How Long Does a PIP Review Take in 2026? About 20 Weeks

A PIP review took a median of 20 weeks from the day it was registered to the decision in 2025/26, according to DWP figures given to Parliament in September 2026. That is down from 43 weeks in 2024/25, but the mean was 25 weeks, so some reviews still take much longer. Your PIP keeps being paid while the review is going on, and most review decisions are now made without an assessment, which helps to speed them up. Here is the typical timeline in 2026.

Stage 1: Receiving the Review Form

The DWP sends your review form (AR1) approximately 9-15 months before your award end date. Some people receive it much earlier than expected. Your current PIP payments continue throughout.

Stage 2: Completing and Returning the Form

You have one month to return the form. If you need more time, call the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 before the deadline. Take as much time as you need to fill it in thoroughly.

Stage 3: Waiting for a Decision or Assessment

Paper-based review (no assessment): If the DWP can make a decision from your form and evidence alone, this is the quickest route, and the DWP says most review decisions are now made this way. It does not publish a separate time for paper-based reviews.

If an assessment is required: You wait for an assessment appointment, then for the assessor's report and the decision. This is the slowest route, because the wait for an appointment is usually the longest part.

Total Timeline

Typical (median, 2025/26): 20 weeks, about four and a half months, from the review being registered to the decision.

Average (mean, 2025/26): 25 weeks, because some reviews take much longer than the median.

Quickest: a paper-based review backed by strong evidence, with no assessment.

Slowest: 6 months or more, usually when an assessment is needed and appointments are backlogged. In 2024/25 the median review took 43 weeks.

What Happens to My Payments?

Your current PIP payments continue at the same rate throughout the review process. They do not stop while you are waiting for a decision. If the DWP has not made a decision before your award end date, they will automatically extend your award until a decision is made.

If You Haven't Heard Anything

If it has been more than 3 months since you returned your form and you haven't heard anything, call 0800 121 4433 and ask for an update. You can also contact your MP at www.writetothem.com if the wait is excessive.

2026 Clearance Times: The Official Numbers

The DWP's quarterly PIP statistics do not include review times. But in a written answer to Parliament on 8 September 2026, the DWP gave clearance times for PIP award reviews, measured from when a review is registered to when it is cleared (normal rules claims in England and Wales):

• 2025/26: median 20 weeks, mean 25 weeks
• 2024/25: median 43 weeks, mean 39 weeks
• 2023/24: median 45 weeks, mean 40 weeks
• 2021/22: median 14 weeks, mean 18 weeks

So reviews are now much quicker than in 2023/24 and 2024/25, but still slower than a few years ago. The DWP does not publish separate times for paper-based reviews or for reviews with a telephone or face-to-face assessment. It does say that most review decisions are now made without an assessment by a healthcare professional, and that claims stay in payment while a review is in progress. When an assessment is needed, the slowest part is almost always the wait for an appointment. Your part of the process (filling in the form and attending the assessment) is usually quick.

Stage-by-Stage Timeline With Examples

Here is roughly how a review that needs a telephone assessment unfolds. The weeks are an illustration, not official figures: the DWP only publishes the overall time, and a review with an assessment is likely to take longer than the 20-week median.

• Week 0: The review starts and the AR1 review form is sent to you
• Week 4: Form returned with evidence (you have one month)
• Weeks 5 to 10: Form and evidence looked at, and a decision made on whether you need an assessment
• Weeks 10 to 18: Assessment provider books a phone slot
• Weeks 18 to 19: Telephone assessment takes place
• Weeks 19 to 22: Assessor writes the PA4 report and sends it to the DWP
• Weeks 22 to 25: DWP case manager reviews the file and issues a decision

Paper-based reviews skip the booking and assessment stages entirely, so they are usually much quicker. This is why submitting strong evidence with your form is so important: it makes an assessment less likely and can save you months of waiting.

What Affects How Long Your Review Takes

• How much evidence you submit. Strong fresh evidence enables a paper-based review and avoids the assessment queue.
• Whether the assessor has questions. Sparse forms or unclear answers usually trigger an assessment.
• Geographic region. Some assessment provider regions have much longer backlogs than others.
• Time of year. December-January and August are slowest due to staff leave.
• Type of review. Light touch (AR2) reviews are fastest, full reviews (AR1) take longer.
• Whether you need a reasonable adjustment. Home visits, BSL interpreters and other adjustments can extend the wait.

What to Do If the Delay Is Causing Problems

Your existing payments do not stop while you wait, so a delay is not a financial emergency in most cases. But if you have additional concerns:

1. Call the PIP enquiry line (0800 121 4433), open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Ask for a "case update."
2. Ask for the case to be expedited if you have a terminal illness, are due to lose other benefits dependent on PIP or face homelessness.
3. Contact your MP via writetothem.com. MPs have a dedicated DWP escalation line.
4. File a complaint if the wait exceeds 6 months. Complaints can lead to a compensation payment for delays.
5. Get welfare rights advice from Citizens Advice or a local advocacy service if your case is unusually complex.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I speed up my PIP review?

Not directly. But returning your review form quickly with strong evidence attached prevents delays. If you include GP and consultant letters with your form, the DWP may not need to request them separately - saving weeks.

What if my review is taking longer than 12 weeks?

Contact the PIP enquiry line (0800 121 4433) and ask for an update. Your current PIP continues while the review is being processed, so a delay doesn't mean a gap in payments. However, if the delay is excessive, your MP can chase the DWP on your behalf.

Will my payments continue if my review takes longer than my award end date?

Yes. The DWP automatically extends your award until the review decision is made. You will not see your payments stop just because the original end date has passed. If by some error they do stop, call 0800 121 4433 immediately - this should be reinstated within days.

How long after a telephone assessment until the decision?

Usually 2-4 weeks. The assessor needs to write the PA4 report (typically 1-2 weeks after the call) then the decision-maker reads it and issues a decision (another 1-2 weeks). You will normally get a text message before the letter arrives.

If my review reduces my award, can I appeal?

Yes. You have one calendar month from the decision letter to request a Mandatory Reconsideration. If the MR result is also unfavourable, you have one month to appeal to a tribunal. Around two thirds of PIP appeals decided at a tribunal hearing succeed (Source: HMCTS Tribunal Statistics).

Can I request a paper-based review specifically?

You cannot officially request it but you can make it more likely. Submit strong, recent (within 12 months) consultant letters, a clear and detailed form and any specialist nurse or therapist letters. The clearer your file, the less reason the DWP has to send you to an assessment.

What if my assessment is cancelled at short notice?

You will be rebooked, usually within 4-6 weeks. If the cancellation was the provider's fault, call them to ask for a priority slot. Document any cancellation in case it is needed for a complaint later.