PIP Waiting Times 2026: How Long After an Assessment for a Decision?

How long after a PIP assessment will you get a decision? The DWP does not publish that exact figure. Its closest measure is the time from referral to the assessment provider to a decision, a median of 12 weeks in July 2026, and that includes the wait for the assessment itself, so the wait after your assessment is only part of it. A whole new claim took a median of 18 weeks from registration to decision in July 2026, up from 15 weeks a year earlier, and 17% more new claims were registered in the three months to July 2026 than a year before (DWP). This page gives the latest official waiting time for each PIP stage, what those numbers mean for your claim and what you can do if your wait goes past them. Where no official figure exists, we say so.

The single most-searched question is "how long after a PIP assessment for a decision". Skip to After your assessment if that is your situation. If you have not had your assessment yet, read top to bottom.

Current PIP Waiting Times 2026 - Quick Answer

Here is the same data laid out by claim type, with the period and source for each figure. Where no official figure is published, the table says so rather than guessing. Last checked: 25 September 2026.

These figures come from the DWP's quarterly Personal Independence Payment statistics (published 15 September 2026, covering England and Wales), a DWP written answer to Parliament on 8 September 2026 (award reviews) and the Ministry of Justice's tribunal statistics (published 10 September 2026). A median is the middle case, so about half of claims take longer than the figure shown.

After Your Assessment: How Long Until a Decision?

If you have just had your PIP assessment (phone, video or face to face), this is the bit that almost everyone is searching for. The DWP does not publish a figure for the time from the assessment to the decision. The closest official figure is the time from referral to the assessment provider to a decision: a median of 12 weeks in July 2026, up from 10 weeks a year earlier. That 12 weeks includes the wait for the assessment itself, so the gap after your assessment is only part of it. Here is what is happening behind the scenes during that wait:

• The assessor writes a report. The health professional who assessed you writes up a report (the PA4) for the DWP, covering each activity, the descriptors they suggest and their reasons.
• The report goes to a DWP case manager. The case manager reads it alongside your PIP2 form and any evidence you sent, and can ask the provider to clarify the report if something is missing.
• The case manager decides. They score you against each of the 12 PIP activities, decide the award for each component (standard, enhanced or nil), the start date and how long the award lasts.
• The decision letter is posted. GOV.UK says the letter tells you whether you will get PIP and, if you are eligible, the date of your first payment and when your claim will be reviewed.

People often ask whether an online account will show their progress. PIP does not use the Universal Credit journal. In some areas you can apply for PIP online and sign in to a PIP account (GOV.UK), but the decision itself comes by letter, and the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 can tell you which stage your claim has reached.

New PIP Claim: 18 Weeks (Median) in 2026

From the day you first call 0800 917 2222 to start your PIP claim, the median time to a decision was 18 weeks in July 2026, up from 15 weeks in July 2025 (DWP). Here is how that time usually breaks down. The week numbers are an illustration built around the official medians, not DWP stage targets:

1. Week 1: Initial registration call. Your "claim date" is set here, which becomes the start date for any backdated payments as long as you return the form in time.
2. Weeks 1 to 2: The PIP2 form arrives. GOV.UK says a paper form usually arrives within 2 weeks, and if you applied by phone you may be emailed a link to fill it in online instead.
3. Weeks 2 to 6: You have one month to complete and return it, so take the time to avoid the common form mistakes that cause many refusals. Your claim is then referred to the assessment provider.
4. Weeks 6 to 18: From referral to decision took a median of 12 weeks in July 2026. This covers the wait for an assessment slot, the assessment itself, the report and the decision. Most assessments are by phone: in July 2026, 82.6% of PIP consultations were by telephone, 14.6% face to face and 2.8% by video.
5. After the decision: First payment on the date in your letter, including backdating to your claim date. See how much PIP pays in 2026.

For the full stage-by-stage walkthrough of a new claim, see our companion guide PIP Claim Timeline 2026.

Planned Review (AR1): About 20 Weeks

If your existing PIP award is up for review, the DWP will send you a review form (often called the AR1, and "Personal Independence Payment Review" on GOV.UK). It works like a shorter PIP2: the same activities, but focused on changes since your last award. GOV.UK says you need to return it within 1 month and should contact the PIP enquiry line if you need more time.

The DWP's quarterly statistics do not include review times, but in a written answer to Parliament on 8 September 2026 it said PIP award reviews took a median of 20 weeks from registration to decision in 2025/26 (mean 25 weeks), down from 43 weeks in 2024/25. It also said most review decisions are now made without an assessment by a healthcare professional. After you return the form, it may decide on the form and your evidence alone, or invite you to an assessment in person, by phone or by video (GOV.UK). Its quarterly statistics also show how reviews end: over the five years to July 2026, 14% of planned award reviews increased the award, 65% kept it the same, 5% reduced it and 16% ended it. In the three months to July 2026 it cleared 82,000 reviews.

GOV.UK says you will continue to get PIP while your claim is being reviewed. If you do not return the form and have no good reason, the DWP can end your award (regulation 8 of the PIP Regulations 2013), so ask for more time rather than missing the deadline. For more detail, see our guide on how long PIP reviews take.

Change of Circumstances

The phrase "change of circumstances" covers two very different situations. The DWP does not publish processing times for either.

Admin changes

Address, bank account, telephone, GP details or a name change after marriage. Report these to the PIP enquiry line. They do not involve a reassessment and should not change the amount you get.

Changes to your condition

If you report that your condition has got significantly worse and ask the DWP to look again at your award, it will usually send you a form and may ask you to an assessment, so it works much like a review. Over the five years to July 2026, 89% of the changes of circumstances the DWP decided led to an increase or no change in the award (DWP). Important: the DWP can also reduce an award after looking again, so get advice before reporting a change if your symptoms vary a lot.

Mandatory Reconsideration - About 6 to 7 Weeks

If your PIP claim is refused or under-awarded and you ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR), DWP statistics show the median MR took 45 calendar days for new claims and 46 for DLA reassessments in July 2026, about 6 to 7 weeks. The MR involves a fresh case manager reviewing your file, your MR letter and any new evidence you submit. They do not usually call you for another assessment, so the wait is shorter than a new claim.

About 1 in 4 MRs lead to a change in award: 26% of MRs cleared in the three months to July 2026 and 27% over the five years to July 2026 (DWP). If your MR does not change the decision, the next step is an appeal to a tribunal. If your MR is refused, see our guide on PIP tribunal success rates - the tribunal stage has a much higher win rate (67% of PIP appeals decided at a hearing in April to June 2026 were won by the claimant) but a much longer wait.

PIP Tribunal Waiting Time 2026: 28 Weeks

How long is a PIP tribunal taking in 2026? For PIP appeals finished in April to June 2026, the median time from lodging the appeal to its outcome was 28 weeks (roughly six and a half months) and the mean was 36 weeks (Ministry of Justice). A quarter took more than 58 weeks. GOV.UK says it usually takes at least 6 months for an appeal to be heard.

Once your MR is refused and you lodge an SSCS1 form to appeal, you join the HMCTS Social Security and Child Support tribunal queue. The 28-week figure covers every PIP appeal that finished in the quarter, including ones the DWP changed before a hearing, so waits for an actual hearing are likely to be at the longer end. We have not found official regional waiting times for PIP appeals, so we do not quote them.

If you have been waiting more than 6 months without a hearing date, you can write to the tribunal asking for a status update. If your circumstances have changed (terminal diagnosis, severe deterioration), you can ask for your appeal to be dealt with urgently, with supporting medical evidence.

Why Waiting Times Are Long in 2026

Three factors are likely to be behind longer waits this year:

1. More new claims. 240,000 new PIP claims were registered in the three months to July 2026, 17% more than a year earlier (DWP).
2. More face to face assessments. The DWP announced in December 2025 that it would raise face to face assessments to 30% of PIP assessments from April 2026, from 6% in 2024. In July 2026, 14.6% of PIP consultations were face to face, and in-person appointments are harder to arrange than phone calls.
3. Tribunal backlog. The tribunal received 46,000 social security appeals in April to June 2026, 55% more than a year earlier, and 59% of them were about PIP. Its open caseload rose 63% to 129,000 (Ministry of Justice).

What To Do If Your Wait Is Going Over the Median

• 8 weeks after your assessment: Call 0800 121 4433 for a progress check. Ask which stage your claim is at.
• Week 16 of a new claim, no assessment yet: Call and ask whether your PIP2 has been picked up by an assessment provider yet. If not, ask when it is expected to be allocated.
• Past 18 weeks with no decision: Your claim is now slower than the median. Ask the helpline why, and say you would like to make a formal complaint if it does not move.
• MR going past 12 weeks: Make a complaint through the DWP complaints process. Its usual target is 15 working days, but its complaints page currently says it cannot always meet that because of high demand. You can also contact your MP, which can help unstick a stalled case.
• Tribunal going past 40 weeks: Write to HMCTS requesting an update and a hearing date. Provide your appeal reference number.

You can also help yourself by making sure your application is as strong as possible from day one - the cleaner your PIP2 form and supporting evidence, the less likely the assessor needs to come back with clarification questions and the less likely your case bounces back from the case manager for rework. See our companion piece on PIP evidence to gather for the documents that help decision makers.

Backpayments Cover the Whole Wait

One thing that softens the long wait: if you are eventually awarded PIP, the award is usually backdated to your original claim date, the date of that first phone call to start your claim, as long as you returned the form in time. So an 18-week wait gives you 18 weeks of backpay as a lump sum in your first payment. If you go through MR and a tribunal and win, the backpay usually covers all of that time too.

For details on how backpayments are calculated and paid, see PIP backpayment - how long it takes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long after my PIP assessment will I get a decision in 2026?

The DWP does not publish a figure for the time from assessment to decision. The closest official figure is the time from referral to the assessment provider to a decision: a median of 12 weeks in July 2026, and that includes the wait for the assessment itself. After the assessment, the assessor's report goes to a DWP case manager, who makes the decision and sends you a letter. If you have heard nothing 8 weeks after your assessment, call the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 to ask which stage your claim has reached.

What are the current PIP waiting times for a new claim in 2026?

In July 2026 the median time from registering a new PIP claim to a decision was 18 weeks, up from 15 weeks in July 2025 (DWP). A median is the middle case, so about half of claims took longer. For people moving from DLA to PIP the median was 21 weeks, and claims under the special rules for end of life took a median of 3 working days.

How long does a PIP review take in 2026?

PIP award reviews took a median of 20 weeks from registration to decision in 2025/26 (mean 25 weeks), down from 43 weeks in 2024/25, according to figures the DWP gave Parliament in September 2026. GOV.UK says you will continue to get PIP while your claim is being reviewed, and you need to return the review form within 1 month, calling the PIP enquiry line if you need more time. Over the five years to July 2026, 79% of planned award reviews ended with the award increased or unchanged (DWP).

How long does a Mandatory Reconsideration take?

In July 2026 the median MR took 45 calendar days for new claims, about 6 to 7 weeks, according to DWP statistics. About 1 in 4 MRs lead to a change in award (26% of MRs cleared in the three months to July 2026). If the MR does not change the decision, the next step is an appeal to a tribunal.

How long is the PIP tribunal wait in 2026?

For PIP appeals finished in April to June 2026, the median time from lodging the appeal to its outcome was 28 weeks and the mean 36 weeks. A quarter took more than 58 weeks (Ministry of Justice). GOV.UK says it usually takes at least 6 months for an appeal to be heard. In the same quarter, 67% of PIP appeals decided at a hearing were won by the claimant.

How long does a change of circumstances take to process?

The DWP does not publish processing times for changes of circumstances. Simple changes such as a new address or bank account do not involve a reassessment. If you report that your condition has changed, the DWP looks at your award again, which can mean a new form and an assessment, and the award can go up, stay the same or go down. Over the five years to July 2026, 89% of the changes of circumstances the DWP decided led to an increase or no change in the award.