Refused Low Rate Mobility DLA Autism

[Suze012]

My son is 4 years 7 months, has been getting middle rate care for 18 months. He is autistic and has been diagnosed. I received the forms for the mobility component and if anything had changed. Which it has, his care need have increased compared to his peers. When I was reading the questions for mobility all of the help needed out and about applied to him, supervision, road safety, stranger safety etc. But it's been refused? I am very surprised with that. I will be giving them a call tomorrow to find out why, but it has annoyed me. I genuinely felt when I was completing that it was basically written about my son and everything applied.

Anyone else similar that has been refused low rate mobility.

It's because he's too young. A child has to be over 5 to get lower rate mobility and over 3 for higher rate.

But it was them that sent us the mobility forms recently because he is 5 months away from being 5? He was entitled to care until he is 5 and because it was coming up to his 5th bday they sent us the mobility part to see if he was entitled to that for whe he turns 5.

Sorry to hear that. I have 2 autistic sons 7 and 9 both receive low rate mobility because of the extra supervision they require outdoors. You can appeal the decision. Good luck.

I spoke to them and it's been refused because the reports I sent doesn't specially say he needs help outside. Which I wouldn't as its not something we brought up, just the flapping, repetitive behaviour, no interaction, sensory issues and no speech, I mean really, do they think that he needs the same supervision outside and kids the same age as him? So they ignored what I wrote and based it purely on what the reports didn't specifically say. (No mention of outdoors)

The dwp guy said all the reports he gets from specialists say exactly what a kid with autism struggles with, but that isn't how our conversations with the doctors have gone, they don't detail every single thing we talk about, they would be 20 pages long!

I've asked for a reconsideration, they didn't ask anyone else for any reports or speak to anyone involved. Would it be worth me getting a report from someone My son works with for them to confirm what I sent? I naively believed that if I wrote what My son was like they would believe me. With the reports attached it mentioned his ongoing support for autism, I assumed that would be enough for them to substantiate what I said?'any suggestions?

reconsideration and if no luck appeal. that usually works.

I was thinking about that, the whole thing is up for renewal in a couple of months when he turns 5. I got my report through from his autism diagnosis it mentions where he is on his milestones, which his highest is 3 years, lowest 2 years and it mentions some specifics, mainly about his interaction and speech, but before this appointment I really didn't know that I should have mentioned specifics, so I will phone the centre that diagnosed him, and ask if the report can be amended. We did discuss his sleep, but there is no mention of that in the report. It feels wrong that I should be calling them to get them to write specifics about my son just for him to be awarded DLA? Anything that they do mention about sleep and supervision is what I have told them not their clinical observations but again, they would know if it was out the realm of possibility based on him being autistic. I don't understand why they can't use their common sense and realise that it is highly likely if a 5 year old is autistic they need extra supervision outside, without it being specifically mentioned.

Every thing is such a fight! Everyday it seems there is something new to push, whether it be speech therapy, school, disability benefits, appointments etc, it's just so draining. I know it's going to be like this forever.

I've just completed a renewal for DS DLA. He's a few months older and we were sent it about 2 months ago asking us about mobility because he turns 5 next year. He has no diagnosis but we've been receiving DLA for him for about the same amount of time as you as it is needs based.

Did you have any help filling the form in? The celebra guide is excellent. I've no idea what our outcome will be this time but the advice I followed was 'leave nothing out, be as specific as possible, don't assume the person assessing knows anything about your child's condition/difficulties' - I wrote pages and pages and literally copied and pasted them into each relevant section. It looked like a high school project when I was done and took me 6 weeks to complete.

It really is so draining filling in these forms and can be quite depressing as well as its focusing on all our child's difficulties and all the things that we have to do differently to parents of neuro typical kids. I'm so sorry that you've hit a stumbling block but I agree with PP you should ask for a reassessment, with more info if necessary. Even if someone has a diagnostic manual in front of them most people have no clue what we go through with our DC on a day to day basis, no clue at all.

& to you. I don't think it will always be a fight, we'll be old pros before we know it. I hope you get a result with this OP

I spent ages on the form, hundreds and hundreds of detail, but because the supporting docs didn't specifically say he needed help through the night or out and about with supervision he didn't receive it.

I was under the impression that supporting documents were just that - a document supporting your case, I didn't think they were supposed to make your case and the rest (of your hard work) be ignored. I'd definitely be looking at pursuing this, it might just be a case of getting someone else to take a look at it

I don't think our paed letters ever stated that Dd had issues around mobility (in terms of awareness of traffic etc). But when you have a e.g. 5 year old who is non-verbal, has LD and/or ASD then it is pretty self explanatory that this child will have different mobility needs to a child without SN.

reconsideration or appeal should sort it.

similarly, if he is up frequently at night I would spell that out and go for high rate care.

we were refused when we first applied and turned down on reconsideration as well. after I appealed we got High (!) rate care without supplying extra documents. I guess the DWP staff have targets to work to and often perseverance does the trick. good luck.

Hi, just wondering how things panned out Suze? Your original post is exactly what is happening to us at the moment.....with the added joy of impatiently waiting the 8 weeks they said it could take, then ringing to check progress only to find they made the decision the DAY AFTER it was received but I hadn't got the letter!! Loads of consideration for his case there 😠
We have a paed consultant review this coming week so will mention the outdoor issues in more detail.
As if they think our kids, with all their issues, don't need extra help and supervision than a NT child of the same age! My ASD son is 5 next week and I have a NT son who is 3y3m and he is a doddle in comparison to his brother....
Any words of wisdom or encouragement for this worn out mumma? Xx