# The MR timeline, stage by stage
Day 0 — the decision letter
The clock starts on the date printed on the decision letter, not the date it arrived. You have one month to ask for a mandatory reconsideration (MR). Read the letter properly before doing anything: which Work Capability Assessment activities were scored, how many points, and which descriptor the decision maker applied to you.
Days 1–14 — request the MR and your assessment report
- Write to the address on the decision letter, or use the DWP's online MR request route on gov.uk.
- In the same request, ask for a copy of your assessment report (the ESA50-based report). You are entitled to it and you need it to write a targeted letter.
- Say clearly at the top: "I am asking for a mandatory reconsideration of the decision dated [date]" — this anchors the deadline evidence.
While you wait — build the evidence
There is no legal deadline for the DWP's reply and waits of several weeks are common. Use the time:
- Collect dated, specific examples: what you cannot do, how often, what happens on your worst days.
- Ask your GP practice for copies of relevant notes or letters (you may need to pay a small fee for full records).
- Diary anything that has changed since the assessment.
Weeks 4–8 — the MR notice
Two outcomes are possible:
1. The decision is changed in your favour. Payment is normally backdated to the original decision.
2. The decision is upheld — you receive a mandatory reconsideration notice. This is the gateway to the tribunal.
Within 1 month of the MR notice — lodge the appeal
Appeals go to the independent Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. The appeal form (SCS1) or the online gov.uk appeal route both work. Late appeals can be accepted up to 13 months with permission and a good reason.
The hearing — and after
Most appeals are now video or paper hearings. In April–June 2026, 45.7% of ESA appeals cleared at a hearing were decided in the claimant's favour (HMCTS, provisional). If you win, the DWP is notified and should implement the decision, normally with backdating to the original decision date. If the tribunal made a legal error, you can ask for the decision to be set aside — the decision letter explains how.
Independent information directory · Source-checked 2026-10-09 · Independent information — not legal or benefits advice; not affiliated with the DWP.