The Short Answer
A full online PIP application is available in some areas only, and your postcode decides it. GOV.UK states that you can make the full application online in some areas and that you need to check your postcode when you start. Where the service is not available, the claim starts by phone on 0800 917 2222 or by post. In either case, the second form can normally still be completed online.
Can You Apply for PIP Online?
In some postcode areas, yes; in others, not yet. GOV.UK puts it in one sentence: "You can make your full application online in some areas. You'll need to check your postcode when you start your application."
The check takes a moment and is the first step of the service itself, at apply-for-pip.dwp.gov.uk. There is no separate list of covered areas to consult, and the answer the service gives is definitive for your address.
Last checked: 7 August 2026
The Three Ways to Start a Claim
Online where available, by phone anywhere, or by post. All three lead to the same assessment and the same decision, and all three protect the same claim date.
| Route | How it starts | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online | apply-for-pip.dwp.gov.uk, postcode checked first | Available in some areas only |
| Phone | PIP new claims line, 0800 917 2222, Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm | Available everywhere; Relay UK 18001 then 0800 917 2222 |
| Post | A letter to Freepost DWP PIP 1 saying you want to start a claim | No stamp or postcode needed |
Last checked: 7 August 2026
The phone route is the one GOV.UK describes first, and it remains available regardless of postcode. Someone else can call on your behalf if you are with them, and a Welsh speaker can be requested at the start of the call. A home visit from a DWP officer can also be requested during that call.
Why the Route Does Not Change the Money
The claim date is what fixes the back pay, and every route records one. An award runs from the date the claim is made, so a claim started by phone on a Monday and a claim started online the same day are worth the same.
That is worth knowing because waiting for online availability costs money. Each week of delay is a week that never accrues, and the difference is the weekly rate multiplied by the wait. The rules behind that are set out on the applying for PIP page.
Completing the Second Form Online
The 'How your disability affects you' form can normally be completed online even where the full claim cannot. GOV.UK states that you can do this "online, if you applied by phone (you'll be emailed a link to the form after your phone call)".
That covers most claimants: a phone start followed by an online form. The postal alternative remains open, and GOV.UK notes that a postal form usually arrives within 2 weeks. Either way the form must be returned within 1 month.
What You Need Before Starting
The same information whichever route you use. GOV.UK lists it: contact details, date of birth, National Insurance number, bank or building society account number and sort code, your doctor or health worker's name and address and telephone number, dates and addresses of any care home or hospital stays, dates of any period abroad longer than 4 weeks, and details of any money or support from an EEA country or Switzerland.
Assembling those before starting shortens the process on every route, and prevents a partly completed online application from timing out.
Where You Cannot Claim PIP
Scotland, where Adult Disability Payment replaces it. GOV.UK directs new Scottish claimants to apply for Adult Disability Payment through mygov.scot instead. Northern Ireland has its own PIP service through nidirect.
An existing PIP award continues for 13 weeks after a move from England or Wales to Scotland, and an Adult Disability Payment claim should be made as soon as possible after moving.