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.

Thank you, can I ask where do you advertise for someone and do you book them regularly or just on the odd occasion? I would only be looking for someone to help during school holidays, maybe even just once a week during the holidays, so not sure if I'll find someone who wants that casual sort of work. It's worth a try though if I can get my girls out to visit some different places. I cant afford it at the moment so if awarded I'll definitely be looking to hire someone. I feel like it might be more difficult as well because it will need to be someone who has experience of working with children who have additional needs. If I have an idea of where to look or advertise, that would be a good starting point. Thanks again x

@Kidsanchaos I had a throw away conversation with a member of staff at my sons pre school and she told me she does baby sitting away from work and I took my chance and asked her to work for us. She came to my home and we agreed how it would work for us.
You could look to hire someone you know, more relaxed, or place an advert on job pages and be more formal with the recruitment process.

We have once a week during the week to help with evening routine, and one day on the weekends, not every weekend however, I'd say every other weekend because we cannot afford to go out every weekend to places lol.

We use them to come food shopping, watch the children whilst I clean my house, on day trips, or gp visits.

You'd be surprised how many people would want extra work, it's extra money for them.
You would build relationships with the carer and create a carer document all about your child and how they are and what to expect. Don't worry too much about someone having experience with special needs, when we had our children, we didn't have experience either lol, they'd learn. Most important is trust and a good listener as you'd want them to listen and learn about your child exactly how you've cared for them x

Thanks that's really helpful, I might ask at my daughters school after half term and see if there's someone they can point me to. Also I just thought there's a community cafe next to the school that run lots of groups and courses etc for parents so I could ask there too. Hopefully my daughter will be awarded and I'll be able to afford to hire someone and we can get out visit some new fun places.
I'm thinking I also might put both girls In holiday club one day a week in the summer holidays, each on different days so I get to spend 1-1 time with them both, my 4 year old is so good but it's hard to balance when my 7 year olds needs so much extra care, feel like I need to make it up to my 4 year old and give her some time just her and me.

I should add that this is if I can find a holiday club that will be suitable because tried one last summer, just for half a day each week and it didn't work out. I've got another one in mind but it's a lot more expensive, so again all depends on if my daughter is awarded.

Yeah I should have just requested a mr there and then after they declined it but I didn’t however it went in my favour even with the late mr. It could have gone the other way. Am not happy about them contacting the school even though they had all the information and evidence they needed. Just shows how messed up the system is. Dla needs an overhaul

I put in a new claim for my son in September, I have just phoned up and they told me a decision was made on the 12th but couldn't tell me what the outcome was. However Ive received no payment am I looking at a refusal? I'm so nervous for this letter now as I'm really relying on this to help benefit my son outside of school. I sent so much evidence in with his claim Ed phycologist report EHCP which states 1 to 1 at all times in school, assessments for ADHD and ASD which states how much extra support he needs at home. Has anyone else received letter before payment?

I was awarded on the 12th.. and have had no payment yet.
3-5 days is Monday - Wednesday, so there's still time😊

Did you use option 4 rather than the update option?

Thank you that's eased my worries a bit this morning. Fingers crossed for a good outcome then still

No I didn't I had no idea about option 4. Is it worth me calling back or not I worry they get anoyed, I've had rude people on the phone in the past.

@Amy4375 why worry what they say just call, if they rude pull them up on it as there no need for rudeness. We are all entitled to know what’s going on, you not going to ever meet these ppl.
x

Coc scan date was 27/09 but they are now saying its 30/09 meaning its 20 weeks exactly today.
just called and was advised to call back tomorrow as decision should be made at some point today. Asked if the claim was with a DM. And she advised at present still in the holiding que so id say no chance of a decision today.

@UmElise if they contact my sons setting it's game over, because they have admitted to only stating positive responses to learning within their establishment
Even though my son too has a 1:1 and needs.
Accident forms every day and ehcp
But I'd argue their version and explain how can all the other medical professionals involved all be wrong
He has a lot of involvement and all those statements were sent so we will see

NC SD 09/10 I sent in extra evidence that was delivered today, does anyone know roughly how long it’ll take to be scanned onto my claim. Worried it will be looked at before it’s scanned

they recieved my extra evidence Thursday, I rung Friday and they had scanned it on.

@UmElise Ive just been catching up on the thread and reading through.. Your award for HRM under VUW seems correct from what you've been saying in the thread... You've stated.... Refusal to walk.. If a child refuses to walk and it is difficult to over come these episodes in all settings because pain, anxiety, extreme behaviour issues to name a few examples, if a child needs to be restrained in all settings because of behaviour meltdowns ect that's also a marker as that impacts walking, if a child runs off, self harms and needs restraint at home and positive handling techniques at school that's another one, disability pram another one ... All these things have to be in all settings.. They contact the school almost always for HRM under all the different ways unable to walk, VUW and Smi... Its not that they don't believe what has been written it's that sometimes school are very brief what what they write and they need to be specific... Writing 1:1 or meltdowns is very brief to the DM they call to clarify specific markers and usually have extra questions or need an answer expanding on although most of DLA is about the child at home HRM is about the child in all settings and it says on all the markers " does the child need another person to intervene" ect.. Another person means someone within the school if that's where the child is... Outside another person means whoever is with the child at the time, at home usually means the parent.. Its why under HRM the school have to also support the claim if school said the child is great most claims are refused depending on the child's disability obviously but usually under autism all needs would also be present at school and under legislation the school have to expand on the needs and support what you've said...
Maybe they were borderline for SMI decision but felt the VUW met the criteria more.. When you do your renewal the child will be slightly older and may meet smi then and get a longer award length because Age plays a massive part to also if ADHD is also present or being investigated this can overlap with autism needs and if the child starts to get help or therapy or meds for ADHD it can improve the refusals and meltdowns so VUW is more fitting if that makes sense.
I know you're happy with your award and just contemplating the length of the award.. If i was in your position i wouldn't argue the award length or the criteria that was met.. I'd do it next time when renewing the claim if the award is still only 3 years... Because i wouldn't risk my award... I'd take the HRC and HRM and probably cry relief 😭😩
All this support we are chasing and taking on our shoulders for our kids is so stressful isn't it and waiting and hoping in all settings with all agencies and schools, dla ect it shouldn't be this difficult or long... I hope now you've finally been awarded it's taken a massive wait off your shoulders at least with this side of things for the next couple of years 🙏🙏

Did you send reports from school? But surely that would be contradictory 😳 if the reports states his needs and then they were to only state positive responses to dla that’s if they were to call. Let’s hope they don’t, are you also applying for hrm? Because if you are they might call the school 😳

Trust me I cried i was so happy 😭😭😭😭😭 and I won’t challenge the awards length either. Ok thank you for explaining that. It makes more sense to why they would award him under vuw. You explained it really well thanks a lot 🙏🏽

He does refuse to walk a lot in school also they have to pick him up he often has meltdowns he doesn’t follow instructions due to lack of understanding

@UmElise Alot of the markers ( describers) for smi and vuw are almost identical but smi is more specific it's also more hard to prove on paper it's why the VUW criteria exists because dla don't do medical assessments on children which is a great thing, so if arrested development of the brain or a severe mental impairment can't be proved on paper then a child refusing to walk can and a child displaying extreme behaviours can as these are visual things but these are also things that can improve with age, therapy usually CBT and meds but not always so it's kind of a safety net and so legislation doesn't discriminate disability on children, it also had to be wrote into legislation for deaf and blind children as they are not always smi but they are VUW under different markers if that makes sense.
School can't lie or make things seems better for a child who is SMI or VUW they would always have things in place for the child they would have to say extreme behaviour, refusal to walk. Meltdowns need for restraint, hurting themselves or others, need for supervsion. All these things are usually written into education plans or risk assessments and that's what supports the claims for HRM but sometimes schools don't write things in supporting evidence they like to say the positives, schools also are under the impression that dla knows the child has autism so they should know the needs so again they stay brief so the DM has to call to ask about what's actually in place to support the child's needs and ask specific questions.. A child entitled to HRM under VUW or SMI can not mask at school it's virtually impossible so if school have no issues or plans in place the claim is refused. ( children can mask for other rates of dla the dla know this but not HRM)
Also just as a side note smi needs a formal diagnosis if its for autism, VUW doesn't. Xx

Coc scan date 17.10.24

can anyone advise how close I am?

also renewal is due and I have received the form award end may …do I wait to see coc result ??? I don’t want to confuse the situation and send in renewal now 😔😔

@PositivityRipples incomplete development of the brain or arrested is proved via diagnosis.
Dla case law accepts that a diagnosis of autism is paper proof to satisfy that criteria.
There is a 7 point test for smi. Restraint is also smi.
If it can be proved by evidence then the dla must award it. They cannot award vuw because it's less award length that's inappropriate

Sadly, school do lie because of ofsted and their LA funding, a benefits charity made parents aware of that

Most appeals are awarded at tribunal because the unfair decisions made.

Hi guys does anyone know how long it takes roughly for UC to pay back pay once decision maker has accepted my request for the payment to be back dated?

@Justanotherlove Yes having a formal diagnosis for autism satisfies the first marker for SMI.. There's 6 markers.. So this lady satisfied marker 1 for diagnosis and marker 2 for HRC I'm not sure why the child didn't satisfy the other 4 markers she would have to ask the DM that and for a list of reasons...
If a child played nicely with peers it would cancel the social functioning markers...
But the child could meet criteria for VUW it's why the criteria exists.
Also a child could be undiagnosed for autism but meets all criteria for VUW which is why it exists.
I dont believe they awarded this ladies child VUW because it's less award length but mainly because the child didn't meet smi for whatever reason there's lots of factors at play also the child's other disability needs or symptoms play a factor.

@PositivityRipples understood, and quite true.
It's an argument to be had though for dla, because a child may be able to play next to peers nicely, with 1:1 present to intervene if the child was to the turn violent. It's a grey area and everything can be argued and explained x