V large DLA payment I wasn't expecting

[Beetham]

Hi All, just wondering if anyone could shed any light on this?

My child recently turned 3 and has significant disabilities (not able to walk or talk, needs significant support throughout the day and some of the night- I won't go into the diagnosis- it could be outing as it's rare).

She came into my care early this year and was on low rate care DLA but since then she has turned 3 and also her needs have increased, social worker wrote to DWP to confirm she's now in my care and when she turned 3 I also submitted a new claim form- this was about 2 weeks ago in early May.

Received letter today to say they are paying me £350ish that they owe me for a period of dates (think this is the low rate DLA that she was awarded but hadn't been transferred to me yet). So I checked my bank account and it went in yesterday but there is also a payment of £1500ish from DLA?!

Annoying this has happened on a bank holiday and also that the phone lines are always a nightmare but I will ring on Tuesday, before I pay off some bills should I just sit on that money in case it's a mistake?

Personally I wouldn’t spend it yet until you have the letter, just in case.

Was there already a change of circumstances or renewal already in the system when DD was placed with you? When the SW notified the DWP DD was with you did they also update them on her increased needs?

It could be due to an increase in the care component.

Personally I wouldn’t spend it yet until you have the letter, just in case.

• Thanks, yes you're right I'll wait until I've spoken to them

Was there already a change of circumstances or renewal already in the system when DD was placed with you? When the SW notified the DWP DD was with you did they also update them on her increased needs?

• No change of circumstances or renewal in the system, foster carer informed DWP they would be no longer caring for DD so payments to her stopped, then my SW wrote to them to transfer payments to me and the letter either didn't arrive or got lost and so re-wrote about a month ago. They would only know about the increase in needs from the new form I sent off two weeks ago.

It could be due to an increase in the care component.

• Thanks i'm hoping so and also I'm hoping we get some mobility component as she is not able to walk, although she is able to 'bum-shuffle' arround indoors so can mobilise that way.

Just to update I received another letter today and DD has been awarded high rate for both care and mobility, the £1500 was a backpayment owed from the day they awarded it (which is longer than the two weeks ago I sent a new form but social worker had written to them about delays due to changes in placement so think it was because of thatthey backdated it further).

Really relieved and it will make a huge difference, its a 2 year award so who knows what will happen then although I'm sincerely hoping she's walking by 2025 so it may be changed.

That is brilliant news.

If you claim UC don’t forget to let them know you are now entitled to the carer element backdating. If you can claim UC for DD (I know it isn’t always possible depending on how DC are placed) don’t forget to let them know about that as well as you will be eligible for the severely disabled child element.

Also, all the ‘extras’ that you/DD will or may be eligible for - e.g. blue badge, car tax, Disability Access Funding if DD attends nursery, council tax disregard (if you aren’t already receiving a 100% reduction depending on DD’s status you may be eligible to be disregarded as a carer).