DLA WAIT TIMES THREAD 58

[zoeybrooks45]

Hello everybody, I have made a new thread please put in your scan date, hopefully we hear some good news this month. please be kind and feel free to share scan date, entitlement award and what child is diagnosed with as others in similar position can feel uplifted in these stressful times. 💐

New claims (NC) are taking ‘around’ 20 weeks.
Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) & Change Of Circumstances (COC) between 20-25 weeks approx.
Renewals between 15-20 weeks approx
tribunals: when you disagree with MR and are considered by a court
scan date (SD) date form was scanned on the system and counting weeks for decision
original claim date: date you called up for the forms and you will be backdated

UC : universal credit
DWP: department of work and pensions
DM: decision maker; the person who assesses each claim and awards/decline a case

number for an update 0800 121-4600

currently we are in July/August for decisions! xx

She even cut the phone off before I had said bye! When case manager calls I’m putting it to them that WMs claims aren’t being done while other areas are being done out of date order and will be mentioning July ones beyond your date, August, September and October MRs and asking to escalate my complaint as far as they can. There’s no point them saying it can take 25 weeks when it’s not taking that for claimants later than ours

Im another one in the west midlands (Staffordshire) end of July SD and seeing so many with dates after being awarded, so hard to stay positive at this point.

Although I found all of them rubbish, I 100% know who you're talking about. I've had her, she even huffs. She also sounds very young so perhaps has no compassion at all as can't relate.

Hello, I just wanted to add a little insight to the thread that may be helpful as I've been reading through and can see how disheartening it becomes when people are waiting months and then later SD are done before yours.
DLA decision makers are not doctors, they aren't medically trained in any way and they don't possess knowledge of most disabilities or child illness, because they don't need to be as awards are based on needs and care rather than the actual disability but with that being said when they receive a case ( claim) they have a thing called the decision maker guide... So as an example... A child is 9 and has diagnosed or suspected Asd.. The parent / carer has answered all questions and added describers and care needs in the plain paper section plus added evidence.
The guide will say a child with or suspected to have Asd would have XYZ symptoms which symptoms are present ( as it's a spectrum some children will have all symptoms some will have less ect) they must first work out whether it's mild moderate severe on the spectrum.. The guide will state a child suspected of having asd at the severe end for example would have a letter of diagnoses or proof of referall for assessment, is this present, they would have a letter from a senco lead is this present, evidence of symptoms from a education setting is this present, so the decision maker goes through the guide and if they can say yes all is present they will then go through needs and work out which rate the needs fall under low middle or high ( help some of the day, help most of the day, help some of the night ect ect) then they cross reference it with a neurotypical child of the same age, for example is this need more than a child of the same age.. Now if claims are straight forward.. All evidence there and all describors are clear they the decision maker can award just based on their own guide..
Now this is the part that I don't feel people know.. If it isn't clear or if for example their isn't evidence for an undiagnosed asd child from a senco lead the decision makers guide will say refer to HCP ( this means a DWP health care professional) for advise, the decision maker then messages the HCP with whatever questions they have with regards to need, symptoms or evidence needed. If the question can't be answered the HCP asks to look at the whole claim and it's at this point THAAT hold ups can happen because the DWP HCP are across the board for all claims child and adult and sometimes they can take a day a week or two weeks to get back to the decision maker, also they could get back to the DM and say evidence needed from doctor school or senco and then they have to write to these people and wait for them to get back to them... None of this means a decline none of this means you haven't filled in the form correct it just means the decision maker can't follow it's own guide and they have to join the dots for an award and to make sure the rates are correct.. So if someone's claim was awarded from let's say 20/8 today and you're still waiting from 20/7 it doesn't mean the 20/8 has jumped the queue both claims are with the decision maker but the 20/7 could have been referred to HCP for an answer on something ( DWP HCP are back logged and under staffed) nearly every single claim will need some kind of input from the HCP but some are simple and some are more complex ( also this doesn't mean if you haven't seen in senco lead evidence you won't be awarded) it just means on the DM guide it states an asd child should have input from one and if they haven't who else has provided evidence or between the DM and HCP they will say award anyway as other evidence or the parents input makes up for it and meets the guides describors.
75 per cent of claims at the minute are needing HCP input before the DM can make a final decision as more people are claiming without diagnosis and awaiting evidence themselves and are claiming for SMI or mental disabilitys rather than physical ones.
The point of my long arse post is to give input about the HCP I hope it makes some sense 😅

I see what you’re saying however multiple claims that are behind my date are with a decision maker and mine hasn’t been allocated to a decision maker.

Yes i could hear her huffing😂 can’t be arsed

Wow that’s a long message , thank you for taking time out to try and explain how it works behind the scenes. I think people’s frustration is on getting told different things by different advisors on the phone that’s what makes the wait worse. If they could give some honest answers instead of fobbing people off or giving attitude it would make the the wait a little easier it doesn’t help when they change the waiting times constantly 15 than 20 now 25 weeks how is that fair!!

SD 02/08. Been reading this thread for ages. Too scared to ring. PositivityRipples thanks for your post. It's been a great help reading everyone's posts. Stopped me going crazy waiting lol 😀

@Kc1999x please don't get disheartened or listen to these call handlers.. They aren't even in the same building as the DM, case handlers or HCP they can not see which cases are with a DM and which ones aren't they make it up as they go along, what they can see is if a DM has made a note on your claim and they make the assumption that cases without DM notes are not with a DM and cases with DM are with a DM, just because a DM hasn't put a note on your claim doesn't mean they haven't been looking at it for the last 4 weeks, you could be told on the phone today that it's not with a DM and tomorrow be awarded and back paid

until im told its with a decision maker im gonna continue to be annoyed and disheartened when others are being told that theirs is or they’ve got a decision. Nearly a year I’ve been waiting now and Ive just about had enough if im honest

But thank you. You seem very positive🙏

Maybe I need some positivity, it’s like left my body as the days have gone on😂😂

@s39 Youre welcome, I haven't wrote that much since uni 😂 as I've just said in another reply these call handlers make it up as they go along 😂 and the hold up is the HCP not the DM, between pip and dla they are so backlogged with getting back to DM and the DM have no choice but to continue through their cases and award the ones they can which may well be Aug and September.. Also with MR all of these have to go through the HCP unless it was declined or lower award because of one piece of missing evidence or information and this is sent in with the MR.. Or the DM digs a little deeper and makes a call themselves to the releveent person school doctor senco lead or the ask a different HCP on the MR and they recommended an over turn of decision.

Hang on in there your doing great! I’ve given up aswell myself now fed up of it trying to forget about it untill tomorrow 9am 🤣🤣

It’s just constantly on the mind, can’t cope at all. It’s taking over my life🤦🏽‍♀️

@PositivityRipples thanks for your insights. As we've said, it's the communication that stinks. Also disheartening to hear what you've said about call handlers. I was told mine was with a case manager / dm this morning and that I'd have a decision shortly. Haven't been told that before so took her at her word.

I know exactly how you feel it’s absolutely draining and when you phone it’s the same nonsense they told me this morning it can take weeks to scan evidence! So I’ve no hope before Christmas now as there shutting for most of a week shortly which takes us well into new year! Hopefully we start new year with some positive news have you rang r today? Xx

Not phoning again until Monday. I'm sure it's going to be a decline and I've got a nice day planned tomorrow that I've been looking forward to that I don't want ruined. Best of luck to you all for the next day or two x

I think you’ll still hear before Christmas!
I rang this morning they said it’s not with a DM and no decision made, it’s taking the full 25 weeks🙃🙃

@addies The problem with the call handlers they don't actually know the process of how claims are awarded, all they can see is notes on individual claims, so if a DM has put a note on your claim saying for example " point 7 of guide unclear asked HCP for input" that's what they can see but they don't even know what that means so they just say it's with DM... That could mean the HCP gets back to them today and they award you or they get back to the DM next week and ask for extra evidence. Also they could open a claim and see no DM notes and say it's not with a DM it's in a holding queue ( there's no such thing as a holding Queue) and it could have been with the DM for 4 weeks but they just haven't noted your claim because they've noted the DM guide ( that's a file next to your claim on the DM system)
The call handlers are great for things like have you recieved my claim, they can see that, have you recieved my evidence, they can see that, have you requested further evidence, they can see that if there's notes.. Anything to do with timescales, if it's with a DM or HCP they just make up.. Its actually terrible..

I’m not hopeful but let’s see what tomorrow brings! I wouldn’t listen to what they say to be honest anymore with wait times they told me the same last week and then the same day a dm rang me so just depends who answers the phone but dosnt help the frustration of the wait! X

Another 2nd august got a positive decision this morning … getting closer

@PositivityRipples so we're to assume then that if they say it's with a DM it means it's not straightforward and they are seeking further advice?

Please can I ask when requesting back pay for Universal Credit, is the date that the change happened the date you found out about the award or the date it was awarded from (I.e back to the date DLA received the claim form)?

I’m hopeful for you! Positive outcome by the end of next week at the latest!
and yeah I take it with a pinch of salt but it’s still playing on my mind. I know it’ll be declined so I just want to start the tribunal process now