Tell our readers what happened when you called the PIP Enquiry Line on 0800 121 4433.

Please use the comments section below to keep other readers updated on what kind of service is being provided right now and what they can expect when they call.

We’d like to know:

  • Which day, and what time of day, did you call?
  • How long did you wait for an answer, if you got one at all?
  • If you got an answer, was it from a human or was it an Artificial Intelligence chatbot?
  • Did your issue get resolved properly?

Why we are asking about the PIP Enquiry Line

Call waiting times on the vast majority of DWP phone lines have been terrible for a very long time.

In February 2002, the DWP told claimants that they ‘should not be concerned if they hear a “human like” voice when they contact us’ because the DWP are introducing ‘Conversational Platform’ software to answer some phone queries.

Here at Benefits and Work we’re concerned that the introduction of computer software may lead to a worse service, whilst allowing the DWP to claim that calls are now being answered much more quickly.

One risk is that chatbots will answer your call to the PIP Enquiry Line quickly, but will be able to respond only to the simplest queries.

If your call is in any way complex you may talk to a chatbot and then be put on hold endlessly whilst waiting to speak to a real person.

What readers have told us about calling 0800 121 4433

We asked readers to tell us about their experience of calling DWP helplines.  We wanted to know which one was providing the worst service, so we could look at that one first.

Whilst the Universal Credit Helpline and the Jobcentre Plus for ESA change of circumstances line were both appalling, the PIP Enquiry Line on 0800 121 4433 seemed to attract the most negative comments.

People told us things like:

“I’ve found the PIP enquiry line has to be the worst one for me. Most recent call approximately 58 mins to be answered. Good job I had time on my hands!!”

 “Over the course of about 4 days I spent nearly 10 hours waiting to get through to PIP, eventually after hour and half got answered, then had to ring again 2 weeks later and waited 45 minutes.”

 “I had to make five attempts in one day to give details for pip.  Each time I was cut off before finishing. On one occasion the phone was answered and automatically hung up. I managed to complete it after just over two hours.”

 “PIP - got through eventually, on hold for almost half an hour, then told someone would ring back, 3 weeks later, no one phoned back, and now I'm struggling to get through, and when I do what is said does not make any sense.”

 “55 minutes to the PIP helpline - on every occasion and without exception. And only to seek extensions for my clients for the return of renewal forms.”

How you can help

By telling us, and other claimants, about your call in the comments section you can help us expose any lies the DWP may try to tell about an improved telephone service. 

You can also make sure that other claimants know the sort of things that can go wrong and give them a better chance to prepare for them.

Remember, we only want to know about calls to the PIP Enquiry Line on 0800 121 4433, though we may start pages for other numbers if this one is used regularly.

Those questions again:

  • Which day, and what time of day, did you call?
  • How long did you wait for an answer, if you got one at all?
  • If you got an answer, was it from a human or was it an Artificial Intelligence chatbot?
  • Did your issue get resolved properly?

Tell the work and pensions committee

From today, 26 April 2023, we're also asking claimants who are struggling to get through on the phone to email the House of Commons work and pensions committee and tell them about your experience. 

The committee can put pressure on the DWP to either improve the phone system or make changes until they can, such as not enforcing deadlines for returning forms or for letting them know about changes of circumstances.

You can read more about this idea here or just email the committee at this address:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

What to do if you can't get through

Some of our members have successfully got their MP's office involved when they have been unable to contact the DWP themselves. If you do try this, please let us know how it goes by leaving a comment.  There's more details here.

Almost half a million PIP helpline calls deliberately disconnected in April 2023

Almost half a million callers to the PIP helpline in the month of April were deliberately disconnected by the DWP before they could even wait in a queue, a freedom of information request by Benefits and Work has revealed.  The proportion of calls cut-off before entering the queue is now greater than the proportion who even get to wait for an hour or more before giving up or getting disconnected.  Read more.

Comments

Write comments...
or post as a guest
Loading comment... The comment will be refreshed after 00:00.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 18 hours ago
    Been trying to call to report change of circumstances on hold for 1hr 10mins finally got through was asked for my national insurance number then they hung up. Been trying to get through for another 45 minutes and counting! My husbands health has deteriorated so much and needs to be reassessed urgently absolute joke waste of time and really stressful
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    Called today to try and do a change of circumstances. Had to wait until husband home for support. So at just after 4 I called and the phone line dropped/cut off after 37 minutes. Called back (obviously closer to closing time) and was on the line until 5:11 where my call was answered and hung up straight away. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    I called at 11:58 on Tuesday 08 July 2025 expecting a long wait and difficulties making myself heard and understood.  I was very pleasantly surprised!

    I chose option 1 for English, then option 6 for appealing a decision.
    The call was answered at 12:02 by a human, a minute of verifying my shoe size :) then another explaining in cliffe notes why I disagreed with the decision.
    I was transferred at 12:05 to a Case Manager who picked up the call almost immediately.

    Call concluded at 12:18 with the promise that the relevant form and assessors report will be with me within 7-10 days and feeing listened to, understood and validated.  Caveat; I felt listened to, understood and validated by the assessor - it will be interesting to see if their report reflects that impression . . .
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 2 days ago
    tried today, 11:35, option 1 for an English Speaker. 9 options then to choose from... whaat. So, 2 minutes in and then I am finally placed in a hold queue. answered with 1 minute, I requested option 6 (appeals to a decision). 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 days ago
    I have currently been waiting 45 minutes on a Friday afternoon. All of this to verify my identity, which should take 2 minutes. I also spent 35 minutes waiting earlier in the day, after which I was cut off. Thought I would try again later so that it would be less busy. No chance! 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 days ago
    July the 4th July I waited and after 54 minutes was cut off without being answered. My call was in response to receiving a call and voicemail from  the DWP PIP helpline. I am trying a second time but I have been holding on for over 30minuteswondering if I am going to be lucky enough to be answered!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 6 days ago
    On 11 June I called the 0800 169 0190 number that's on one of my 'New Style ESA' letters, waited 1 hour and then hung up when I'd still not got through to anyone. It was very demoralising as well as very frustrating.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 7 days ago
    waited for half and hour and then hung up out of frustration because it's almost five and they close then. the structure of this service is so sinister. making disabled people wait on the phone for a mysterious amount of time as we sit there, being able to do nothing else for an unknown amount of time.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 13 days ago
    I rang the PIP helpline 5 times today. I was cut off once. I gave up a few times but eventually got through after waiting for 55mins. I asked if I was entitled to the £750 one off payment I'm supposedly getting this month. They took my details my N.I. no. etc. When they got back to me they told me they couldn't say if I was entitled or not! I was told to call my local council about the "household support fund" It just feels like I'm being shoved around. Nobody will give me a definitive answer! A day completely wasted! Good job it was a 0800 phone call. I'm disgusted!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 15 days ago
    Phoned pip 2 times to get some documentation so I can get my blue badge renewed on both occasions after 1and half hour as soon as they answered they automaticly hung up the call
    This is not how we should be treated
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 19 days ago
    38 mins still waiting!!!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 19 days ago
    called the phone number to enquire why a payment was three weeks late, went through security and was passed on to the case worker, they put me on hold to check what the issue was , then they put the phone down on me , 

    not good enough ! 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 22 days ago
    I called the PIP enquiry line today, Tuesday 17th June 2025 at 13:58. I got the automated voice fairly quickly and answered all questions by using the keyboard. 

    However I then waited another 20 minutes or so before a staff member answered the call. During the wait, in between piped music, a meassge would repeat "Thank you for waiting. We know you are waiting to speak to ..." but this was cut off each and every time, leading me to worry that I may no longer be in the actual queue.

    After speaking to the staff member, I asked him to record and forward my feedback about this experience. He said its normal, like "most call centres...". I assured him it was not, and explained I have to spend a lot of time on the phone to various organisations and authorities, and most are not this bad. I understood the wait, my point was that there is no indication of how long the expected wait is, and the cutting off of the "we know you are waiting" message, left me wondering if I was even in the queue. 

    He dismissed this again, and after a 3rd attempt, also dismissed, I asked if he would just kindly forward my feedback to whoever might be interested. He ignored this. He then reverted to the inquiry I'd had and repeated that i would receive a letter in 7 - 10 days. I said ok, and thanked him and he ended the call!!! 

    I am pretty shocked that, when asked, he refused to pass on my feedback. Hence... here I am. I dont expect miracles, or for such problems to be sorted overnight. But having read on this website about the dreadful way this enquiry line has been (mis)managed since 2023, I am simply astonished that zero feedback is wanted, or noted.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 24 days ago
    I was told that PIP back dates payment to the first day of application. I was expecting 4 months of support and instead received 1. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 28 days ago
    11.06.25

    Took the PIP enquiry line 28 minutes to answer my call today. All I wanted was to ask for an up to date Proof of Entitlement certificate to be issued! I complained to the operator explaining that my daughter who has Downs syndrome and Autism whom I was acting on behalf of, would not have been able to stay on hold for that length of time, to which he responded ‘that’s pretty good actually.’ Poor.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 months ago
    I had my migration notice did the application and submitted the finished list. This was on a Friday, I then found that in my journal was an appointment they had made on my behalf without consultation or regard to whether I could get there on Tuesday at 10am. I wrote four times to my journal tried ringing and kept being cut off but nobody replied or contacted me back even after I had told them how worried and tormented I felt being housebound for over ten years with a degenerative spinal condition.and a recent visit from occupational health for alterations to my home and an assessment of what I can and can’t do. Bit still insist that I prove my identity. Complete waste of time when my identity had already been established and now I have to wait years for a home better suited to my condition. But I have no hope in that ever happening as they refuse my claim in the past everytime I make it and put me on low levels with threats that all benefits could be lost if you appeal. So better the devil you know as they’ve left me with nothing for over a year in the past. And a dictator is void of any compassion and incapable of empathy.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 months ago
    Well they answered our call in just 12 minutes today, but did not continue the call as my son (16) failed their security questions. He did not know the name and address of the GP surgery off the top of his head, so they ended the call. Ridiculous.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 months ago
    i had a missed call at 14.24 pm today off the p.i.p. n0-0800 121 4433, returned call within 5 mins and after 30 mins of navigating options and listening to lovely tunes i spoke to 3 different people , the last being a manager , but no one could tell me why or whom had called and nothing was on the screen , record, or system ........
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 months ago
    Currently on hold right now, will probably be cut off but have been on hold for nearly half an hr 😭
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 months ago
    My pip payment was due yesterday which marks 4 weeks from the last paid date. And I have not received anything. I cannot get in contact with anyone over the phone either. 

Free PIP, ESA & UC Updates!

Delivered Fortnightly

Over 110,000 claimants and professionals subscribe to the UK's leading source of benefits news.

 
iContact
We use cookies

We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential for the operation of the site, while others help us to improve this site and the user experience (tracking cookies). You can decide for yourself whether you want to allow cookies or not. Please note that if you reject them, you may not be able to use all the functionalities of the site.