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

Do you mind me asking what day they agreed to award the DLA please? Ours was 30/12 but no payment/ text or letter yet x

This is what I'm trying to avoid, my daughter is 8 and if we hit senior school without any help she will never go in, I've been asking for help from the since year 1 we're now year 4 and they may start doing something. I won't let them fail her! I've been fighting with my docs and sirona for 2 years and now DLA, once all this is sorted they will be my focus and I'm sure they realise how stubborn I am when it comes to my kids 🤣

Is this worth sending as evidence?

We withdrew due to non attendance and lack of support from school. I agree it’s awful as the implications go well beyond their educational years right through their lives. She had a doctors appointment and didn’t even want to speak at that. I don’t claim for her but I reckon with her day to day struggles she would qualify. Bar a chat she’s had with our GP regarding low self worth etc we haven’t had any other involvement. An early help was mentioned but the FSW made the mistake of asking my son’s useless school to do it therefore so far nothing has been done. I wish your daughter luck I wish we could do more to help ☹️

@Starboymummy yes I would send it.

This is my plan this month but first for my son. The comment that the SENDCo wouldn’t speak to a DM was the final straw and I’ve blasted her to the plan co as well as the head of the school. Don’t want to do the job then p*SS off and find one that you do want to do. Working around vulnerable kids with that attitude is alarming. Incidentally my son has no clue who she is so she’s not even worked with him but has been there for almost a year. I’ll be raising that at the meeting too

Definitely worth sending in

Scan date of letter as that’s when DLA will backdate your award to

They were advising 20 weeks for new claims which went up to 25 weeks and for MRs it’s 25 weeks they quote. Our letter said 11 weeks. We were awarded at 20

I’ve wondered this. I find it very hard to believe that they read all of our evidence. 23rd it wasn’t assigned to a DM but 24th a decisions was made by the time I called which was just before 9.30am I believe. I just can’t see them having read it all and come to a decision that fast?

I reckon it depends on the DM. We had very little from school. Just his paperwork that we already had. The majority was my own statement of our daily struggles with him.

Thank you, will get it sent x

Thanks hun will do x

Morning hun I’ve just checked my statement for uc I’m due payment Friday and they have added my son onto my claim but still no formal letters or anything so wondering if they have just processing them faster because they are aware of the backlog with dla 🤞🤞 back payment will follow soon x

Does anyone know if DM's are still working weekends??

Put a message on your journal asking about back pay, the people that verify the child and the DMs that decide if back payment is allowed aren’t the ones who process the underpayments so they can sit in someone’s claims unprocessed for ages depending on how efficient the case manager is unlisted you request it. The statements are generally paid and produced automatically.

I’ve always wondered if they doubt what parents are saying. The only evidence I have of his nightneeds is my own words, he’s on waiting lists to see the sleep clinic since November they said 6 month wait so not much longer to wait but still how am I meant to professionally prove anything when waiting lists are so long

Are you sure you're west midlands 🤣 sounds exactly like the school my daughter goes to, I've asked her if she knows who the senco is and she has no clue, the head at my school has been the killer for me its like split personality one minute saying we'll bend over backwards, then doing nothing, saying no point in referring to CAMHS as it takes to long, same with ehcp 🙄

Its been very quiet this week for awards, really hope they pick up next week 🤞

I am 😂 I have only ever spoken to my sons head once, it’s always the teacher I speak to or SENDCo but the fact he has no idea who she is tells me she isn’t working with him let alone implementing all the things she said she would which is what I’ve called them out on. He’s not progressing there and they are fine with that but we aren’t and have said we think it’s best he changes school

It’s a tough one as no one else is there during the night. My son either stays awake the whole night or is awake for hours at a time. He’s on the waiting list for ADHD where I hope to get him medication to help him shut down. I’m already fairly sure he has it but like you said due to wait times all that we can provide in those situations are letters to show they are on the pathway. I sent that it but they should have had it already. The recommendation was written on his autism report.

It seems to be but I think this week will bring more awards. The wait times are so unfair makes you feel like you’re in limbo. I had planned to start preparing for tribunal over the Christmas break which with the kids about would've been stressful

Just seen an award for 26th August made on Friday under no special circumstances- I’m the 20th 😭

Exactly this! To be honest I think the school couldn’t have helped more in terms of their report. They went into so much detail, even in terms of saying how he’s had to be physically restrained and other members of staff called into class to help. I didn’t expect them to be that honest to be fair as I found with my other sons school they sugar coated everything until things got real bad

Hey guys, we got awarded HRC and LRM back in may, I done a MR for HRM but I submitted it quite late as I’m struggling a lot more with her now I can’t get her into school, I can’t do my food shopping or make it to appointments she has no danger awareness and impulsive behaviours, throws things in the road and throws herself on the floor etc I have to literally pick her up and restrain her. I done a statement explaining why I think she should get it also I’ve got a letter from paediatrics stating about all these things but I saw in another forum that DM’s go to the senco and ask about this but my daughter masks a lot and the senco said she can tell them she’s late to school everyday and rarely attends but she don’t see her in the mornings and after school so will not be able to tell them anything. Has anyone ever been rejected for these reasons and does the dm always go to the school?