Dla waiting times

[Suzzie101]

hi! New to this all but I started a new claim for my daughter and it was received and stamped on 30th October, reaching 9 weeks and no response as of yet, any ideas of the waiting time ?

Has anyone had change of circumstances done from October yet 🙄 I was stamped 22nd and still heard nothing ??

@J84b04j23 I'm still waiting, they received my sons on 25th and I'm expecting to hear on the week of 7th March

@PuddlePip thank you

I have received a letter today dating 22nd of feb saying they apologise for the wait but they are still looking at my claim. I’m on my 6-7th week now. Has anyone received this letter before?

@Mum2Two91

I have received a letter today dating 22nd of feb saying they apologise for the wait but they are still looking at my claim. I’m on my 6-7th week now. Has anyone received this letter before?

I have seen others mention getting a letter like this.

Ours will be 8 weeks this week, so I am expecting this letter soon!

For those of you saying the date that your form was received and stamped.. were you sent these information by post or did you have to phone up and ask for that date ? I sent a new claim form on the 10th February but haven’t heard anything at all

I was sent a letter to say they got it a couple weeks ago and a letter today saying there still looking at it. I haven’t rang as there has been so many people waiting since before I put my sons change of circumstances. So I’m unsure how long I will be waiting.

@BananaPlants

For those of you saying the date that your form was received and stamped.. were you sent these information by post or did you have to phone up and ask for that date ? I sent a new claim form on the 10th February but haven’t heard anything at all

I got a letter from them to say the date the form was received.

@BananaPlants I sent mine on 31st January and sent it recorded they received it on 1st February and I had a letter about 10 days later saying they have received my form on 1st and will probably be around 8 weeks and if not heard call after 8 weeks. I think it will be more like 11-12 weeks

I received a letter on Thursday stating that they were still looking at my claim, sorry for the wait, my claim was received by them 31st December, so just over 8 weeks now. Maybe 2-3 weeks going by most peoples posts x

Rang last Monday they said they was working on claims from 21st October, they've said the exact same thing today 🙈 mine is 22nd Oct for a change of circumstances, they really are dragging it out 🤣🙄

Sorry, didn’t mention mine was a new claim. I think there are different waiting periods for new and change of circumstances 🙂

I rang today for an update regarding new claim waiting time. I'm at 8 weeks, the lady was really nice and said currently it's around 10-11 weeks & will definitely hear something via text & post within the next couple of weeks!

Mine got approved today 😀 Stamped November 8 to give an idea of timescales.

@Flexitarian how strange, mine was stamped before you in October and I've still not heard 😕

@Ilovemychildren123 I am so so sorry for not replying to your question 2 weeks ago! I only just seen the notification on my account. I originally applied when he was 2 nearly 3. I only had speech and language report, support plan from his nursery and my own personal notes and he was accepted for middle rate care, I put in a mandatory reconsideration as I knew he should of been awarded high rate care, they awarded the high rate care and low mobility once he turned 5. He is 6 this month and still awaiting to see if he is awarded high rate mobility. My son has suspected Autism, suspected ADHD, sensory difficulties, severe hypermobility and he is awaiting more assessments as they feel he could also have PDD (I’m not fully clued up on what this PDD is). We are just waiting for an EHCP too as the educational Psychologist stated in her report that he needs constant supervision and 1:1 support with an adult only when he goes back to school (currently home learning him as school scrapped his support plan when he went into year1 as they felt he had no SEN needs, massive complaints going in and we removed him straight away). Advice I would give is to put as much information about your child’s difficulties. Don’t worry about sounding professional, but make sure you put every detail down. Any evidence you get send to them and if your not successful keep pushing for it! I went to citizens advice and they where helpful to a certain extent. I found these forums and contact.org website is so helpful! Any news yet? Sorry for the essay haha!

@Mum2Two91 thank you for your response. We haven’t heard anything yet forms we’re received at their office on the 1st February so probably another 6 weeks or so until we hear anything. We have our appointment with the paediatrician a week on Friday so hopefully I may be able to submit more information to them after that. We had a hearing test last week and he failed that so more referrals now happening it’s all a big minefield really. Fingers crossed we get news soon I hate waiting not knowing is the worst x

@Ilovemychildren123 Not a problem hun, it’s great having others to talk to and get support. Fingers and toes crossed for all our children to get the right help and support. Our son needs a sensory assessment but the NHS Occupational Therapy don’t do this which is ridiculous! So we have to go private. We haven’t been out to public places with our son for nearly 3 years as he is so unpredictable with his behaviour and due to him struggling in public places with noise etc so hopefully if he gets high rate can possibly get transport to take him out. Feel so bad for them don’t you. I remember first applying for DLA and feeling like giving up with the agonising wait and knock backs but honestly you will get the right support. We are our children’s voices and I will always continue and continue pushing x big hugs to you and your little boy x

@Mum2Two91 it absolutely is great having people to talk to who are in the same boat I just wish things moved quicker we was referred in 2020 and our first face to face appointment is week after next it’s crazy. I wish you and your little boy all the best too we definitely are our kids voices xx

Mum2two91 Have you already had an EHCNA or are you going through it now? You don’t need to go private for a sensory OT assessment. One can be part of the EHCNA. If the NHS can’t or won’t assess within the statutory timescale the LA must commission an independent assessment.

If DS cannot attend school because they can’t meet his needs at the moment the LA should also be providing alternative education under section 19, the Education Act 1996 until the EHCP is finalised and SEN provision is in place. You don’t have to EHE.

@Imitatingdory Hi, thank you for your message. We put in for an EHCP last August after speaking with his Paediatrician and he advised us to. The school spoke to LA and basically told them in their opinion our son had no SEN needs, even though he had a support plan in place. So LA refused to assess for an EHCP, i of course appealed this and won. He had urgent assessments with SALT, OT, Educational Psychologist, CAMHS and the Autism Diagnostic Team. All their reports are stating so much high level support, the EP stated he needs not just 1 adult supervising but an additional teacher on standby and put a 15 page report of what support needs to be in place, including a sensory assessment by a specialist. Will this be funded by LA? I am new to all the EHC Plans as me and partner haven’t had any support from school and have seemed advice from charities like National Autistic Society etc. Oh what a relief! I never knew we could get his sensory assessment funded? Also who do I contact about the home education? As we are clueless with it, we have paid out for everything we needed to home educated him and have been given resources from the Autism Team which has been fantastic! But could do with more help as where not professionals, I have a Level 2 certificate in Understanding Autism and also social stories and comic strip stories too, but it would be beneficial for our Son to be getting the correct education. The LA said they where happy to leave us for 12 months and will then review his home education! We ring every week asking for help but to be told that all they can do is advise us of what websites we can use. His EHC should be accepted with all these reports and if accepted should be finalised by April. Sorry for the essay, once I get typing I don’t stop. Thanks so much for any advise you have.

For alternative education under section 19, the Education Act 1996 email the Director of Children’s Services at the LA requesting them to fulfil their statutory duty in providing education to DS who is unable to attend school and you no longer wish to electively home educate. If the LA refuse threaten to begin Judicial Review proceedings. Usually the mere threat works but if it doesn’t contact SOSSEN for help with a pre-action letter.

Well done on winning the refusal to assess appeal. Always worth appealing, the vast majority of appeals are upheld. When was the Tribunal order? That will work out where you should be in the process now.

The OT assessment should have included DS’s sensory needs, I would complain to the Director of Children’s Services that didn’t happen because if the assessments don’t have sensory OT recommendations the EHCP won’t have sensory OT provision as provision in EHCPs is taken from the reports. Yes, the assessment should be funded by the LA, and any provision specified and quantified in section F of the EHCP will be funded. Sadly, many EHCPs have woolly and vague wording (e.g. “access to” “would benefit from”) which makes the EHCP not worth the paper it is written on and you can’t enforce it, so it’s important to ensure section F is detailed, specific and quantified even if you have to appeal.

If you haven’t already look at IPSEA and SOSSEN’s websites. They both have advice lines too.

@Imitatingdory The Tribunal didn’t even happen. I had that much evidence of my son’s difficulties, the LA squashed the tribunal and agreed to assess for an EHCP. Such a relief! Our sons ex school stopped his toileting support and he came home with dirty underwear, we didn’t know at this point that they stopped his sensory therapy too. We jumped at home education because our son was being neglected in school, but haven’t got much help with it all. Thank you so much, I will try contacting them today.

Anyone had any news?

Mum2Two91 LAs often concede when they see parents are serious about appealing. Sadly many parents don’t appeal and the LA get away with routinely refusing most applications. Are the LA sticking to the timescales (either those in Reg 45 SEN Regs 2014 or the Consent Order depending on when in the process the LA concede)? Unless you keep on top of them they will often breach the statutory timescales.

Has anyone heard from Coc October , stamped exactly 19 week ago 🙄🙄 the wait is more frustrating 🙈 Im not usually an impatient person 🤣