How adult reassessment works

When you are selected to move from DLA to PIP, you will receive a letter from the DWP.  This will inform you that a PIP claim is to be started within 28 days and will give you instructions about how to do this.  If you have an appointee dealing with your claim on your behalf, the letter would be addressed to them, and they can complete the process for you.

It’s important to know that if you do nothing in response to the letter, then ultimately your DLA will end.  However, if you need more time to complete the process, you can ring PIP and ask for an extension.

If there is no attempt to start a PIP claim by the 28-day deadline, your DLA may be suspended and you may be given a further 28 days to start your PIP claim.  If you do, your DLA should be reinstated from when it stopped.

When contacting PIP to start your claim, you (or your appointee) will need to have your national insurance number, bank details and GP details to hand.  If you have been in hospital, residential care, prison or out of the country, try to have the dates available.  This is because the call handler you speak to at PIP will complete a PIP1 form to start your claim.

You will then be sent a PIP2 form to complete.  This may be a paper form, or you could be offered the electronic version.  The questions on both are the same.  Your form will have a deadline to be returned.  If you need more time, for example because you need help to complete it, then you can ask for an extension.  PIP will generally grant two 2-week extensions fairly happily, but additional or longer extensions may be trickier to come by.

Once your PIP form is returned to the DWP, they will pass your case to an assessment provider to be considered.  This could result in either:

• A paper-based assessment, where a medical professional considers your form and any medical evidence.  They may ring you or your appointee for some clarifications, but you would not have a formal interview.
• A face-to-face assessment – this involves going to an assessment centre to speak to a health professional in person
• A video assessment – you would speak to the health professional via a video call at a pre-arranged time
• A telephone assessment – the health professional would phone you at a pre-arranged time.  Since June 2026, all PIP telephone assessment are recorded. 

The health professional who assesses your claim you make recommendations as to the points you should be awarded in different categories.  They will forward their report to the decision maker, who will ultimately decide whether you will receive PIP and what rates or components you are entitled to. You will be notified of their decision in writing, but they may also phone to you tell you.

Four weeks after the PIP entitlement decision is made, your DLA payments will end whether or not PIP has been awarded.  If you are unhappy with the PIP decision, you have the right to ask for a mandatory reconsideration and to appeal this decision if you remain unhappy. 

PP awards may be made for a fixed term (usually 4 or 6 years but it can be longer or shorter than this) or they may have no end date.