DLA WAIT TIME THREAD 62

[zoeybrooks45]

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 121 4600 0800 121 4600

Just constantly waiting least we are doing it again together makes me fill better 😂 @Jmam

Hopefully we get paid the same day that way we have been through it properly together haha. Do you know when you have been awarded until? My son is until 2026

NC
SD 17/09
is it just me or was everyone ok when it was months / weeks ago now it’s getting close to 18/20 weeks I’m like having a breakdown. I’m not on FB and if it wasn’t for this group would have called them a million times but seeing what people get told on the phone think I’ll just have a breakdown waiting Thankyou all for getting me through

@Jenz1008 I'm exactly the same! I'm SD 20/9 and since Monday the wait suddenly seems unbearable 😓 I feel like I'm losing my mind over this, it's all I seem to think about. So lovely to see other people getting awarded tho! That keeps me going and gives me hope!

In the 'losing my mind' camp too.
I didn't follow the forum and have been patiently waiting. 15 weeks was last week for me so I was devastated when I called to be told 25 weeks. I thought we would have a decision last week at the latest!
Scan date 28/9

@Angibarr11 totally agree seeing other people getting their awards keeps me going. From reading these dates I’m sure we should know it 2 weeks but going to try not call till 25 weeks and I really mean try

@Jmam hey sorry to jump on the post but my son is also awarded until 2026 that makes me really nervous lol does that mean we have to go through this all over again next year😳

@Invinsibubblality I know it was 15 weeks when I sent my paper work how have they fallen so far behind by nearly 10 weeks maybe would have felt better if was 25 weeks from the start

We will have to renew our child's claim next year, i don't know what that is like tho hopefully not like this.
Hopefully someone on here could tell us if they have been through a renewal?

@Jmam yeah that would be helpful, I wonder as well why ours are next year as I've seen some peoples are until like 2030! X

It really does give you hope doesn't it! Life seems like a series of waiting lists and waiting for appointments and decisions but fingers crossed it's worth it in the end! 🥰

Renewals are a lot quicker, you tend to receive the renewal pack a few months before the claim ends and In my experience they’re always completed before the claim ends as long as you get your form back in a timely manner. I always take photos of my previous claim for my son and keep hold of all reports, appointments anything like that. It changes annually for him anyway but makes it a bit easier rather than doing the whole form again without anything. My sons first claim was a 1 year award, then 4 year now it’s a 7 year. I believe length of award is done on severity of a child’s conditions and care needs and also possibly their age, and whether these could “improve” don’t quote me on that though I’m not 100 percent sure x

Thankyou for answering.
I did wonder if it was because my son hasn't got his diagnosis yet, we are waiting for the next appointment so I shall keep all communication and letters so I can copy and send them next year when it comes to renewal. Thankyou again

Keep your copies of the application you did most recently. You can then use it to reapply next time and it will save you a lot of time

Thank you @Lyannaa that's really helpful I didn't even think of that x

How do you guys deal with the stress of all this?

I’m seeing so many of those with SD similar to mine who have had decisions, but I’ve had nothing so far, and when I call, I feel like I’m just brushed off and told that the wait could 25weeks, so stop calling.

My dd doesn't have a diagnosis yet, either. I'm sure she is autistic due to family history. Including me with a diagnosis. We're hoping she'll be assessed this year though.

I had to go to tribunal when my now 15 year old autistic dd was turned down for DLA. Tribunal overturned it to middle rate care and lower mobility. This was with reports. The only people who can back up our claim atm is school who say they see autistic behaviour at school and that dd needs 1:1 support to follow instructions or transition. But she's ahead academically and can read very well and write quite well. Such is the spiky profile of a child with ASD...

Lurker 🫣 SD may 2024 declined 12/9 because and only because school (who she had new teacher, 2 new deputies and new senco and her info wasn't ralayed) said she's perfectly fine no idea what they're talking about to DM on the phone despite waiting for 3 years for ADHD and Autism assessments (which school did the referral.) I do hope the DM calls them up again now that they've called me repeatedly into school having absolutely no idea what to do with her they're having to call outside agencies to find out how to cope with her. The entire system and particularly the school has been failing her for year and now it's really hitting the fan. So MR submitted 13/9, extra info sent twice since then. Absolutely at my wits end with all of these adults who have made so little effort to help DD that they're at this point. Fed up but hopefully at some point something will happen to help my girl 🩷

Scan date 30/9 here NC still waiting for news, seen on FB people with my date have been awarded. Hoping it’s not much longer

lovely to see good news for some today, bet it’s a huge relief to have an outcome xx

Yes we will receive renewal forms nearer to the end of the claims date.
Renewals are not has bad has a new claim.

Scan date 29/7. Called today and was advised this week was the 25weeks so would have to wait until the end of the week to even get an update! 🙄

The renewal form is shorter and I feel it’s easier to fill in, still need someone else to fill a bit in and evidence. My sons award ends 28th Feb 2025, I received the renewal formal mid October 2024, they scanned them in early November. It’s currently in a holding queue to go to a DM. I feel the worry and things is heightened because I’m use to the finances being available so if it’s turned down it would be a huge loss but the expenses will still be there, whereas, first time we had nothing to lose. The only thing I find comforting is there’s a firm date set for the decision to come back by as it needs to be made before the current award ends. But I also feel it’s been on my mind longer as I was thinking about them months before they came. It’s an awful process all round really.

Same SD as me ❤️ it's hard it's all I think about the only think I think about all day for the last few days, I'm sending more evidence tomorrow but it is hard the waiting game i just want to know now so I can stop having it on my mind!

26/08 mr done over on Facebook x

@HM1111 totally with you on that for some reason this week seems particularly hard waiting game I’ll keep you posted if I hear anything or get any updates