CRMR1 Form: How to Fill In the PIP Mandatory Reconsideration Form

The CRMR1 is the official DWP form for requesting a mandatory reconsideration of a PIP decision. You do not have to use it — a letter or even a phone call to the PIP helpline will start the process — but the form gives you a structured way to set out your challenge and creates a clear paper trail.

Where to Get the Form

The CRMR1 form is available on GOV.UK. It comes with a companion guidance booklet, the CRMR1A, which explains what information DWP needs from you. You can print and post the completed form to the return address on your decision letter.

If you cannot access a printer, you can write a letter instead. Head it "REQUEST FOR MANDATORY RECONSIDERATION" and include the same information the form asks for: your name, National Insurance number, the date on the decision letter, and your reasons for disagreeing.

What the Form Asks For

The CRMR1 is fairly short. It asks for:

• Your personal details (name, National Insurance number, date of birth, address)
• The date of the decision you want reconsidered
• Which benefit the decision relates to (PIP in this case)
• An open text box for your reasons for disagreeing with the decision

The open text box is where the real work happens. The form gives you limited space, but you can attach additional pages. Label every extra sheet with your name and National Insurance number.

How to Use the Reasons Box Effectively

The form's open text box does not prompt you to structure your response around specific PIP activities or the reliability criteria. That gap is where many requests fall short — people write general statements about their condition instead of challenging specific descriptor scores.

For each activity you are disputing:

1. Name the activity and the descriptor DWP awarded
2. State which descriptor you believe applies and why
3. Describe how your condition affects this activity on a typical day, covering whether you can do it safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time
4. Reference any supporting evidence (GP letters, hospital records, a carer's statement)

If you have not yet received your PA4 assessment report, say so. State that you are challenging the decision and will send detailed activity-by-activity reasons once you have seen the report.

Submitting the Form

Post the completed CRMR1 to the return address printed on your decision letter. Use Royal Mail Signed For or Special Delivery so you have proof of posting and a tracking number. Keep an exact copy of everything you send, including any attached evidence pages.

The form must reach DWP within one calendar month of the date printed on your decision letter. That date is the one at the top of the letter, not the date you received it. If posting close to the deadline, Special Delivery gives you next-day tracked delivery and a signature on receipt.

You can also start the process by calling the PIP helpline on 0800 121 4433. If you do this, follow up immediately with a written confirmation — either the CRMR1 form or a letter — so you have a written record.

What Happens After You Submit

DWP logs your request and assigns it to a different decision maker from the one who made the original decision. They review your file — including your PIP2 form, the PA4 assessment report, and any new evidence you have sent — and issue a Mandatory Reconsideration Notice.

The median time for DWP to process a mandatory reconsideration was 45 days for new PIP claims as of July 2026. During this time there is no interim PIP payment if your award has been stopped or reduced.

Beyond the Form

The CRMR1 gets you into the process, but the evidence you attach is what drives the outcome. Our PIP Mandatory Reconsideration guide provides worksheets for auditing your PA4 report, logging your daily functional impact against the reliability criteria, and organising your submission with a tracking sheet. It picks up where the official form leaves off.

Citizens Advice and local welfare rights services can also help you complete the form and structure your supporting evidence, subject to appointment availability.

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