PIP review form (AR1) guide: how to complete your award review
Key points
- The AR1 ('Award review - how your disability affects you') form is sent before a fixed-term PIP award ends to check whether your daily living and mobility needs have stayed the same, got harder, or got easier.
- Writing 'No change' on its own without briefly restating your current aids, help from others, and Regulation 4(2A) limits can leave a new case manager or assessor short of up-to-date detail (especially if your current award came from a Tribunal).
- You normally have 1 calendar month from the date on the DWP letter to return the AR1 form, and you can phone 0800 121 4433 before the deadline to ask for a 2-week extension.
- As long as you return your AR1 form on time (or within an agreed extension), your current PIP payments continue uninterrupted while the DWP processes your review.
View visual diagram: The 4 Regulation 4(2A) tests & the 50% rule▼
The 4 reliability tests for every PIP activity
In law, if you cannot do a task safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time, the DWP must treat you as needing help.
Without risk of falls, burns, cuts or harm to yourself or others.
Completed properly without severe pain, breathlessness or distress.
Able to repeat the task as often as needed across the day without exhaustion.
Taking no more than twice as long as someone without your condition.
Good days do not cancel out your points
If a difficulty affects you on more than half of days (at least 4 days a week, or 183 days a year), that descriptor applies to your claim.
1. What Is the PIP AR1 Award Review Form (and Deadlines)?
Most Personal Independence Payment (PIP) awards are granted for a fixed period (often 2, 3, or 5 years). Around 6 to 12 months before your award end date, the DWP sends the AR1 Award Review form (titled "Award review - how your disability affects you").
The AR1 booklet is shorter than the original 40-page PIP2 form. For each of the 10 Daily Living activities and 2 Mobility activities, it asks:
- Has this activity become easier, stayed the same, or got harder since your last PIP decision?
- If things have changed, when did the change start and how does it affect you now?
How long you get (and how to ask for an extension)
- Check the return date printed on page 1 of your DWP covering letter (normally 1 calendar month from the letter date).
- If you are unwell, experiencing a flare-up, or waiting for an updated GP summary or clinic letter, phone the DWP PIP enquiry line before your deadline passes:
- Telephone: 0800 121 4433 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- Textphone: 0800 121 4493
- Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 121 4433
- Ask for a 2-week extension (or explain if you need slightly longer for medical reasons) and write down the date, time, and first name of the adviser you spoke to.
DWP award reviews often take several months. Provided you return your AR1 form by the deadline (or agreed extension date) and attend any assessment requested, the DWP automatically extends your existing PIP payments until a review decision is made.
2. Why Writing 'No Change' Alone Can Be Risky (Especially After a Tribunal)
The DWP notes on the AR1 form tell you that if nothing has changed, you can tick "No change / stayed the same". However, writing only the two words "No change" carries two practical risks:
- If your current PIP award was decided by a First-tier Tribunal or Mandatory Reconsideration:
- A new health assessor or case manager looking at your file years later will always see the previous PA4 assessor report, yet sometimes overlooks the separate HMCTS Tribunal Decision Notice that overturned it.
- Always attach a photocopy of your previous Tribunal Decision Notice to your AR1 form, and write 2 to 4 clear sentences under each relevant activity confirming why those same restrictions still apply today.
- Checking whether a paper review is possible without a new consultation:
- Case managers try to complete straightforward AR1 reviews on paper where the form and recent prescription/clinic records clearly confirm your ongoing daily restrictions.
- Giving a short, clear 3-sentence summary under each activity (even when ticking "Stayed the same") makes it much easier for a health professional or case manager to confirm your points from the paperwork without guessing.
Whenever a PIP award is reviewed, the DWP looks at both Daily Living and Mobility afresh: your award can stay the same, go up if your needs have increased, or go down if the DWP decides your needs have reduced. Check your current points across all 12 activities before posting the form.
3. Worked AR1 Wording Examples: 'Stayed the Same' vs 'Got Harder'
Use this calm 3-part formula under each activity that applies to you (What still happens + Aids/help still used + Regulation 4(2A) reliability):
| Situation | Clear AR1 review wording |
|---|---|
| Needs have stayed the same (Activity 4 - Washing and bathing) | "Stayed the same since my March 2023 award. Lumbar spinal stenosis and balance loss still mean I cannot step over an unadapted bath rim safely without falling, and standing in the shower causes severe lower-back pain within 2 minutes. I continue to use a wall-mounted grab rail and shower chair every time I wash (Descriptor 4b), and my partner still washes my lower legs and feet because I cannot bend safely under Regulation 4(2A) (Descriptor 4d)." |
| Needs have got harder / worse (Activity 12 - Moving around) | "Got harder since January 2026 following progression of bilateral knee osteoarthritis (orthopaedic clinic letter dated 14 February 2026 attached). Previously I could walk around 35 metres with one walking stick (10 points). Since January 2026, sharp joint pain and my right knee giving way force me to stop after 12 to 15 metres (just over 1 bus length) even using two elbow crutches, taking over 90 seconds, and I cannot repeat the walk later the same day under Regulation 4(2A) (Descriptor 12e, 12 points)." |
4. Four-Step Checklist Before Posting Your AR1 Form
Before sealing the return envelope, run through these four checks:
- Attach an up-to-date repeat prescription list: Ask your GP surgery reception or check the NHS App for your current repeat medication printout. It confirms to the DWP that your conditions and treatments remain active.
- Only send copies, never original documents: Write your full name and National Insurance number at the top of every loose sheet (such as clinic letters, occupational therapy notes, or your previous Tribunal Decision Notice).
- Keep a full copy of your completed AR1 form: Photograph or photocopy every page before posting so you have your exact wording in front of you if the DWP invites you to a telephone, video, or face-to-face assessment.
- Use tracked or Signed For post: Even when using the freepost DWP address, asking the Post Office counter for Royal Mail Signed For gives you dated proof that your AR1 arrived before the deadline.
MyPIPApp is an independent self-help tool and is not part of, or endorsed by, the DWP or HMCTS. Preparing your AR1 answers in MyPIPApp saves them privately in your workspace and does not submit them to the DWP. To ask for an AR1 extension or check your review status, call the DWP PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 (textphone 0800 121 4493).
Free Starter (£0) - one-off stage packs available
Check your estimated PIP points for free
Before you send your paperwork, use our free calculator to check your estimated score across all 12 PIP activities under the four Regulation 4(2A) tests: safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time.
Frequently asked questions
Should I just write 'No change' on my PIP AR1 review form?
If your condition has not changed, tick that it has stayed the same, and add 2 to 4 short sentences confirming the aids, prompting, or physical help you still need and why you still cannot manage the activity safely, repeatedly, to an acceptable standard, or in a reasonable time under Regulation 4(2A). That gives a new case manager clear current detail without having to dig through years-old files.
Do my PIP payments stop if the DWP takes months to process my AR1 review?
No. Provided you return your AR1 form on time (or within an agreed phone extension) and cooperate with any assessment invitation, your current PIP payments continue automatically until the DWP makes a new decision, even if your original award end date passes in the meantime.
Will I definitely have another medical assessment after sending my AR1 form?
Not always. The DWP and assessment providers aim to complete paper-based reviews where your AR1 explanations and recent medical evidence (such as a current repeat prescription list and recent specialist letters) give enough clear information, though they may still arrange a short telephone, video, or face-to-face consultation if anything needs clarifying.
What if my PIP award is reduced or stopped after an AR1 review?
You have the same statutory right to challenge an AR1 review decision as a new claim decision: phone 0800 121 4433 to ask for a free copy of the PA4/PA3 assessment report and submit a Mandatory Reconsideration within 1 calendar month of the date on the review decision letter.
Related guides and articles
DWP independence notice: MyPIPApp is an independent self-help tool and is not part of, or endorsed by, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or HMCTS. Actions taken in MyPIPApp update your own claim drafts only and do not notify government systems. To contact the DWP directly about your claim or PA4 report, call 0800 121 4433 (textphone 0800 121 4493).