How to Ask for a PIP Mandatory Reconsideration
If you disagree with a PIP decision, you must ask DWP to look at it again before you can appeal. This is called mandatory reconsideration. Write your letter, and we print it and post it to the address on your decision letter by Royal Mail, if that address has a postcode.
Send your mandatory reconsideration by Royal Mail Tracked 24, from £8.99, so you can prove the date it arrived.
From £2.49 including printing and postage
- No printer or Post Office trip
- See the finished letter before you pay
- Order by 2.30pm for same-day posting
Quick Answer
- Deadline
- One month from your decision letter
- Late requests
- Possible with a good reason
- Form CRMR1
- Optional, a letter is fine
- Awards changed
- 26% (quarter to July 2026)
- Then appeal
- Within one month of your notice
These rules are for PIP in England and Wales. In Scotland, Adult Disability Payment has replaced PIP. Northern Ireland has its own process.
Where to Send It
GOV.UK and the CRMR1 form say to send your request to the address on your decision letter. GOV.UK gives no single address for mandatory reconsiderations.
The address on your decision letter
Your mandatory reconsideration letter, or the CRMR1 form.
The address at the top ofyour PIP decision letterIf that address has a postcode, we can post your letter and you can choose a tracked service. If it only says Freepost DWP PIP 1, with no postcode, we cannot post to it.
Write your letterBy phone instead
Asking for a mandatory reconsideration by phone.
PIP enquiry line0800 121 4433Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 121 4433. A letter gives you a dated record of what you asked for.
Appealing after your notice
If you still disagree after your Mandatory Reconsideration Notice.
HMCTS Benefit AppealsPO Box 12626HarlowCM20 9QFAppeal within one month of the date on your notice, online or on form SSCS1 with a copy of the notice. Appealing is free.
Upload your formChecked against GOV.UK, the CRMR1 form and DWP and HMCTS statistics on 20 October 2026.
Why Send It With PostRight
Proof It Arrived
Choose Tracked 24 and you can see when your letter was delivered, with a photo on delivery. Useful when a deadline or reply time counts from the day it arrives.
No Printer, Envelope or Stamp
Type your letter or upload a PDF on any device. We print it, put it in the envelope and post it.
Posted Today
Order by 2.30pm on a working day and we post it the same day by Royal Mail.
How It Works
- 1Write your letterPress Write Your Letter and add the address from your decision letter. Say which part of the decision is wrong and why.
- 2Add your evidenceTo send evidence with your letter, upload your letter and copies of your evidence together as one PDF.
- 3We print it and post itOrder by 2.30pm on a working day and we post it the same day by Royal Mail. Choose a tracked service for a record of when it arrived.
What Mandatory Reconsideration Is
Mandatory reconsideration is when DWP looks at your PIP decision again. You must ask for one before you can appeal to a tribunal.
Someone will look at your whole claim again, so your award may stop, stay the same, go up or go down.
The Deadline
You usually need to ask within one month of the date on your decision letter. If you write, DWP needs to receive your letter within that month, so post it early.
You can ask later if you have a good reason, such as a stay in hospital or a bereavement. Explain why your request is late. Citizens Advice says to try to get a late request to DWP within 13 months of the decision.
What to Put in Your Letter
Include the date of the decision, your name and address, your date of birth and your National Insurance number. Then say which part of the decision you think is wrong and why, giving specific reasons.
You do not have to use form CRMR1. DWP says that if you do not want to use the form, you can write instead.
Sending Evidence
Only send new evidence that supports your reasons, such as new medical evidence, specialist reports or care plans. Write your full name, date of birth and National Insurance number on each page, and send copies, not originals.
What Happens Next
DWP sends you a Mandatory Reconsideration Notice with its decision. There is no legal time limit, but in July 2026 DWP took a median of 45 days for new claims.
In the quarter to July 2026, 26% of PIP mandatory reconsiderations that DWP decided led to a change in award.
Appealing to a Tribunal
If you still disagree, you can appeal within one month of the date on your Mandatory Reconsideration Notice, online or by post on form SSCS1 with a copy of your notice. It is free.
From April to June 2026, 67% of PIP appeals decided at a tribunal hearing went in the claimant's favour.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
In Scotland, Adult Disability Payment has replaced PIP. You ask Social Security Scotland for a re-determination, within 42 days. In Northern Ireland, PIP is run by the Department for Communities, which has its own process.
More Ways to Send
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually one month from the date on your decision letter. If you write, DWP needs to receive your letter within that month. You can ask later if you have a good reason.
Ask DWP to look at your PIP decision again.
Write or upload your letter, choose your service at checkout, and we print it and post it by Royal Mail.