Yay!

[Galena]

So 2.4yo DD has been awarded middle rate care for DLA. That seems reasonable to me - she is walking short distances, very independent but needs frequent physio and support through the day. Nights are not a problem, so I'd say it's exactly what we deserve.

A question though - I've seen people say when they have had their DLA awarded till. How do I find that out? I can't see it on the letter.

IIRC it was written out somewhere in the award letter as renewal date or something.

Ohhhhh, maybe it's 'Claiming again - We will contact you again when your child is nearly 3. We will ask you if you want to claim DLA for help with getting around for them.'

Other than that it simply says 'From and including 06/07/2011 you are entitled to...' and 'We may look at your award again from time to time to make sure you are getting the right amount of DLA.' Certainly no renewal date.

hmmm... that's odd... sorry, I'd look at DS2's, but it's upstairs, and I'm downstairs. And DS2 is finally asleep (his asthma is playing up and I don't want to wake him), so it's rather out of my reach right now. If nobody else has posted by morning, I'll check mine tonight and post in the morning where it is on ours.

ooooo. that's good. we've always had a renewal date (i think it expires every three years or something). there is always some discussion that for conditions like cp it can be a nonsense to reapply every time, but tbh things change such a lot whilst they are tiny that i can understand it.

there are a few people with ongoing dla. v unusual though, and usually only after a few renewals and a definite approach to dwp as to why a lifelong condition with no change requires 'updates'... and again, only usually in more severe cases where there is no chance of independence...

but 'yay' on your award, anyway.

Thanks Triggles, there's no rush...

Mad, I'm a bit worried no that there doesn't seem to be a renewal date! Where would it come in the letter (I've read it loads of times already, but maybe I've missed it!)? It has the 'We may look at your claim from time to time...' paragraph twice on one page (top and bottom) but no visible renewal! It'd be odd to have got ongoing with a first claim!

fantastic news

I keep a copy of dd3s in my bag. The first sheet has sub headings, about your claim, what you are entitled to, help with personal care, help with getting around and how much money we can pay you. Under what you are entitled to it says, from xyz to abc you are entitled to: . . . Sounds like you've got a good award there

dd3 got it for one year the first time, two years the second and currently 3 years, she has a genetic syndrome that's not going to go away, I can't figure out how they do it.

ummmmmm. having just moved house i have literally no idea at all where the paperwork is. sorry! if it turns up in the near future i'll have a look though .

it should be really obvious though. like ninja says there's usually a beginning date and an end date.... i think...

I think these days usually it has a date, (dh's doesn't, but that was awarded 20+ yrs ago and it is a degenerative condition). Ds has been 2 years and we are now re-applying. You don't need to worry tho as they send you the forms, (and well ahead of time, I got Ds's in Aug and it runs out in Dec!)

I suspect the contacting you again before the child is three - which is when mobility rate can start I think - will be the renewal date and they will look at everything again

However even if they do give a renewal date doesn't mean that is it - they may send out forms for a review at any time and if you don't complete them the DLA will stop even if there are years to go before the renewal date they originally gave you.

I think this might be a new thing. No date = the possibility that you can be investigated or have to reapply at any time chosen by the DLA people. Someone I know now has no date after always having a date.

It's an indefinite award so you won't need to reapply (apart from for mobility at three and probably five) again. They may contact you periodically to check that circumstances haven't changed and should nightimes become a problem then you could ask for a change of circumstances review but you won't need to renew again.

My son's first award aged 4 was for three years and it clearly stated from date to date. It's just been renewed with only a start date so I phone DLA people to check and was told it had been awarded indefinately and I would not need to renew.