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.

@Daniellefp82 yes they tell lots of different people lots of things that aren't true unfortunately at the call centres.. I can not stress enough to take alot of what they say with a pinch of salt, they cause alot of people unnecessary stress and anxiety and confusion with their made up scripted things they say on the phone. A case manager and a decision maker are two seperate people with two separate job roles 🫶

Thank you they have had my head bartered since 14/03/2023 when they lost all my daughters letter I sent in so went by booklet an said now it’s bad

Hi I’m MR scan date 04/09, so 25 weeks next week, my sisters was 30/08 and she got awarded for my nephew on the 10th of Feb, so not the 25 weeks as stated. I’m sure ours is a decline, has anyone with similar scan date heard? Thankyou in advance.

Anyone know what dates they’re at for MR please? Xx

@Daniellefp82 Just to ease any confusion a case manager works for the DWP they are responsible for a claim from when the Wolverhampton post site scans it onto the Dla system it's their job to check everything regardless of whether you already claim benefits they have to check that you are the child's parent or caregiver, they also have to check the child lives with you, they also have to check you have legal UK status they also have to look over the claim and make sure evidence scanned by the post site is readable they have to check if the disability listed is in the medical handbook there's so much they have to check they go on and off the claim almost daily then the DM who works on behalf of the secretary of state also opens the claim almost daily checking legislation and liaising with the medical professionals within the dwp for advise on specific disabilities as they aren't medically trained they also send a request to the case manager to get extra evidence from school or gp or professionals if they feel it's needed or they make a phone call themselves, the DM also checks and does lots of other things within the guide they may even call you themselves or they ask the case manager to.. Once the DM is happy with its decision on a claim and makes an official award the case manager then sends the claim to the payment department to calculate back pay based on the dates and rates the DM has agreed and that needs actioning.. If an award is given the claim file is then taken off the processing system by the case manager and inputted onto the live benefit network under the parents / caregivers national insurance number so all other departments can see the award UC ect ect... So the case managers role is high up and they do action things on the claim but the only one who can make an official decision is a decision maker as they are doing that on behalf of the secretary of state a case manager doesn't hold that authority... Which is also how we know that the call handlers are lying to people on the phones when they tell someone their claim isn't even with a DM yet and then they get an award days later because this process above takes between 4-8 weeks start to finish 🤣 all sept and October and start of Nov new claims are in the process with the case manager and DM regardless of what they tell you on the phone, and they've been in the process since January the call centre just can't see that and don't know that, they just make things up.
Hope that explains things a little clearer for anyone reading the threads over here..
MRs need to go to a completely different DM than the DM that looked at it the first time around which is why these claims are taking longer to get a decision they also need input from the DWP healthcare professionals they are processing Aug and September and the beginning of Oct at the moment.

Congrats, may I asked what you sent it please and if diagnosed x

@PositivityRipples thank you for this insightful post . It's appreciated .

are decision makers working on new claims and MRs at the same time ? Or are they assigned new claims or MRs

For arguments sake could a decision maker have 20 new claims and 20 MRs on "Their desk"

Hope this makes sense . I'm really tired and struggled to word it properly

Thank you so so much they tell you so many story’s mess with your head thank you

@Frankadoodle Yes DMs for dla do new claims and reviews at the same time ( a MR is called a review essentially a new DM is just reviewing the claim) so MR don't have to go through the whole process again from the beginning with the case manager ect it's a slightly different process called a review) if that makes sense.. Its actually a much quicker process but because of the financial hardship parents of disabled children face and the backlog new claims are prioritised or MR that are a result of a decline. If a MR already has an award in place and the claimant is asking for a review for a different rate or award length they aren't prioritised as such because they are already getting some kind of payment so these MRs are taking the longest at the moment 🫶

That makes total sense. Do claimants who are making new claims and receiving benefits prioritised over people who work ?

I find all this fascinating !

NC SD 8/11

This thread has kept me occupied for a couple of hours. The wait is also driving me crackers, although we're the unluckiest family you'll meet, so we won't be successful.

My son is almost 9- had initial assessment for ASD (and likely ADHD, like his mumma) and awaiting diagnosis, been under SALT and childrens therapy for motor skills, had extra support from them in school, uses aids in school, on the SEN register and has 121 for some learning, he's the eldest in his class but about 12-18 months behind his peers, under peads for gastro and hearing (glue ear), witholds stool, won't wipe his own bum, won't sleep alone (still in our bed)- we have to settle him every night and then up and down3-4 times before we give in and go to bed (right on que, hes just appeared), take him to toilet in the night etc, takes him hours to get to sleep. Have to buy new clothes constantly cos he chews them/rips them despite chewellery.

Love him to the ends of the earth, but he's hard work and this is probably the reason I'm one and done.

Hoping we have around 3-4 weeks before we find out. Good luck everyone x

@Frankadoodle No that makes no difference

Renewal due 06/06/2025
Sent 14/02/24
Scanned 18/02/24

Que the 3 months of anxiety 🤦‍♀️

What dates are being awarded on Facebook now ?

I don't have Facebook or I'd have a look .

It's still all between the beginning and end of October. Haven't seen any past the 29th yet though

@Frankadoodle
I don't have Facebook either, but if you Google dla Facebook there's a page on there that can be viewed publicly 🙂

@Frankadoodle
https://m.facebook.com/groups/28893881150/posts/10165210034076151/

Thanks @la077 and @AutumnAir82 il have a nosey

Week 18 on Monday, my anxiety is terrible 😬

Few from middle of October but doesn’t seem to be many

Hi I have NC scan date 25/10/2024 I call Friday to check my daughter DLA clam the lady on the phone asked me too many questions my daughter name and date of birth and address this is ok but she asked me about which bank name and sort code and my name and my date of birth and address after all of this she said you well her next 5 weeks and still on the queue please can anyone tell me if they ask all of this question to everyone call them

Yes they do, these are all classed as security questions.

1senmum2another Thank you for your reply

I could be wrong, but my theory is there's been less new awards this week due to it being half term so schools aren't contactable? Might see a pick up in awards/declines this coming week?

Could very well be . Would make sense .