If your health has changed

If your health has changed, new medical evidence might be passed to the DWP by a healthcare professional – such as a doctor, nurse or occupational therapist. If you no longer meet the health conditions to get PIP, the DWP can change your benefits decision – this is called ‘supersession’. 

A supersession decision will change your benefits decision from the date the change happens, not from the date the DWP made the decision.

You can find out more about changing a benefit decision by supersession.

If there’s a mistake or wrong fact about your health

If you were paid PIP when you shouldn’t have been because the DWP got something wrong or didn’t know a ‘material fact’- your decision might be changed. A material fact is something about your health condition which might affect the decision the DWP makes about your claim.

If you got paid more PIP than you should have, because the DWP made a mistake or didn’t know a fact – your PIP decision will be changed. You might have to pay back the extra money if you have been overpaid. You should tell the DWP straight away if you’ve been overpaid.

If you got paid less PIP than you should have, because the DWP got the facts wrong – you can ask for them to change their decision. You should say an ‘official error’ was made with your PIP decision.

If the DWP agrees with you, your PIP will be revised and you’ll get paid any money you’re owed.

You can find out more about changing a benefit decision by revision.

You got PIP paid in advance

If you got an ‘advanced claim’ of PIP before you met the health conditions and then your condition improves, the DWP might revise your benefit decision. For example, they might have awarded you PIP because they thought your condition would stay the same for 12 months. 

Your PIP might also get revised if the DWP extends your benefit for another 12 months without seeing evidence of your health conditions. You might have to pay back any money you get, if sometime later the DWP sees evidence that you don’t meet the health conditions for PIP.

You can find out more about changing a benefit decision.

If you didn’t get PIP because you’re in a care home

You can’t usually get the daily living component of PIP if you’re living in a care home paid for by public funds. You can still get PIP if all of the costs are paid by you or someone else

If you’re refused PIP because you’re in a care home paid for by public funds, you can ask the DWP to ‘change the benefit decision by revision’. You or someone else must be paying for the care home charges from the date when you first claimed PIP. If the DWP agrees, you’ll be paid anything you’re owed to the date when you first claimed.

You can find out more about changing a benefit decision by revision.

If you or someone else start paying care home charges after you’ve been awarded PIP – you’ll get paid PIP from the date when you started paying the care home charges. You’ll need to ask the DWP office that made your PIP decision, for a supersession decision.

You can find out how to ask for a supersession.

If you don’t go to a health condition assessment

When you’re awarded PIP, you’ll be expected to take part in occasional assessments with a healthcare professional to see if your condition has changed.

If you don’t go to your assessment and don’t have a good reason why you couldn’t go, the decision on your PIP claim might get changed.

The DWP might say you don’t meet the disability conditions. This is called a supersession decision and means you won’t get paid PIP. Your benefit will be stopped or reduced from the date when the DWP is made aware of the change.

You can find out more about changing a benefit decision by supersession.

If you’ve appealed against a decision

The DWP might change their decision at any time while you’re waiting for your appeal to be heard at an independent tribunal. This could happen if DWP realise their decision is wrong.

You can find out more about changing a benefit decision by revision.