DLA application - boarding school Q HELP!!!

[flyingmum]

O wise and noble ones HELP

DS1's DLA runs out on 1 Feb just before his 16 bday. We have to fill in Adult form. However, LEA has magically agreed to fund him in 6th form as a weekly boarding pupil. Does this count under the bit of 'Are you in residential care/hospital/school. I've been a bit of a clot and filled that bit in and then had a heebie jeebie and realised that he might not get the money but it is only in normal school term times and he is home every Friday and go back on a Monday. What do I do. I've just carefully scribbled out all that I filled in. I don't want to diddle anyone out of money but we do use the DLA for paying for school trips and he will need it for paying for college stuff and the fact that , unlike other students, he won't be able to manage a part time job.

Any ideas?????

Im not sure but look on the DWP website for the decision makers guide, maybe it will give you more answers? hth

He's not there yet and you don't know for certain how well the placement will work till he tries it... so IMHO no need to say much now but you'll need to check the rules carefully before September.

Young people in residential care or residential boarding school
Young people who are in residential care or at a residential boarding school will not be paid the care component of DLA when they have been resident for more than 4 weeks - but they can be paid the care component for each day that they are home, for example, at weekends or school holidays.
The mobility component of DLA is unaffected by stays in residential care or boarding school. Parents / carers or appointees have to fill in a claim form for the days the young person is at home.

from here

You also end up filling in a form for carer's allowance if you claim it.

Every part of a day they spend at home qualifies for Care component of DLA - even if it's just an hour or so at beginning / end of the day.

Bigcar is right, after 28 days? in residential care (which is what boarding school counts as) the DLA stops. It starts again as soon as they spend part of a day at home. DLA Mobility element is not affected at all regradless if he's home or away at aschool.

In the summer, when they have been at home during the holidays the right to DLA is continued when they return to school after the holidays, for the first 28 days and then it stops again.

You need to contact the DWP, explain he's in residential care. They'll send you a sheet to fill out every month on which you put down thetimes he's spent at school / home - they calculate the entitlement and pay it into the bank.

Thank you ladies. I knew you would come up with the goods.

He's been very grown up and helped me fill in the form and understands what it is about. I've refilled it in on the on line one so I've taken out that he is in residential but will contact them again in September if things go according to plan. Gosh - really complicated!