DLA WAIT TIMES THREAD 61

[macap]

Hey! Thought I'd make a new thread as previous one very close to being full!

These threads have been a big help whilst waiting for the outcome of our application. Sure they help everyone else too! It's stressful!

Please feel free to add your scan date and whether it's a new claim/mandatory reconsideration/change of circumstances or renewal.

New claims (NC) - people are being told the wait time has increased to 25 weeks! I would say most are done before this though around the 20 week mark?

Mandatory reconsideration (MC) and Change of circumstances (COC) is around 20-25 weeks.

Renewals tend to be between 15-20 weeks.

If you disagree with the outcome of an MR you can appeal and go to court (tribunal)

Scan date is the date DLA scan your application forms on to their system, if you downloaded your application forms then this will be from when your award will be backdated from. If you called up for forms then the date on those is the date yours will be backdated from.

If successful and claiming universal credit (UC) please update them as this will entitle you to disabled child element adding extra to your award.

DLA contact number is 0800 121 4600

@Jmam
same scan date has me good luck 🤞🏽

I really hope so, I've sent the letter from the school nurture about her 1:1 appointments so hoping that will show she needs the extra time in school too 🤞

I’ve had to go down the MR route too, only sent it on the 29/12 next day delivery, dread to think how long I’ll be waiting for a decision 😭

It's between 5 and 6 months at the moment, they are supposedly trying to get the wait times down but it's not looking great. Good luck with yours really hope they sort the wait times so uts not this long for you 🤞

We’re in for a long ride, I sent my letter for MR off on 29/12. I could cry at the thought of waiting another 20+ weeks 😭

That’s definitely rubbish. Ours was awarded bang on 20 weeks.

I think it’ll be sooner than that. July was their busiest month for claims and they are mostly done with those. Next week no days off so they should get through them

It is awful and I blame my daughters school, they didn't send any of the information I asked for in February until July so completely messed everything up. I just really hope it gets sorted soon, I rang up in Feb 24 and the wait is just a killer 😫

I really hope so, the wait is just unfair especially when you have everyday life to deal with too. My daughter has been all over the place with Christmas and now waiting to go back to school, this is the latest thing we need on top of everything else, dreading it if they refuse and I have to go to tribunal 😫

I don’t believe it’s not with DM - so still hoping on next week 😒

Mid July would take it to 25wks, it seems like a lifetime away especially when I think about what my little one is going to go through before then 😭 he’s having surgery to put metalware in his hips and thigh, it’s beggars belief that they don’t think he needs any extra care! He’s only just turned 3 and this will be his 2nd operation with more planned for the future! I need to make changes to my home for his safety and this just seems like a battle that I really don’t have the time and energy for 😢

It's unbelievable,, I've seen awards for suspected autism be awarded without much evidence then actual physical disability they refuse, its so frustrating, I would also log a complaint about the decision as well as the MR your son obviously needs this and so do you, the added stress of this is unbearable for me, I can't imagine what your going through 😢

Are DLA advising of the 20+ weeks or is this just what everyone has gathered from the forums etc?
Scan date of 28/09, had a letter about 8 weeks later saying sorry for the delay but still that it could take up to 15 weeks.
That's mid January for us so it's a bit shocking to read it will be more like 20/25 on here!

Earliest I've seen is 18 weeks, they are speeding up but it's anyone's guess at the moment 😢

I imagine the Christmas break when everything is up in the air hasn’t been easy. It’s what I was expecting too still can’t believe got a decision on the last day they were open before shutting. Really hope it’s next week for yours. Only 6 days between our claims so it’s a fair expectation!

Or was it 8 days even so not much difference in it for them to have made a decision since they’ve been open and working. They have to act on their wait times this year or they need more formal complaints their way

Yikes, I've obviously been living under a rock.
Was hoping for some good news this month, it's already felt like a very long wait, best adjust my expectations! Pretty awful DLA are not accurately advising people isn't it

That's what I'm hoping, hopefully they are still working weekends mine is the 14/08 so think it's 8 days. They definitely need to update the letters, unless people phone they have no idea the wait times are so long x

The only reason any of us know is because we rang, honestly the communication from them is awful. I've had letters stating 11 weeks, 15 weeks and texts saying 25 then call handlers saying 20 weeks, we've worked out that it's mostly BS 😅

Luckily I had things like attendance, behaviour and risk assessment prior to starting our claim. Our school would’ve been the same as yours delay after delay with them but since I sent an email to the plan co and copied school in all of a sudden they are doing what they should’ve been without me having to repeatedly chase them. I still want a different setting for him they’ve shown me they hadn’t been doing what they are meant to . Meeting with them next week I’ll be voicing it all then too. He can stay there only until a different setting agrees to take him however long that will take

My daughters anxiety has crippled her for years and the school knew, they knew how bad thing were at home and agreed with suspected ASD and said CAMHS took to long and ehcp was pointless unless she was in school, I requested the info just before I phoned to claim and after repeated requests they finally sent it in July in the last day of term 🤬 if my other kids weren't they and getting on well I would move her, my hope is now the autism team have made requests to get stuff in place they will pull their fingers out

It’s awful how crippling anxiety can be and then school doesn’t support with what are really basic interventions. My daughter has anxiety too she does very little without us or her boyfriend. She’s out of education I can’t see her going back to it so no GCSEs no idea on way forward and not once have we been contacted to be offered support this is the world class education system

Terrible 😞 I am afraid I will be in the same situation with my daughter, I had to take her out of school because she had anxiety and panic attacks, plus she has IBS and undiagnosed autism. She had suicidal thoughts- now less often but still sometimes. Someone is with her 24h. School was actually pushing me to take her out and I realised that they only care about stupid attendance and not students. My daughter doesn’t want to leave house alone, only with me or her dad. She doesn’t like public places etc
I am so afraid when I think about her future 😞

How picky are DLA with evidence? 90% my evidence come from the school, they wrote a 5 page letter stating all his difficulties etc and how they wanted the adhd ASD referral as they suspected it (even though I said this 12 months prior). I sent some medical documents from the incontinence team (he’s 7 still in nappies and needs medication for it), and I sent my own bits but other than that I didn’t have anything else to send, I’ve now got letters from the adhd team to say he’s on the pathway etc but all the letters state 2.5 year wait etc and that he’s on a list blah blah so can’t get any evidence from them.

I also sent the adhd/asd referral form that the school wrote in too that was also very detailed with all his difficulties and what he’s struggling with etc