DLA WAITING TIMES THREAD 65

[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.

How do you summit the paper work do you have to wait for your letter off dla first and do you do it all online

Hi all, just an update. I was reading the thread earlier and decided to randomly check my bank and I've just seen a back payment from Dla today! Worked it out to MRC (daughter is too young for mobility). Does any one know if I have to wait for the decision letter to come through before I claim carers allowance? If so, how long does this normally take to arrive in the post? Obviously I'm. Not sure how long the award is for yet, I expect it will be 2026 as she's just about to turn 4. Also I said my SD in previous comments was 16/10 but actually realised it was 25/10. Good luck everyone, keep going! X

Hey all, need a bit of advice if possible..
My daughter was awarded earlier this week, she is 14 nearly 15 (never knew you could apply for DLA without diagnosis) she has been awarded MRC and LRM.
My question is, do they base it on the child's age etc. Since we filled out the form a few things has changed or i simply forgot to add . This includes SALT, CBT from MHST , reduced timetable and applied for an ehcp(very recent). I did send extra reports when I received one of her diagnosis.
Should I apply for a MR for HRC? I do not want to sound ungrateful for the decision that has been made but I had to give up work to help care for her more due to the struggles she has.
Thank you 💕

These last couple of weeks waiting have been torture. Literally wasn't bothered for the 15 weeks previous to them 🤣

Hello, I have a question please… (@PositivityRipples I hoped you might have inside knowledge on this one)
Will a child pretty much automatically be declined if they’ve been away overnight on a school trip?

My DS13, has confirmed ADHD and suspected ASD. He’s a lot of work at home, needs constant encouragement to do even the basics, eat, wash, dress etc as he is so distracted he can’t concentrate for more than a few minutes. He’s up all hours roaming the house as he finds it hard to get to sleep, kicks off at home, punching walls, breaking furniture and literally has zero danger awareness - we have to constantly watch him to stop him hurting himself or his siblings.

The thing is, he manages to mask all this pretty well at school then lets all his behaviours out at home so school don’t see the full picture. He went on a school history trip in September to France and was away for 2 nights. I put this on the form as they asked about the times DS had been abroad recently.

As evidence, I sent pages of detail/examples about all the extra care we provide at home. I also sent his ADHD diagnosis and the school SenCo filled in the form saying he finds it hard to concentrate, is easily distracted, needs 1:1 ELSA support at school etc.

Now I’m worried all the pages of evidence I sent in may all be for nothing as the DM is just going to see that he went away with school for a few nights and therefore assume he doesn’t have any extra care needs when this is absolutely not the case - he takes up all of our time to the point his siblings are not getting as much attention as they should and we’re exhausted. Does anyone know if DLA are likely to reject a child’s claim if they’ve stayed away overnight on a school trip?

Sorry post is so long. Thanks for reading x

I’m at 15 weeks and I’ve been the same, just the past few days I’ve started to feel a bit anxious about it 🤣 x

We're 17 weeks tomorrow and because it's us I know it'll be a decline. I sent about 30+ pages of evidence- his school reports, SEN plan, ASD assessment, SALT, Paeds, Occupational Therapy, Hearing tests...

Still won't be enough 🤣🤣 x

@Jod3s87 I wouldn't be so hard on yourself .

I hardly sent in any evidence . Just an autism pathway acceptance letter, speech and language acceptance letter and a letter from his nursery .

And my little boy was awarded HRC today .

Granted what I said did then end up matching up with what the nursery said about him . But in my opinion i didn't really send that much evidence .

So don't panic x

They didn't ring anyone to Clarify or ring me either to ask questions .

We're just the unluckiest family 🤣

I haven't exaggerated in the slightest for him cos he really does struggle, however he just plods on bless him and tries his best cos he obviously knows no different.

It's frustrating for us, but probably not half as much as it is for him. My ADHD brain doesn't help at all though 🫣🤣🙃
X

I wonder if ill get my decision tomoz 😆

So sorry to hear this. Can I ask what you were claiming for your child? I’m 22 weeks MR and feel I am going to be in same boat as you, sent lots of evidence and still be declined

I still haven't called once yet, which is unheard of for me 🤣🤣

I hope it goes well for you. Sounds like you have sent loads of evidence xx

@SoapyMcSoapface It depends on lots of factors as masking at school for 6 hours (day) is different to masking for 2 days and 2 nights and 2 flights did you explain in notes if extra arrangements were needed for the school trip. This includes any extra needs due to the child's disability or the need for close supervision? And was this in place
The dla don't expect children not to go on school trips with disabilitys we actually have the equality act 2010 for this exact reason it states about disabled pupils. And the Act includes duties to make sure disabled pupils are not treated less favourably than other pupils. Schools have to make reasonable adjustments where they are needed. Schools generally have to make sure that disabled pupils can play as full a part in school life as possible which includes going on school trips.
so they can't hold it against you or your child but they can ask due to day and night care needs what was put in place if that makes sense
it would depend whether the DM decides to concentrate on this and ask school to elaborate on it or whether the DM totally overlooks it and just concentrates on the care needs you've described and sent evidence for.
Honestly it's at the discretion of the DM working your claim.
Sorry I can't be more helpful 💫

@C1502

lool i did a renewal last year in july and it took less then 5days for a decision i was soo happy so i was hoping the COC would be quick too 😂 i did call in december and they said oh itll be done before christmas 🙄 and ive still been waiting hopefully by next week ill hear something x

Thank you so much for your thoughts @PositivityRipples, that is really helpful 🫶. The trip actually took place before DS was officially diagnosed with ADHD, so these needs were not addressed with the school before he went. DS does have other medical needs that are a safeguarding issue though so a plan was drawn up with the school about these before the trip took place - I just didn’t think to mention this in the DLA form because the ADHD issues have now got so bad they’ve sort of eclipsed his other needs if you see what I mean and I just didn’t think to explain about the weekend away on the form. Really hoping they’ll take a pragmatic approach and won’t dismiss the rest of the evidence I sent just because I didn’t want him to miss out on the school trip which he was so desperate to go on🤞

My little give is going for her 4th op she as perthes disease and scollious love an they still said no after speaking to the dm yesterday morning she just didn’t care love x

Fingers crossed for you too x

I would have thought a COC would be quicker there not having to look at the whole claim literally just the changes and evidence. If I don’t hear anything in the next few weeks think I’m just going to cry🤣

@C1502

Exactly lol, but i just need to know so i can start the MR if its a decline then another 25weeks probably x

Hopefully you get your decision today! Let us know how you get on, I only called yesterday and they said in its final stage and should hear back soon

Congratulations on those awarded this week 🎊
Still shocked at what I see being declined, keep fighting for your children!

18 weeks for me today. I rang last Friday, wasnt with DM. Resisting the urge to call again today 😬

On hold now ill let uou know

Rang today 20 weeks and 3 days since SD 15.10.24

They said it was with the decision maker and won’t be long now. Nice person on the phone, said it’s taking up to 25 weeks now (as others have said). But I’ll take that with a grain of salt as I’ve seen so many have decisions before 20 weeks I am just unlucky!

is the decision maker the last bit before award or decline? I actually feel a bit better that it’s with the DM and not that it’s been declined and the letter is taking a while to come through to tell us.