How do I challenge a PIP decision with a mandatory reconsideration?

Full answer

If you think a PIP decision is wrong - for example you were refused, or awarded a lower rate than your condition warrants - mandatory reconsideration (MR) is the required first step. You ask the DWP to review the decision, usually within one month of the date on the decision letter. Late requests can be accepted up to a longer backstop if you have a good reason, but the safest approach is to act quickly. You can request an MR by phone, in writing, or using the form referenced in your decision letter. The key to a strong request is explaining specifically why the decision is wrong: which activities and descriptors you disagree with, and what evidence supports a higher score. Useful evidence includes details of how your condition affects you on a typical day, supporting letters from a GP, consultant, occupational therapist or support worker, and a clear account of variability if your condition fluctuates. A different DWP decision-maker reviews the case. They may increase the award, leave it unchanged, or - less commonly - reduce it, so it is worth understanding the risk before proceeding. The outcome is set out in a Mandatory Reconsideration Notice. You will receive two copies, one to keep and one to submit if you appeal. If the MR does not resolve matters, you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), which is independent of the DWP. You normally have one month from the date of the MR notice to lodge the appeal. Tribunals overturn a significant share of PIP decisions, so it is often worth pursuing. PIP is tax-free and not means-tested, so a successful challenge does not create an income-tax liability. Free, specialist help is available from Citizens Advice and local welfare-rights services, and using it tends to improve outcomes. In Scotland, redeterminations of Adult Disability Payment follow a broadly similar but separate process through Social Security Scotland.