DLA WAIT TIMES THREAD 83

[MyLifeHasChanged]

Hi all

Made a new thread for those of you who need to discuss wait times and ask questions!
Please post your scan dates etc

NC = New Claim
MR = Mandatory Reconsideration
SC = Scan Date

Im waiting on outcome of my DD's renewal due 29/09/2026

Hi Lulubells95 - you sound like you're in a very similar situation to me. My son turns 13 in November. He is waiting for an autism assessment and they have also now made a referral for DCD. I didn't know I could claim anything for him before now. I pulled him out of school in reception year to home ed him (as school weren't able to meet his needs) and we've just got on with things ourselves. But as he has got older, I started to panic about how he would cope in the future as he just can't do a lot of things other kids his age can. He needs so much support.
Fingers crossed for you, that you get the outcome you need xx

No problem, makes it a bit better that I’m learning some useful info 🤣xx

Yes we sound in very similar boats! I was the same...I think I've always understated his needs as my boy was my first child so I didn't realise just how much extra he needed...the gap has also gotten bigger between him and peers as he's got older...he needs more support than my 7 year old boy so that's when I started thinking hang on ..it was my cousin that said why haven't you claimed DLA and I was like hmmm then realised he should definitely meet the criteria for at least lower but I think middle is the correct rate really so that's what I'm hoping for.

DCD is so difficult because for my son he masks as much as he can so school kind of just see a quiet, clumsy kid that's not very good at PE. But they don't see how he struggles with laces, cutlery, scissors etc as he hides it at school. But they've started taking notice now thankfully.

Hope you get the outcome you want and hear something soon! What is your SD? Xx

I actually have a 7 year old son too.. 😂And yes he is very much more able than my 12 year old. When we go to home-ed clubs etc.. my 7 year old speaks for my 12 year old (as he is electively mute in unfamiliar environments or with unfamiliar people) and he has grown up looking out for and helping his older brother. I also think seeing the difference between them has made me realise just how much support he needs. When you're living it, you just get on with it don't you, and make adaptions. It's not until you stop and take stock, that you realise how much you've been doing for them.

I put my claim info, evidence, diary etc.. in ChatGPT and it said most likely outcome would be HRC and LRM. But from what others have said on here, MRC and LRM seem the most common outcomes. So we'll see.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Have you called them to check where abouts your claim is in the queue? Sometimes if you have doctors notes and things like that it can take longer.. hopefully you hear back this week!

Didn’t send anything off just the form

only just started my sons journey after the school told me to

il give it til end of week and il call

Aw yes very similar with my two although my older may say one word answers in unfamiliar environments but he does not say much...my two both get a bit of confidence/comfort from each other in different ways if in unfamiliar places tbh which is nice :)
Although on the other hand, at home, my 7yo can become quite distressed with my 13yo at times as my youngest is a lot more sensitive and emotionally aware etc than his brother and neither understands each other very well.

Mine goes to mainstream school and as he is quiet and academically high achieving it has taken a lot for his high school to recognise the extent of his needs...his primary school knew him and supported him really well so it was a really difficult transition to high school where the teachers cannot get to know you in the same way... especially as my son masks and doesn't ask for help etc ...he just struggles in silence.

Aw well you never know! My chatgpt said MRC and LRM so I'm really crossing my fingers for that. I'm just hoping I've sent enough evidence x

Sorry forgot to say - my scan date is 29th July. What's yours?

Yes similar to my 12 year old - he is quiet, very academically able. My 7 year old is also very smart, but also very confident. He will start up a conversation with anyone 😂

Have you heard anything back x

Mines 3rd August so not far off lol.

Aw can't believe how similar our lives are haha...but aw lovely :) mine is very chatty also hahaha xx

Anyone called today? Xx

Ok, I'm calling. I know I'm still pretty early days (SD 10/8) but thought I'd call to see if it's worth sending extra evidence in. DD is home ed after burning out in school, but also only on pathways for assessments and appointments. Although we're waiting for lots of appointments sadly if means we only have limited evidence with her being home ed so sending every little bit we do get in the hope it will help

Id see what the status is, mine sat not even fully registered from 30/7 to 2/9 Xx

@Emz73oh no, how frustrating! I went through the process a few years ago with my eldest. I had forgotten how stressful it can be, although I think wait times seem to be a little bit better now than they were then

I haven't received payment or anything yet I just rang to see if the decision had been made so yours could have been done the same day as me.. I'm in the same boat the teachers told me about this too I didn't know what DLA was before this, I didn't have doctors notes either just senco reports and reports from the teacher

It is. I’ve been asking them for weeks if they needed a birth certificate kept being told no, then received a letter requesting it last week! I’m also waiting for a MR for my other child, that’s been 10 weeks now it’s so stressful xx

I gave in and called today 🙈 (NC, SD 14/07/26) and I was told still in the que. When I said I know of people who have a later scan date than me that have received a decision, I was told it's not about the date but about who's pile it's in and how many they have to look at 😩. The wait continues I guess!

@Emz73oh, that's so annoying, why couldn't they just tell you that over the phone. Sounds like you have a lot in your plate with them!
I've just got off the phone. The lady told me she will manually register the form and get it sent to a case manager, although don't know what that means. I asked her if it's worth sending in my appointment letter, she said not until I've had the appointment and had the report, which is another 2 months away 😕 I'm not hopeful, its so frustrating knowing that she needs so much more support than others her age but because of waiting lists as long as my arm shes likely to be rejected because the evidence isn't there yet.
I've written a massive statement of her needs that's was several pages long, outlining what she needs and how it impacts day to day life. My friend, who she spends a lot of time with has also done the same. Don't know if it will be enough, but right now it's all I've got 😞

I said this to the continence team who told me to apply for DLA for my child but she said the fact paediatrician appointment is also made, she’s got other assessments which we are on a waiting list for. She said the fact she’s been referred is evidence in itself as they wouldn’t refer for these things unless a medical professional or school SENCO etc thought it was needed. So I’d just send a copy of the appointment to show the referral is in place for whichever appointment. Xx

Good job you called them, this is what happened to mine. They have 2 systems… so the first one is where it first gets scanned in from the mail room, then a caseworker has to register it onto the second system, they check everything that’s when they verify ID sometimes birth certificate request etc once they have fully registered it goes into the queue to be picked up for a decision. I’ve doubled the stress with the MR I’m really worried about it as I’m not normally so direct as I was in the 6 page letter I wrote 🙈 xx

Forgot to say, I don’t have much evidence either but everything I’ve seen it’s not always about that and what you’ve written is treated as evidence so 🤞🤞

I’m a NC with a SD of 14/07. I’ve heard nothing and nothing showing as pending in Monzo.

I’m worrying it’s a decline as I’ve seen lots of 13th and 14th July scan dates be awarded over the last 2/3 days. I sent off evidence but I’m unsure of it was compelling enough.

This wait is awful. And I still need to do my daughter’s form.

Hi have you received the acknowledgment letter or called for an update? x

Very similar to me, I think I’ll wait until Friday to call but everyday no letter about it so I assume it’s still being decided. Have you thought of ringing just to see if it’s been assigned to a decision maker?

No I’ve never had a letter or text, I ended up calling on 03/08 to ensure they had the form and confirmed the scan date.

I then called around 28/08 to ask how to send in extra evidence and it was still waiting to be processed whatever that means. I re-confirmed the scan date again as well.

Since then I’ve not called, I’m kind of nervy to as I’ve heard they don’t like it when people call for updates. But if I’ve heard nothing by Friday I may just call and make something up, hope they give me an update over the phone.