision in 2026." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/benefits/pip/pip-appeal