How to claim PIP

There are 3 stages to claiming PIP:

1. Contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and fill in the PIP1 form - they can do this for you over the phone

2. Fill in the ‘How your disability affects you’ form - you can choose to get a paper form by post or get an email with a link to an online form

3. Go to a medical assessment

It can take up to 6 months from when you first contact the DWP to when you get your first payment. If the DWP decide you can get PIP, they’ll pay you the money you should have got from the date you started your claim.

If you have a terminal illness

The process for claiming PIP is different - and the DWP will usually process your application more quickly. Check how to claim PIP if you have a terminal illness.

You can’t backdate PIP - this means you won’t get any money for time before you made your claim.

Contacting the DWP

It’s best to start your claim by calling the DWP - it’s quicker than writing to them. If they decide you can get PIP, they’ll pay you the money you should have got from the date you called them.

You’ll need to have this information when you call the DWP:

• your full name, address and phone number

• your National Insurance number

• your bank or building society account details 

• contact details of your GP or other health professionals you deal with

• the dates and details of any stays in hospital or residential care

• your nationality or immigration status

• if you’ve been abroad for more than 4 weeks at a time in the last 3 years (you’ll need the dates and details)

It should take about 20 minutes to complete the call. If you’d prefer someone else to call for you that’s fine, but you need to be with them so you can give permission for them to speak for you.

The DWP will ask if you want them to send you the ‘How your disability affects you’ form by post or by email.

The DWP will also ask if you have any conditions relating to your mental health, a learning difficulty or behavioural condition. They ask these questions to check if you need any additional help or support with your claim.

If you want to apply by post

It’s quicker to apply by phone, but if that isn’t possible you can write to the DWP and ask for a PIP1 form.

Write to the PIP New Claims address. You’ll need to tell them why you (or someone else) can’t fill in the PIP1 form over the phone.

When you get the PIP1 form, fill it in and send it to the address on the form as soon as possible. You must send it back within 1 month after the DWP got your letter - that might be a few days before you get the form.

If the DWP decide you can get PIP, they’ll pay you the money you should have got from the date they received the PIP1 form.

Check what happens after you start your claim

The DWP will check if you meet the basic conditions to get PIP - for example if you’re living in Great Britain.

If they think you meet the basic conditions, they’ll post the ‘How your disability affects you’ form to you - or send you an email with a link to the online form.

While you're waiting, it’s worth thinking about:

• how to fill in the ‘How your disability affects you’ form

• getting evidence to support your PIP claim

If the DWP don’t think you meet the basic conditions, they’ll send you a decision letter to say you’ve been refused and why. If you think the decision is wrong, you can challenge the DWP’s decision.

Video from the DWP - How you can claim PIP