DLA WAITING TIMES THREAD 66

[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.

Hi I did a COC sd 27/11 still playing the waiting game however had a pediatrician app today who advised trying melatonin after I refused in the past. Anyone know how I inform them of this do I ring and ask to add note to system or send copy of medication letter? Or do I wait to see how it goes before informing them? Sorry for the questions x TIA

@Sarahlou15 lots of children with Autism or global development delay that's diagnosed are entitled to HRM if they meet the specific criteria set out in the dla framework.
So for smi route to HRM

1. The child qualifies for HRC
2. The child has arrested development of the brain from a physical cause ie Autism
3. The child displays extremely disruptive and unpredictable behaviour
4. The child has severe behaviour issues
5. The child's disability causes a severe impairment of social functioning
6. The child's disability causes a severe inpairment of intelligence

Marker one is self explanatory Marker two would be official diagnosis Markers three to six would need to be backed up by examples of behaviour and backed by medical professionals with supporting evidence. Included in three to six you would need evidence that states the child is so unpredictable they need someone watching over them whenever they are awake and evidence that the child's behaviour is so extreme and dangerous that they need another person to intervene regularly to restrain them to prevent harm to themselves, other people or peers and to prevent damage to property. The virtually unable to walk criteria the framework is pretty much the same but leans more towards refusal episodes when walking to trying to even get them to leave the house and dangers and risks whilst outside ect it isn't as ridged as the smi route. 💫 Hope that helps you to understand it a little better

Thank you for taking the time to explain that for me means a lot
I have send everything I have so just got to keep fingers crossed he gets what he deserves
when doing a MR will they look at old evidence again with new evidence

@Sarahlou15 Yes a different decision maker will look at the whole claim again and any original evidence and any new evidence most MR also need input from the DWP healthcare professionals which is why they take longer than new claims at present as the dwp healthcare professionals are working across the board for dla and pip 💫

Thank you so much hun will look into it x

Hi all
Has anybody ever recieved a call from dwp 2 weeks after sending application? I missed their call so I called them back. The man done security - including confirmation off bank and sort code. I then got told they phoned me because since covid they don't have the same facilities or sometimes require more info? They didn't need any information off me so he said I definitely won't recieve another call. I posted it on 28th Feb and already scanned on the 7th. Just find it all so weird lol.

Feel like I'll be next week. Seen lots of 4-7th and a few after that aswell! Hopefully the wait will be over 🙏

Yay! So happy for you hun x well done x

Congratulations. Fab news!

I'm 23 weeks today! Praying it's soon!

I am so fed up of this wait. Just seen someone with a scan date 3 days after mine (15.10.24) (it looks like they sent evidence to show needs) and declined. So I am assuming ours is a decline. Was with DM last Friday and heard nothing.

We really had to fight to get my sons diagnosis because he masked, but school do see his struggles now and he had no issue getting DLA. My daughter it was the school who referred her for autism in reception and we referred for ADHD and she has been accepted by the PAEDs to be assessed after her appointment in December but still waiting for first autism appointment and it has been almost 2 years. So it will be typical she gets declined when school and the professionals acknowledge her struggles.

thank you so much rang last week and asked if it was ok to send more evidence and she said up to me it’s with case manager

Hi is anyone waiting on renewals?, my son's claim is due to end 20th April. Was wondering how long they would leave it close to his old claim ending before making a decision x

I’m getting fed up too, my scan date is 21/10 with the decision maker on Tuesday last week haven’t heard anything except to confirm bank details last friday but haven’t had any letter or payment so I’m hoping it’s not a decline. My LB is 3 and a half, he’s had his first paediatrician appointment in June last year so I sent the report for that with confirmation that they where accessing him for autism, a report from occupational therapist and 3 speech and language appointment letters. I also added health visitor and social works number for any information they needed as they referred him. He has his follow up appointment in 2 weeks so I’ll be sending the report for that as late evidence. He’s my nephew that I have had in my full time care since he was born so I did have to do an appointee check in November to confirm my identity so I’m wondering if thats why mine seems to be taking longer😬 hope you hear something soon, the wait you have had wait to get even an appointment or referral is a joke, hopefully you get news on an appointment soon too🙈

It's so frustrating. The claims should be all in one pool and the next one taken rather than being allocated to someone and sat waiting.

School referred my boy for some therapy for his hands for rigidity in reception. He's been on the SEN register since, had his initially ASD assessment last Jan and the Dr said he's on the right pathway but await diagnosis. He works behind his age too and needs extra support.

I'm only wanting his diagnosis so he has it if he needs it in the future. I was 35 at diagnosis and my life might have been so much easier if I'd have known earlier 🙃

I called this afternoon and was told it has been with a decision maker since last Thursday. NC sd 29/10. Fingers crossed for a decision next week.

@Loulou12321 hi, can you give me any info about your child please? Are they autistic, non verbal etc? Xx

you too!! I would have thought confirming bank details would mean they want to pay money into it 😂. I sent a letter from the headteacher about her behaviour and the next step was exclusion 🫣. An EP report stating her struggles within it, a good statement from the pastoral support backing up her extra needs as they are the same in school and they also wrote she has an EHCP already. They’ve had 2 different education psychologists out to see her (3 EP reports) so obviously they are struggling with her at school which shows extra care needs!

I just hate waiting. Even if it’s a decline I would be happy with a text just so I’m not in limbo then I can focus on an MR. The wait for assessment is also awful because it helps them so much when they get diagnosed. Her older brother getting diagnosed helped him so much in school. He went from well below to expected because they understood his needs more and he has medication for ADHD so his concentration in school improved. Melatonin didn’t work for him sadly though. It made him violent before bed and did not get him to sleep. Another typical for us 😂

Hi. My child claim end on 8 April. Renewals send on 10.12.25. They received on 11.12.2024. Called today not even look at yet . Got told could be seen one day before old one finish 🙃.

My older son improved so much in school once he was diagnosed as they understood his needs better. He masked and has both ADHD and autism but medication, diagnosis and EHCP has meant he went from well below to expected. He is still very difficult but I’m so glad his needs are met in school and the EHCP will make sure arrangements are in place for his education.

the wait is so long and I hope a diagnosis helps my daughter, she already has an EHCP even without being diagnosed. She does not mask at school like her brother so school really struggle with her but have had lots of support from professionals to help understand her more.

im glad to hear you finally got your own diagnosis! I hear so many people getting late diagnosis recently and it helped them.

id be happy with a text decline just so im not in limbo anymore 😂. The system is frustrating and makes no sense. All DMs are different but how do people get declined with evidence when they award HRC to some with 0 evidence? Especially when it is so hard to fill out the form, nobody wants to be so negative about their child with additional needs. I’ve seen a lot of EHCPs and they always write positive stuff on them about the YP/child so I worry if I send that it’ll go against the claim if that makes sense?

Sorry for wrong date renewal send on 10.12.2024.

i thought so too with them confirming as surely the bank details would be at the end of the form.
My LB started nursery in November we have regular child planning meetings as the first 3 months I was attending with him and he was only lasting an hour with me there, for the last 6 weeks we have had to build up me leaving him, he’s in nursery for 3 hours from 11-2 to break up the day by having lunch and snack time and because he’s struggling with sleep so he’s finds mornings difficult (used to be a really good sleeper) he’s was prescribed melatonin a week ago which is helping him fall asleep but he can still wake up during the night. He won’t eat anything but a slice of bread at nursery. He’s constantly asking for me the whole time hes at nursery and standing at the door. He has a support worker but she has other kids she deals with too so they referred him to the educational psychologist and she’s been out to see him so she’s helping with strategies to help him settle , I’m hoping a 1-1 will be in place for him starting pre school nursery🤞🏽
To make things even more annoying with waiting, my postman is a nightmare and I get any letters on a Saturday but that could be weekly or fortnightly so hopefully he brings some good news tomorrow😂
I have a lot more evidence I can send now if it does get declined, but hoping what I sent was enough as it was all I had at the time and all the new evidence I’ve got has been in the last week but it’s already with the decision maker🙈

the postman needs to bring some good news! Very bizarre the whole system, I’m surprised they haven’t reformed it especially with the wait times being so long now.

it sounds like you’ve provided more than enough information to show his extra care needs so🤞🏻. I wasn’t impatient till I got to 18 weeks thinking we will hear soon, and now it’ll be 22 weeks next Tuesday 🙄

Just hope they look at all evidence properly that is all I can do
thank you so much for your time it’s much appreciated

Omg really🫣 Fingers crossed they dont leave it that long🤞🏼 you would think they would look at renewals at least a week or so before the old one was due to end to give them time to look at the forms and evidence properly before they make a decision. Let me know if you hear anything soon, fingers crossed not much longer for us x

Yeah i am asking for both and his senco is supporting this and he gave a supporting letter for reconsidaration.and he if they need more support he will give.