PIP Review and Renewal: What Happens When Your Award Ends
Personal Independence Payment is almost always awarded for a fixed period, after which the DWP reviews it to decide whether it should continue, change, or stop. You don't usually have to start a fresh claim from scratch, instead the DWP sends you a review form before your award ends. How you complete that form matters just as much as your original claim. This guide explains how PIP reviews and renewals work, the forms involved, the timescales, and how to give yourself the best chance of keeping the right award.
- ✓Most PIP awards are for a fixed term, the DWP contacts you to review them, you don't normally reapply from scratch.
- ✓You'll be sent an 'Award review' form (AR1) to describe how your condition affects you now.
- ✓Treat the review like a new claim: describe your current needs in full, don't assume your award just rolls over.
- ✓Your PIP keeps being paid while a review that started before your award end date is being decided.
- ✓If a review reduces or stops your PIP, you can ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration and then appeal.
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Review or renewal: how PIP awards end
When you're awarded PIP, the decision letter gives an award length, commonly two, three, five or ten years, or sometimes an ongoing award with a light-touch review. Towards the end of that period the DWP carries out a review to decide what happens next. There are two situations people describe as ‘renewing’ PIP:
- ✓Award review: the DWP reviews an existing award (either at the planned review point or because you reported a change). This is the usual route, and you stay on PIP throughout.
- ✓Award ending: if your fixed-term award is coming to an end, the DWP sends a review form in good time so a new decision can be made before the old award runs out.
The review form (AR1) and what to do with it
The DWP sends an ‘Award review, how your disability affects you’ form (often called the AR1). It looks similar to the original PIP2 claim form and asks about the same activities. How you fill it in decides your award:
- ✓Describe your needs as they are now, for each daily living and mobility activity, exactly as if it were a fresh claim
- ✓Don't write 'no change' and leave it there, an empty or thin form gives the assessor nothing to award points on
- ✓Describe your bad days and how often they happen (the 50% rule still applies to fluctuating conditions)
- ✓Explain whether you can do each activity safely, to an acceptable standard, in reasonable time and repeatedly
- ✓Include up-to-date evidence, recent GP or consultant letters, medication changes, care or support details
Light-touch and longer reviews
Not every review is a full reassessment. Depending on your circumstances you may get:
- ✓A light-touch review, a shorter form and usually no face-to-face assessment, used for people whose needs are stable and unlikely to change, including many people over State Pension age and those with the highest, most stable awards
- ✓A longer award (for example 10 years) with only a light-touch review at the end, where a condition is severe and not going to improve
- ✓A full review, where the DWP needs to look again in detail, often with an assessment
Will my PIP keep being paid during the review?
Yes, in the normal case. If the DWP starts your review before your current award is due to end, your PIP continues to be paid at the same rate until the new decision is made, even if that takes longer than expected. You won't have a gap in payment just because the paperwork is slow.
The new decision can:
- ✓Keep your award the same
- ✓Increase it, if your needs have grown
- ✓Reduce it, if your needs have lessened
- ✓End it, if you no longer score enough points
If the decision is worse than your current award, ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration within one month and, if needed, appeal to a tribunal. Around two thirds of PIP appeals succeed, so a poor review decision is well worth challenging.
Get instant help right now
A Citizens Advice appointment can take weeks. Our free assistant is available 24/7 with no appointment, giving you clear, step-by-step answers about your exact situation, what to do next, and the deadlines that matter.
Need to take action? It can draft a ready-to-send formal letter for you (optional, from £4.99).
England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to reapply for PIP when my award ends?
Usually not. The DWP contacts you before a fixed-term award ends and sends an 'Award review' form (AR1) to describe how your condition affects you now. You stay on PIP while the review is decided. Only if your award has fully lapsed without a review would you need to make a fresh claim, so don't let it run out, call 0800 121 4433 if you haven't heard.
What is the PIP AR1 review form?
The AR1 ('Award review, how your disability affects you') is the form the DWP sends to review your PIP. It covers the same daily living and mobility activities as the original claim. Fill it in as if it were a new claim, describing your current needs in full with up-to-date evidence, rather than just writing 'no change'.
Does my PIP stop while I'm waiting for a review decision?
No. If the DWP began the review before your current award was due to end, your PIP continues at the same rate until the new decision is made, even if it takes longer than planned. You should not have a gap in payment caused by review delays.
Does PIP stop at State Pension age?
No. If you were already getting PIP before reaching State Pension age, you keep it and continue to be reviewed, usually with a lighter-touch review. You are not moved onto Attendance Allowance. New claims for help with daily living after pension age are made through Attendance Allowance instead.
What if my PIP is reduced or stopped at review?
You can challenge it. Ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration within one month of the decision, adding any new evidence, and if that fails appeal to the First-tier Tribunal within one month of the reconsideration notice. Around two thirds of PIP appeals succeed at tribunal, and free help is available from Citizens Advice and welfare rights services.
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