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.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    Got through on a Wednesday around 2pm, was on call for 40mins which going by what ppl have said isn't that bad... which in itself says how bad trying to contact then is 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    Could not get through today. Sat with my headphones on reading my book. For nearly an hour each time. It's very upsetting when you only need a quick answer to something.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    3/1/23 3rd attempt to contact DWP PIP Enquiry line 0800 121 4433, waiting time 47mins to answer, to notify renewal forms were only received 21st Dec, dated 4th December I presume due to postal strikes, therefore need extension as the letter states due back 4th Jan  the return of renewal forms. Got extension til 4th Feb and they are aware of delays due to postal strike and said to ignore reminder letters that will be sent out also due to the delays for anyone else worried, panicking as I was.

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    Trying to inform pip of change of circumstances,go through all the automatic stuff only to be disconnected 3 times this morning.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    The review form arrived on 19 December and they want it back by 6 January. This is a busy time of year for everyone, but in my case my carer's on maternity leave so I don't have support to fill it out. So many days the helpline is closed due to public holidays, but they don't automatically give more time because of public holidays or postal strikes. Whenever I tried calling I had to hang up before they answered. On one occasion after waiting 98 minutes I got a recorded message that the service is unavailable,
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 years ago
      @Sarah Hi Sarah, just to let you know I got through just now after nearly 50mins and had same issues last week and disconnected after went through all the options. They said they are aware of the delays due to postal strikes and have extended my 4th January deadline for PIP review to 4th February and to ignore the reminder letters being sent out. A sigh of relief but think the generic system DWP needs overhaul as causes us claimants far more distress and should be another way to make contact for such things digitally perhaps. Good luck with yours.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    Currently waiting 1hr 10 mins still on hold didn't get the letter for my son dated 29th November until 22nd December due to work and bank holidays couldn't call until the 27th to find they're closed called 29th and was advised to call the help line was on hold for over 40 mins and hung up it's a joke! 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    I've tried 3 times today and twice yesterday as soon as they put me in the queue to speak to someone. The phone call ends. I need to tell them of another condition I've been diagnosed with.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    Since early December 2022 I been ringing many times, different dates PIP 0800 1214433 to request a change of the date for the renewal of my PIP, because the advice centre cant give me an appoitment on the due date 12/01/2023.  The PIP line always keep me on hold for hours, sometimes they hang up the line and so far I had not been able to speak to anybody as today Thursday 29/12/2022.   I suffer from Depression and severe stress and very bad asthma, ringing PIP and not able to talk to an Agent is very stressfull and very bad for me.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    Absolute joke of a number to call! Are they even open? Ridiculous 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    Rang several times today. Haven’t got threw once and I’ve been on hold for over 45 minutes now. It’s a joke
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    the date is the 29th December 2022, i have called 18 times today first time was waiting for the call to be answered took over a hour baring in mind i called 10am this morning and still waiting to be answered after 18 times of calling and being cut off for know reason. this has been going on for years i can recall as late as the 90s the service is terrible i have even fallen asleep many of times while waiting for someone to answer me, i personally believe the reason why it takes soo long for anyone to answer is because they know the call is free so this form of  Manipulation  is there cover to take the absolute mick out of vulnerable people AND IM STILL WAITING!!!
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 years ago
      @Deborah It isn't really 'free' is it? Time, electricity, stress... and the taxpayer pays for the call even if we don't.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    rang three times at 12.30pm, unable to speak to anyone and kept on getting cut off.  Not a great service.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    I am struggling with anxiety  and depression been trying for ages to get through to the pip helpline keeps cutting me off getting so stressed now 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    Made a call today for change of circumstances listened to all their press this press that then finally told to stay on line to speak to someone then was promptly cut off. So how do you inform them of changes
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    *Very interesting* update on PIP Enquiry Line experience. 

    From trying to get through for two days, I have now got through after another one hour wait and several attempts. 

    I initiated my claim at end of November but *no form* had been sent out - until today over three weeks later, and *only* because of my call yesterday.

     (the staff member confirmed this exactly when I asked this question)

    The staff member I spoke to was very helpful and then had to phone a case worker in that department to trigger sending out a form with a return date to me. 

    My revised return date gives 3 days for form to get to me, plus 28 days to have it filled in and received by the DWP office. 

    This helpful person told me DWP are adding time extensions of ten days because of the postal strikes today and tomorrow. 

    Plus of course these postal strikes are immediately followed by three consecutive bank holidays .. possibly the time extension is due to both of these issues? 
    Or just because of the postal strikes? It was implied to me that this time extension given is because of the postal strikes. 

    Consequently I was told although my form is now stamped with return date of 31 days, that a time extension is being added to this, 

    BUT the computer can't accommodate this extended return date, so I am to *ignore that return date printed on my form, and write down a different extended return date - that I have been given *verbally over the phone.

     Also told that I am to ignore reminders sent out saying I have not returned my form (the DWP automatic 'reminder system' by post also cannot accommodate return time extensions. Impasse the text reminder system also cannot be updated similarly?) 

    So I've written my new extended return date down, and will ignore reminders, except being told this verbally does not provide me with proof for the DWP if needed, that I've been told this, which is more than a a bit anxiety-making. 

    Note that I would say that this is very punishing for anyone whose mental health conditions might include 'anxiety'. 

    Although my form has this 28 days + 3 days date on it .. triggered by my call yesterday 22 December, that because of postal strikes and bank holidays I was told my form will not actually leave the DWP building until Wednesday 28 December.

    And that therefore if the form arrives to me very late, that I should phone and ask for a time extension (as we know this takes several days and several hours on the phone attempting to get through .. if you are lucky, 

    It is an anxiety-making process, and one which disabled and sick people can not afford to be subjected to in my opinion.  

    DWP said they are giving 10 days time extension because of the delays caused by postal strikes. 

    I was also told that 90% of calls this staff member had taken on this day were:

     'I have not received a form',
     or 
    'my form has arrived two days ago very late, and the return date states it is to be returned by tomorrow.' 

    I'm sure there's more I was told and could write here. 

    It's only because today I'm having a rare 'good day'  that I'm able to write this (and it has taken me forever to write this, and this is with some help - but I think it's important for B&W survey staff to know of our experiences) 


    The whole thing has been stressful and time-consuming. However once I got through the staff member could not be more helpful. 

    Still not out of the woods yet .. when might the form actually arrive? 

    I just wanted to give my experience in the hope it might reassure others. 

    Happy Christmas Benefits and Work staff, and Happy Christmas to all readers and users and claimants. 

    Have faith that your situation may be heard and accommodated adequately to your needs if and when you are lucky enough to get through and speak to someone. 

    I have been helped to compose this comment. 

    My advice is to ask for help even if you think help might not be given to you. 

    - Merry Christmas to you - 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    Does anyone know the 'file size'  of all the different modules of the 'PIP On-demand Training course? -' offered on this website by B&W? 

    I don't have a laptop. 

    I'm worried the files may take up too much memory on my mobile? Potentially crashing or freezing my mobile? 

    Has anyone downloaded the files onto their mobile phone? 


  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    Hi i am not recve pip money 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    I made my telephone application on 30 November and received a DWP confirmation text of it. 

    3 weeks later it is now 21 December 2022 and I have NOT received any further communication from DWP at all. 

    Crucially, I have not received a PIP application form from the DWP to complete, and to return to the DWP. 

    HOW am I to return this form which I have not received from the DWP? 

    I'm calling now, on hold 50 minutes .. 

    After tomorrow 22 December there are no postal deliveries to anyone in England due to Postal strikes 23rd and 24th December, which are immediately followed by 3 consecutive Bank Holidays, 

     ie: no postal deliveries within the 5 days period from 23 - 27 December 2022 inclusive. 
    After which Royal Mail are expected to have considerable backlogs - culminating in postal delivery delays. 

    Now after 50 minutes the automated voice has cut me off stating: "We are unable to take telephone calls at the moment". 

    Dear me, this is an horrendous situation to be in. 
    It is causing me to feel worried, anxious, stressed, and wasting my valuable time - I emphasise that my health condition does not allow me 'time' for me to waste.    



  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    Received the form late due to postal strikes ,need to ask for an extension to fill in form but tried all week to get through ,wait over half an hour on hold 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 years ago
      @Brian Hi Brian,can you tell me if the online application form is the same as the paper one ? many thanks.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 years ago
      @Del morgan I completed mine online it was easy and quick, but I can't get through to them on the phone.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 years ago
    1hr 20 minutes only to be cut off.  Received a text saying my form (which I have not received after 19 days) has not been returned.  No form = no PIP but no other way to contact them available than the ridiculous telephone option.

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