DLA WAITING TIMES THREAD 64

[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.

Should be open I imagine as it's just a normal week not a bank holiday or anything

@UmElise it also says on the letter they made phone calls to school, does he go to a sen school? And what kind of things they asked them?
Surely this is why wait times are unacceptable because they are chasing evidence for cases which already has evidence presented to them. Contact shouldn't be allowed, it's holds up claims and some schools don't know about benefit claims because it's private!

yes that’s probably it, the decision maker took nearly 3 weeks to make a decision when they already had all the evidence? I’m not sure why they did that I sent the mountains of evidence from both my son’s old nursery and school. He doesn’t go to a Sen school his ehcp is being drafted as we speak and I’ve named a Sen school that I want him to attend

I have no clue what they asked them we broke up for half term the same day they made the decision I didn’t get a chance to ask my sons teacher. The Decision maker called me To ask if it’s ok to speak to my son’s school to confirm the reports I’ve sent them? What’s that about 😳 I didn’t write those reports the school did. I waited exactly 26 weeks that’s long

@UmElise what evidence did you send?
Exactly! 3 weeks wait for you and other people in the que is unfair.
What do they think we do... Write up the evidence ourself!?
For quickness they should verify evidence - 'said professional, can you confirm you wrote this letter provided by x to support x child?'
And that way then they can accept the written evidence provided, not dive deep like we're liars.

Some educational settings like to enhance the childs development as they deem it to look good on their educational setting.

The system really is unfair, more and more

So I sent my sons Sen plan from when he was transitioning from nursery to school he is now in reception, i also sent it referral letter from wheelchair services stating that he needs to be in his disability pram at all times, a report from my sons nursery from 2024, a report from school explaining his behaviours and positive handling plans from school also, his autism diagnosis, report from educational psychologist, ehcp draft, report from speech and language therapist and lastly a report from his paediatrician also stating that my sons functioning at 12-18 months old. He is non verbal and doesn’t use any form of communication

And yeah they make it seem as if I wrote those reports why do they need to confirm with school? It’s unfair and it also depends on who’s desk it lands on, they could have awarded my son hrm first time I applied but they didnt

@UmElise yeah all good evidence. Does your little one have a 1:1? X

Yes I forgot to mention he does have 1:1 and he had 1:1 since he was in nursery. My son hits bites he has meltdowns refuses to move he self harms also that’s all in the reports I’ve sent them. Is it a new claim
for your little one?

The decision letter @Justanotherlove

Congrats on your award! I'm late in catching up xx

@UmElise hmm, I do wonder how vuw fits in with the information you've just told me. Smi is more fitting given your child's needs.
It's a tricky one because you don't want to risk your current award. Perhaps they've tried to be smart and hope that with improvement your child won't need high, but if he's still the same they will award smi next time

Thank you hun x ❤️

Exactly lol spot on. the evidence I sent fits smi more I believe I met all the criteria for smi I even cross referenced everything thing. They didn’t want to decline because I would take them
to tribunal instead they awarded my son under vuw to keep the current award length. With smi they have to extend the award length

@UmElise you are correct.
Hard one isn't it, let us know if you do de ide to challenge x

Yes the only thing that would be evidence for vuw would be the wheelchair referral I sent them. I can’t think of anything else that points to vuw in the evidence I sent them. Nothing about speed manner distance 😳

Yes, when did the form applied for mobility, she’s awaiting a placement to a SEN school at moment via her EHCP, 2 in the town have raised concerns they may not be able to give the support she requires 🤷‍♂️ she has a 1-2-1 with her at all times from moment she’s at school till leaves including at lunch times and playtime. If she gets it she gets it, if not it’s not end of the world just want the best education can get so she’s not left to barely exist in later life

@UmElise when you first did your MR, did you get a reason letter as to why they said no initially?, because that could have pointers as to why you didn't provide enough info for smi x

No they never sent a letter stating why they declined the first time but they had most evidence back then apart from extra school reports I decided to send in so am not sure why they declined first time and now awarded me vuw. The system is messed up

The only thing I was advised is to wait to do the mr until my son started school so they would have most recent upto date evidence even though the nursery report should have been enough at the time. It seems like the award was based on confirming the evidence from school, decision was made right after those phone calls x

Are you also applying for HRM?

@UmElise i think a child in nursery or school shouldn't matter, unfair to wait or base it on schools opinion alone.
Was that your reason for late Mr because the dla said to hang on? If so I think that's false info and shouldn't have been told that x

Hi everyone Ive a question, its not strictly DLA related but it is sort of as this will cost money so if awarded then the money could potentially help to pay for something like this.
So has anyone ever hired a child care professional to join them on days out?
I'm really struggling to get out with my two daughters age 7 and 4,. I'm on my own, parents getting on, friends have older kids who wouldn't be interested in going places like the zoo anymore.
My 7 year old has additional needs and that's who I've applied for. It's difficult enough to take her on any outings with someone extra to help and impossible on my own. I feel like they are missing out because I can't get us out and about. It's half term this week and we aren't doing much at all so I just had a thought about maybe hiring someone in the future and wondered if anyone else has done this?

Yes that was my reason for the late mr which they accepted in the end. Someone at dla adviced
i would have a better chance of applying under smi once my sons at school I didn’t even know he would meet the criteria for vuw i didn’t look into
it

@UmElise no one at dla should influence your decision to do something and it's rather unfair they made you wait and go without.
There is no rule book on being more likely to get an award, you're entitled from 3 months old if you can show that.

@Kidsanchaos yes I pay for a private carer, part time on days we need and book their time in advance. My son needs a 2:1 and my other son needs 1:1, myself and hubby alone cannot do it, we pay for their petrol to and from us, take them with us on outings, pay above minimum wage and provide them lunch/food on outings.
You can advertise yourself for help and pay for their dbs or choose a friend, it's quite flexible really and you can agree with the applicant.
Hope this helps