Guides · plain English, from a former DWP decision maker
PIP guides: from first claim to tribunal.
Everything you need to understand your decision, prepare for an assessment, challenge a refusal and win at tribunal. Written in plain English, with the tool for each stage alongside.
Decision and reconsideration
4 guidesPIP refused: your next steps
What your decision means, the one-month deadline, and how a mandatory reconsideration works.
Read the guideYour PIP decision letter explained
How to read your points, your rate, backpay and what to challenge.
Read the guidePIP appeal success rates
What the reconsideration and tribunal figures show, and what changes the outcome.
Read the guidePIP appeal help: your options compared
Free charity help, no-win-no-fee firms and flat-fee services, side by side.
Read the guideAssessment
3 guidesPIP descriptors and points
Every descriptor and point value across the 12 activities, and how they add up.
Read the guidePIP assessment questions
What the assessor asks for each activity and how to describe a typical day.
Read the guideYour rights at the assessment
Reasonable adjustments, recording, and what the Equality Act means for you.
Read the guideTribunal
5 guidesPIP appeal: the complete guide
From the mandatory reconsideration notice to the tribunal hearing, step by step.
Read the guidePIP tribunal questions and answers
What the panel asks, example answers, and what to avoid.
Read the guideHow long a PIP appeal takes
Current waiting times for reconsiderations and tribunals, and how to use the wait.
Read the guideClaiming
guides comingReviews
guides comingConditions
1 guidePIP for anxiety, depression, autism and ADHD
How mental health and neurodivergent conditions score, and what the figures show.
Read the guideContact and other benefits
1 guidePIP contact numbers and addresses
Where to send a reconsideration or appeal, and who to call.
Read the guideNews and changes
1 guidePIP and eating disorders: what the new ruling means for your PIP claim (November 2026)
An Upper Tribunal decision says PIP tick boxes must be read with the medical evidence sent with them, and a stable weight can show prompting with eating is working.
Read the guideWhy you can trust these guides
Written from inside the system.
Every guide is written and reviewed by a team led by Neil, a former DWP decision maker, checked against the PIP Regulations 2013 and the DWP’s own guidance, and updated when the rules or the figures change.
Rather have it written for you?
We write your reconsideration or tribunal letter, or answer your PIP2 form, for a flat £49. Reviewed by a former DWP decision maker, with free revisions.
These guides explain the rules and the process. They aren’t legal advice: the DWP decides your claim, and the tribunal your appeal. For help with your own case, use the Free Case Review.
Last reviewed
Questions
Common questions.
Where do I start if my PIP has been refused?
Read PIP refused: your next steps. You have one month from the date on the decision letter to ask for a mandatory reconsideration, and the guide explains what to send.
How long does a PIP appeal take?
A mandatory reconsideration took a median of 45 days (DWP, July 2026), and tribunal appeals a median of 28 weeks from lodging to outcome (Ministry of Justice, April to June 2026). The How long a PIP appeal takes guide has the full timeline.
What are my chances at a PIP tribunal?
67% of PIP appeals decided at a hearing went the claimant’s way in April to June 2026. The success rates guide explains what makes the difference.
Are these guides free?
Yes. All the guides and the tools are free, with no sign-up. We charge a flat £49 only if you want us to write your letter or form answers.
Who writes the guides?
A team led by Neil, a former DWP decision maker with 15+ years inside the welfare system. Every guide is checked against the regulations and the DWP’s own guidance.
Do you have guides for other benefits?
The tools cover UC and ESA (the work capability assessment), Attendance Allowance and Scotland’s Adult Disability Payment, and guides for those benefits are coming to this page.