The PIP mandatory reconsideration process, step by step
Six stages, one hard deadline at the start, and one at the end. Everything here follows the official gov.uk process.
Step 1 — You get the decision letter
The DWP letter explains the decision and your award. You have 1 month from the date on that letter to ask for a mandatory reconsideration. Read which activities were scored and why — the letter is the starting point for your MR argument.
Step 2 — Ask for the reconsideration
Write to the address on your decision letter, or use the DWP's online 'ask for a mandatory reconsideration' route on gov.uk. In the same request, ask for a copy of your assessment report — you are entitled to see it, and it is essential evidence for what comes next.
Step 3 — Write or build your MR letter
The strongest MR letters go activity-by-activity: what the decision says, what actually happens on your worst day, and which descriptor you believe you meet. Free, private tool: /tools/mr-letter-builder.html — it runs in your browser and sends nothing anywhere.
Step 4 — DWP looks again
A different DWP decision maker reviews the decision. There is no legal deadline for their reply (typically around 6 weeks, sometimes longer). About 1 in 4 MRs (27%, official data) leads to a changed award.
Step 5 — Two outcomes
If the decision is changed in your favour, done — payment is usually backdated to the original claim. If it is upheld (a 'mandatory reconsideration notice' arrives), you can appeal to the independent Social Security and Child Support Tribunal within 1 month.
Step 6 — Tribunal
Most appeals are decided at a paper or oral hearing. Tribunals overturn PIP decisions in claimants' favour at a high rate — 67% of PIP hearings (Apr–Jun 2026, HMCTS). An appeal must be lodged within 1 month of the MR notice (late appeals accepted up to 13 months with permission).
The two deadlines that matter: 1 month from the decision letter to request the MR; 1 month from the mandatory reconsideration notice to lodge a tribunal appeal. Late is possible (13 months with a good reason) but never plan around it.
Ready? Build your MR letter
Independent information directory · Source-checked 2026-10-09 · Process per gov.uk/appeal-benefit-decision · Independent information — not legal or benefits advice; not affiliated with the DWP.