The Short Answer
After the assessment, the health professional writes a report and a DWP decision maker decides the claim. The professional recommends descriptors; they do not make the award. The DWP recorded a median of 15 weeks from assessment referral to decision at January 2026. The decision letter states the award, the points for each activity, the arrears and the award length, which GOV.UK puts at between 9 months and 10 years for a first award.
What Happens Next
Three steps, and only the last one is yours. The complete guide to the assessment covers the appointment itself; this is what follows it.
- The health professional writes a report recommending a descriptor for each activity, with reasons.
- A DWP decision maker reads the report alongside your PIP2 form and any evidence you sent, and decides.
- A decision letter is issued, setting out the award, the points, any arrears and the award length.
The separation between step 1 and step 2 matters. The professional's recommendation is evidence, not the decision, and a decision maker can depart from it. In practice most decisions follow the recommendation, which is why the report is the document to read first when a decision surprises you.
How Long the Wait Is
A median of 15 weeks from assessment referral to decision at January 2026. That is the DWP's own published figure for normal rules new claims, and the referral point sits before the appointment rather than after it.
| Measure | Latest published figure |
|---|---|
| Assessment referral to decision | 15 weeks at January 2026 |
| Registration to decision, end to end | 20 weeks at January 2026 |
Last checked: 7 August 2026
Both are medians, so half of claims cleared faster. Nothing in the wait costs money: the award is backdated to the date of the claim, so the weeks are paid as arrears. How Long a PIP Claim Takes sets out the whole sequence with the stages that make up the difference.
Getting the Report
Ask for a copy, and read the descriptor recommendations. The report is sometimes called the PA4. It can be requested from the DWP or from the assessment provider, and where the assessment was recorded the audio can be requested too.
Two things in it are worth checking against your own account. The first is the descriptor recommended for each activity, which shows exactly where the professional's view and yours differ. The second is the "informal observations" section, which records what was seen or heard during the appointment and sometimes drives a recommendation more than the answers did.
A report that misstates what you said is worth addressing directly in any challenge, because it is the document the decision rests on.
Reading the Decision
The letter gives an award, a period, a points breakdown and, where relevant, arrears. GOV.UK states that where you are eligible the letter also tells you "the date of your first payment" and "how long until your claim is reviewed".
Award length is set by likely change rather than by condition. GOV.UK states that "your first award will be between 9 months and 10 years, depending on whether your needs are likely to change". A short award is not a weaker award; it is a scheduled review.
If You Disagree
One month from the date of the letter to ask for a mandatory reconsideration. That deadline is short and it starts from the letter date, not the date you read it.
The points section is what to read before deciding. It names the descriptor chosen for each of the twelve activities, and the gap between what you described and what was scored is usually visible in two or three rows rather than across the whole form. What each part of the letter means is set out on the decision letters page.
Where an award is made and backdated, the arrears follow the decision rather than the letter, and often arrive first.