DLA Renewal - anyone heard this before?!

[AForceToBeReckonedWith]

Hopefully this is the right place to post - feel free to move if not!

DCs third claim, had a 3 year award and a 2 year award, he is 6. Tomorrow is the end date 22/06.

I sent everything off end of Feb, my scan date was 18th March.

I’ve been calling them weekly since the start of June. Was advised to call back the week of Monday 16th, so I called back on Thursday 19th, was then told to call back Friday 20th which was yesterday.

So yesterday they told me it was now sat with the ‘medical team’ which she said are in house, she couldn’t chase it up once it’s gone to them but they have 10 days to respond to the decision maker. It was sent to this department on 17th.

I asked why it’s gone to this area and the agent told me it’s because they are looking at our claim under SMI provision but she genuinely didn’t know anything else, why that is and was simply reading the note on there.

Has anyone had this before, neither of the previous claims have gone to them so I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing, but I feel so worried about it.

I also feel that since DC started school we have so much less evidence as his SALT, Portage etc all came to an end once he started Reception. We are under the paediatrician and we see her every 6 months, she did fill out the section of the paperwork for the medical professional part.

Please send me any stories or whatever you know or what came from that if you’ve ever been told this before ! I feel absolutely frazzled with this!

My ds had an award under smi (hrm) from age three with hrc from two maybe a few months younger.

Smi requires quite alot of evidence and there is a flow chart which shows you what 'tests' your child has to meet. I think the first is hrc then arrested development (If autism is diagnosed they meet this automatically) then evidence of restraint. I'll Google and find the chart for you. It's usually for children with severe autism/ ld.

If they're looking at it and you don't get it I would look at appealing the decision.

Have your child had hrm without smi before?

I couldn't find a Google flowchart that would have been OK to screenshot and repost then been readable but I found this website:-

https://www.sendhelpuk.com/disability-living-allowance-dla/hrm-severely-mentally-impaired-with-severe-behavioural-problems-smi

I'll post a screenshot from it with the flowchart but it may take a while to be ok'd by mumsnet.

Do you think your child meets this?

Thank you so much @Perzival !

Yes, had HRC for the last 5 years. LRM on the last renewal as DC was turning 5 by then. Was given HRC at 18 months old, the original claim only took 6 weeks back in 2019 🙈.

I’ve added so much more to this renewal and asked for HRM and evidenced each point on that criteria you’ve added as best as I can, but from what I’ve read it’s extremely hard to get and it’s really hard to evidence.

The amount of support DC needs outside of school, DC is 6 but the amount of care / supervision needed hasn’t changed at all since being a toddler.

I’m wondering if it’s standard for the cases to go to this medical team if you’re applying under the SMI rules. I can’t believe the potential end date is tomorrow and I’ve not heard a single thing throughout this process, no text, letter or anything - I only knew they’d received it when I called in April as I’d had no notification that it was processed or received etc.

Hoping someone has had this experience before and can shed some light !

We've always had the renewal before the end date but there's nothing to say that at the moment things are running late. I'd phone on the renewal date and ask what happens. I think it's positive that they've sent it to medical as they're considering smi. If they refuse I'd ask for reasons why. My ds is quite cleat cut on how he meets criteria, we had lots of evidence from a very early age. I do know of families with children who ate more severe or who have more behaviour problems than my ds who had to appeal. I also know families who have 'high functioning' children who have been awarded under smi. So, if your child meets the criteria and you don't get it awarded I'd appeal.

Maybe call contact a family for advice as they may be able to talk you through how best to approach it (they've done guidance on it and webinars).

Hrm makes other accomodations easier so it is worth pursuing. So much is hard for our kids snd families, every accomodation helps.

Sometimes claims are referred to the medical team when the decision maker can’t make a decision and needs more advice on what the right decision is.

Thank you @perpetualplatespinning I’m just so worried about it picturing the worst outcomes ! I felt like I had sent a lot of information but then when I look on here at people’s lists of what they included we haven’t got anywhere near 🤦🏼‍♀️ xx

Try not to worry. It is about quality of evidence rather than quantity.

@perpetualplatespinning thank you, I really hope so! I find these forms, the process and just all of it absolutely horrible and it’s just depressing x

Hi there, I saw you mentioned your son’s DLA claim recently went to the medical team. We’re currently in the same situation, waiting to hear back about our son’s claim. I’d really appreciate if you could share how it went for you did you get a decision? My sd is 12th March still waiting.

Our recent renewal went past the renewal date even though I sent everything in in good time.

They paid a random amount into my bank at the usual time (neither the previous award nor the new one, but something in between) after the end date. And then I got the paperwork for the new award a couple of weeks later.

Hi lovely,

It was eventually sorted 2 weeks after his renewal !!

Apparently it was sat with the medical team due to me applying for DS under the SMI criteria as we were trying for HRM. It sat with them for the 10 days (maximum SLA) and then it went back to the decision maker and I heard back the following day.

Was this a new claim for you guys? X

Can you update wether you was started hrm under smi