PIP waiting times reach 20 weeks, highest in almost four years

The average wait for a decision on a new Personal Independence Payment claim has risen to 20 weeks, up from 14 weeks in August 2025, according to the Department for Work and Pensions' latest performance data. The figure is the highest in almost four years¹. More than 710,000 people were still waiting for a decision on their claim as of January 2026¹.

The DWP aims to decide new PIP claims within 15 weeks of application and to process 75% of new claims within that timeframe¹. A 2026 report by the Public Accounts Committee found that only 51% of new claims were completed within the DWP's 75-working-day target in 2024-25, with some applicants waiting up to a year¹. The backlog covers new applications, mandatory reconsiderations of decisions and reviews of existing awards. Around 350,000 people were waiting on a new claim decision as of January 2026, and around 300,000 were awaiting a review decision¹.

PIP is paid at two rates for each of two components. For 2026-27 the weekly rates are¹:

A claimant qualifying for both enhanced rates could receive up to £184.30 per week¹. Successful claims are backdated to the date of application or the end of the three-month qualifying period, whichever is later¹.

New awards have fallen from their recent peak. Before the pandemic around 19,000 new awards were made each month, rising to around 42,000 per month between late 2023 and 2024, and falling to around 27,000 per month in the months leading to January 2026, a 37% decrease from the peak¹. Success rates for applicants fell from 54% during the peak to 46% now¹. There were 3.9 million people receiving PIP in England and Wales as of January 2026, up from 2.6 million in 2021¹.

The DWP is piloting an online application process that has reportedly cut wait times by 20 days, but the timeline for rolling this out to 20% of claimants has moved from 2026 to 2029¹. In March 2026 the DWP launched the Timms Review, a call for evidence closing on 28 May 2026, covering the purpose of PIP, eligibility and fairness in awards, the experience of claiming and how wider changes are affecting the benefit, with results due in autumn 2026¹.

The same report says the time between PIP reviews will be extended for most claimants aged 25 and over, moving to a minimum of three years for new claims and potentially rising to five years on subsequent review for that age group¹.

Why it matters for households

PIP is not means-tested and is based on disability needs, so people waiting for a decision have no access to financial support such as an advance payment, unlike benefits such as Universal Credit where eligibility rests on financial criteria¹. The wait therefore falls on households already carrying the extra costs that PIP is designed to meet, and payment only begins once a claim succeeds, backdated to the application date or the end of the three-month qualifying period¹. Claimants can contact the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 to confirm claim status, though the DWP generally discourages this as staff cannot guarantee a decision date¹. Severe delays can be treated as maladministration, with complaints going first to the DWP, then to the Independent Case Examiner, and then, via an MP, to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman¹.

What happens next

The Timms Review call for evidence closes on 28 May 2026, with findings due to be published in autumn 2026¹. The DWP has said the increase in Work Capability Assessments and face-to-face appointments, alongside longer review cycles for claimants aged 25 and over, takes effect in the month following the March 2026 report¹. The online application pilot's expansion to 20% of claimants is now scheduled for 2029¹.