Everything you need to understand and do to separate or get divorced, agree on child custody and residence issues, and agree a financial settlement.

Our advice guides will help you work out what to do and what to expect, reduce the stress, save you money, and help you get to a better place, sooner. We'll show you ways to reach agreement, and (if really necessary) how to go to court to get a financial order when you divorce or a child arrangements/ residence order. 

We will also show you how to do it without a lawyer if you can't afford one, and how to make everything easier and ensure it is fair by getting just a little free or low-cost family legal advice if you can. 

You can now have the information on this site read out to you, translated into another language, or change how it appears so that you find it easier to read. This page explains how to use our accessibility toolbar to make it easier to understand and follow our guidance.

If you made a claim for PIP and you didn't get the award that you think you were entitled to, don't give up. This guide and mandatory reconsideration tool will help you challenge the decision by asking the DWP to look at their decision again – to see if it was correct. This is called a 'mandatory reconsideration.’ 

If they don’t change the decision straight away, we also have help that will show you how to successfully appeal the decision.

The information in this guide applies to people who have applied for Personal Independence Payment in England, Wales and Scotland. It will also be helpful for claimants in Northern Ireland.

Filling in the form to apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can be confusing. This video guide explains what PIP is and how to fill in the form.

This information applies in England, Wales, and Scotland. It will also be helpful for claimants in Northern Ireland.

Get guidance on what you should do - whether you got 0 points, a low award, or an award of just mobility or care. 
 

If you have already asked for a PIP appeal, there are a lot of things for you to do over the next few months. You might have to wait a long time for the hearing but it is useful to start preparing as soon as you can. Some things can take a long time.

If you have not already tried to get help and advice, do so now  – take a look at How to find an adviser to help with your disability benefit. Some advisers may be able to help do some of this preparation for you. If you are lucky enough to find someone who can help with the preparation, make sure you are clear which things your adviser is going to do for you, and which you need to do yourself.

The guidance below assumes you are preparing for a face-to-face hearing. Nowadays, lots of hearings take place by phone or by video call. Some people prefer this option. All of the advice, except about actually travelling to the hearing applies equally to hearings by video or phone.

This information applies in England, Wales, and Scotland. It will also be helpful for claimants in Northern Ireland where the rules are the same but the relevant government departments and forms are different.

Understand the process for challenging a PIP decision and what you need to do at each stage.

This information applies in England, Wales, and Scotland. It will also be helpful for claimants in Northern Ireland.

An appeal is when a judge and two experts who do not work for the DWP will look at your claim to see if the right decision was made. Appeals can take longer than mandatory reconsiderations, but they are much more likely to be successful.

Unfortunately, in lots of places it is hard to get advice or representation to help with your appeal.  Most people have to do most or all of the work themselves or with the help of their family and friends. We will help you through the process.

We know from our research that 90% of people who use this guide and our PIP mandatory reconsideration tool get the decision about their PIP claim changed in the end. It is worth the effort!

his information applies in England, Wales, and Scotland. It will also be helpful for claimants in Northern Ireland where the rules are the same but the relevant government departments and forms are different.