There are 3 stages to claiming
PIP: Contact the Department for Work and
- Pensions (DWP) and complete the PIP1 form – they can do it
- Fill out the “How Your Disability Affects You” form – you can choose to get a paper form by post or receive an email with a link to an online form
- Go for a medical evaluation
for you over the phone
It can take up to 6 months from when you first contact the DWP until you receive your first payment. If DWP decides you can get PIP, they will pay you the money you should have received from the date your claim began.
You cannot reverse PIP – this means that you will not receive money for time before you make your claim.
Contact the
DWP
It is better to start your claim by calling DWP, it is faster than writing to them. If they decide you can get PIP, they will pay you the money you should have received from the date you called them.
You will need to have this information when you call DWP:
your
- full name, address
- national insurance number your bank
- of your GP or other healthcare professionals you deal with
- the dates and details of any hospital stay or residential care
- your
- nationality or immigration status
- If you have been abroad for more than 4 weeks at a time in the last 3 years (you will need the dates and details)
and telephone number your
or building company account details contact details
it should take about 20 minutes to complete the call. If you’d rather have someone else call you, that’s fine, but you should be with them so you can give permission for them to speak for you.
DWP will ask if you would like the “How Your Disability Affects You” form to be sent to you by mail or email.
The DWP will also ask if you have any mental health-related conditions, a learning disability, or a behavioral condition. They ask these questions to check if you need additional help or support with your claim.
If you want
to apply by mail
It is faster to apply by phone, but if that is not possible, you can write to DWP and request a PIP1 form
.
Write to the address of PIP New Claims. You will need to tell them why you (or someone else) cannot complete the PIP1 form over the phone.
Personal independence payment New claims
Post Handling Site B Wolverhampton WV99 1AH
When you receive the PIP1 form, please complete it and send it to the address listed on the form as soon as possible. You must return it within 1 month after the DWP received your letter, that could be a few days before you receive the form.
If DWP decides you can get PIP, they will pay you the money you should have received 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 for obtaining PIP, for example if you live in Great Britain
.
If they think you meet the basic conditions, they will send you the “How Your Disability Affects You” form or send you an email with a link to the online form.
While you’re waiting, it’s worth thinking about:
How to
- complete the ‘How Your Disability Affects You’ form
Get
- evidence to support your PIP claim
If the DWP believes you do not meet the basic conditions, they will send you a decision letter to tell you that you have been rejected and why. If you believe the decision is incorrect, you can challenge the DWP’s decision.
