Complain about a PIP decision

You can complain about the service you received from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) , including poor service or delays.

A complaint is different from challenging a PIP decision. If you think the decision about your PIP award is wrong, you may need to ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration instead.

If you are unsure what to do, you can:

• use the Turn2us PIP Helper to check whether the decision follows the PIP rules and understand what award you may be entitled to.
• read the Check a PIP decision page for information about understanding your decision.

Complaints process

When you might complain

You may want to complain if:

• The people dealing with your claim were rude or unhelpful
• You think you should have had an assessment at home
• It is taking too long to get a decision
• It is taking too long to get a payment
• There is something wrong in the health assessment report.

What you might get from a complaint:

If your complaint is successful, you may receive:

• An apology
• An explanation for what went wrong
• Changes to improve the service in future
• A decision being made more quickly
• Some compensation.

Start your complaint 

You should start your complaint by contacting the DWP.

The best way to make a complaint is in writing. You can use the address at the top of any letter you have received about your PIP claim.

You can also make a complaint by phone:

• Telephone: 0800 121 4433
• Textphone: 0800 121 4493 

If you phone the DWP, keep a record of:

• the date and time you called
• who you spoke to
• your complaint reference number.

You will need to tell the DWP (in your letter or phone call):

• Your National Insurance number
• Your full name, address and contact numbers
• What happened, when it happened and how it affected you
• What you want to happen to put things right.

What happens after you complain

The DWP will usually phone you to discuss your complaint.

If they cannot reach you, they will send you a letter instead.

If you are unhappy with the initial response, you can ask for your complaint to be reviewed by a senior manager in the Complaints team.

The senior manager will contact you with an update. After this, they will investigate your complaint and you should receive a further response within three weeks (15 working days).

If you are still unhappy

If you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint, you can take your complaint to the Independent Case Examiner (ICE).

The Independent Case Examiner is separate from the DWP and looks at complaints about how government departments and certain other organisations have handled complaints.

Read the Independent Case Examiner page on GOV.UK to find out how to take your complaint further.