DLA downscale

[pinkwasp]

Have received mid rate care and low rate mobility for ds for around 18 months. Since puberty,and being in a residential school, he has now really improved in his self-care and seems to need less assistance and supervision with things like reminding to shower, changing dirty clothes etc. He still needs mobility help as barely leaves the house due to anxiety issues.
I am thinking that he should reduce from middle rate to lower rate care - has anyone else done this?I know I have to start with another application form. Would it make a difference to the tax credit payments or would they stay the same?

"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 four 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." link

People who have children at residential schools have to fill in a form which details each day the child has been at home, then they get 1/7 of the weekly rate for each day.

Thanks.I have the form to send back to show the weeks he was away at school. presumably I can send this back with another application to reduce the care rate to lower? The form is asking to let them know if anything has changed so now that he also has a dx since we were awarded DLA I suppose I need to update them with that information.

You don't need to update with a dx the dx is irrelevant, it is just his care needs/ mobility they need to know about.

Thanks.I did call to enquire and have been sent a new claim form but told that it might not be agreed .Am worried that they might stop it altogether but they surely if he is now in specialist provision it shows he needs more help than other dc's?