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People applying for the disability benefit Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are facing significant delays in getting their applications processed.
A 2026 report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) found that only 51% of new claims were completed within the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) 75-working-day target 2024-25, with some applicants waiting up to a year for a decision.
These delays continue despite new PIP applications now being 37% lower than during the 2023-24 peak.
Here, Which? highlights the causes of these delays and outlines your rights if your claim is held up.
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PIP is a benefit designed to help with the extra costs of living if you have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability.
It consists of two parts – a daily living component and a mobility component – and you may be eligible for one or both depending on your needs.
For 2026-27, the weekly rates are £72.65 or £108.55 for the daily living component and £28.70 or £75.75 for the mobility component, depending on whether you qualify for the standard or enhanced rate.
This means you could receive up to £184.30 per week if you qualify for both enhanced rates.
The DWP aims to make decisions on new PIP claims within 15 weeks of an application being made, and to process 75% of new claims within this timeframe.
According to the DWP's latest performance data, waiting times have been increasing since August last year, when the average wait time for a new claim decision was 14 weeks. They now stand at 20 weeks, the highest level in almost four years.
The DWP has steadily reduced the PIP backlog; however, despite this progress, over 710,000 people were still waiting for a decision on their claim as of January 2026.
The PIP backlog consists of three main groups:
According to analysis by Citizens Advice, for the past three and a half years, award reviews have accounted for the largest share of those waiting. As of January 2026, around 300,000 people were awaiting a review decision – a decrease, but still well above pre-pandemic levels.
New claims have recently overtaken reviews as the largest part of the backlog, with around 350,000 people waiting for a decision.
Applying for PIP can be a complex process, as it still mainly relies on paper forms. Applicants must also undergo an assessment with a health professional to determine their eligibility and the impact of their condition on daily life.
To help improve processing times, the DWP is currently piloting an online application process that has reportedly cut wait times by 20 days. However, the timeline for rolling this out to 20% of claimants has moved from 2026 to 2029.
Despite record-high PIP claimant numbers and a peak in pending reviews, the common narrative that disability claims are still surging is incorrect.
There were 3.9 million people receiving PIP in England and Wales as of January 2026, up from 2.6 million in 2021.
However, analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) shows that new awards have fallen from their recent peak.
Before the pandemic, around 19,000 new awards were made each month. This rose sharply after 2021, reaching around 42,000 per month between late 2023 and 2024.
In the months leading to January 2026, this had fallen to around 27,000 per month, a 37% decrease from the peak.
According to the IFS, the decline is driven by three main things:
Successful PIP claims are backdated to the date that you applied or the end of the three-month qualifying period, whichever is later.
However, the financial impact of waiting for a decision can be significant.
If your application is delayed, you can contact the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 to confirm your claim status, although the DWP generally discourages this as staff can't guarantee a decision date.
While it's rarely possible to speed up the standard process, severe delays can be considered maladministration. If this is the case, you can submit a complaint directly to the DWP.
If you're not happy with the response to your complaint, you can take your complaint to the Independent Case Examiner (ICE), which is separate from the DWP. If you're still dissatisfied after this, you can ask your MP to refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), which independently investigates complaints about government departments. You can find your MP’s contact details at parliament.uk.
Unfortunately, those waiting on a PIP claim don't have access to financial support, such as an advance payment, like other benefits.
This is because PIP isn't a means-tested benefit and is based on disability needs, so there's no guarantee that an application will be successful. For other benefits, such as Universal Credit, eligibility is based on financial criteria, making it easier for the DWP to issue advances.
If you're facing financial hardship during the wait, the benefits charity Turn2Us said claimants should:
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In March 2026, the DWP launched the Timms Review, which will focus on several areas of PIP, including:
The call for evidence, which closes on 28 May 2026, is specifically seeking input from those with direct experience of the PIP system, including disabled people, carers and sector professionals.
You can submit your evidence anonymously, and all responses will be analysed by the DWP. The responses will then be used to decide on how to reform the benefit going forward,and the results are due to be published in autumn 2026.
You can find more details on Gov.uk and the Call for Evidence form. You can also submit through email at timmsreview.callforevidence@dwp.gov.uk.
Immediate changes to PIP are coming next month, with the DWP increasing the number of Work Capability Assessments (MCA) and the use of face-to-face appointments.
To accommodate this shift, the time between PIP reviews will be extended for most claimants aged 25 and over. These PIP review cycles will move to a minimum of 3 years for new claims, potentially rising to 5 years upon subsequent review for those aged 25 or over.
