A brown envelope lands. The decision: nought points, or fewer than you clearly deserve. It feels final — but it isn’t. A large share of PIP decisions change when they’re challenged, and the first step is called a mandatory reconsideration.
The one-month deadline matters most
You normally have one month from the date on your decision letter to ask the DWP to look again. Miss it and things get harder (though late requests are sometimes accepted with good reason). So if you’ve just been refused, the single most important thing is to act quickly.
Why so many decisions change
Assessments are short, and reports don’t always reflect the reality of your daily life — the days you can’t manage stairs, the help you need washing or dressing, the planning an unfamiliar journey really takes. A good reconsideration request doesn’t just say “I disagree”; it walks through the decision point by point and explains, with examples, what the assessor missed.
Evidence that helps
GP letters, consultant reports, prescription lists, a diary of your worst days, statements from people who help you — all of it paints the picture the tick-boxes can’t. We help you gather the right evidence and put your case in the language decision-makers respond to.
And if the reconsideration still goes the wrong way, you can appeal to an independent tribunal, where success rates are higher still. You don’t have to face any of it alone — see our DWP Help page or call 020 3355 8873. The first conversation is free and 100% confidential.
