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.

I posted my forms for a new claim for 6 year old DS on 6th March. Heard nothing so don’t know if it was received. Is this normal or should I have heard something?
I sent it to the freepost address so the post office wouldn’t let me send recorded delivery, all I’ve got is proof of postage :(

It takes ages, I posted my sons MR recorded delivery on 28th December, I heard nothing until 2-3 days ago when I got a text saying they were looking in the claim again and expect a 25wk wait then I got a letter today saying they had received my MR and to expect a 15wk wait. It’s taken 12weeks for them to acknowledge they have received it

NC SD 26/11. Received a text and email on Wednesday 19/3 to say with DM now. I don't know much about this process but from reading all the info on here it seems it can be with a DM anywhere from a few days to weeks and weeks.

Hello all, I'm so confused and hoping someone will know the answer on here. I done a new claim for a new child scan date 24/12/24 had a letter and a text since they received it to say they are still dealing with the claim... however my 4yr old has been receiving dla and he's claim is due to end in July I received mobility forms 3 weeks ago (I'm assuming because he turns 5 in april) I sent them back and they received them on the 10th (last monday) I had a letter through yesterday to say he has been awarded LR mobility but I also received another renewal pack for care... but it states on the letter he's been awarded HRC &LRM until 2027. Does this mean I don't have to fill out the care ones and he's care award stays the same for another 2yrs aswell or do I still need to fill them in. And has anyone done a MR on the motility side as I believe he is entitled to HR he is a serious flight risk and has absolutely no sense of danger what so ever he has to be restrained & reined at all times outside. Has anyone else had a decision back in under 2 weeks I wasn't expecting one until near July

This is what I'm worries about they've got until 2nd may for decision on mr but they said il get renewal forms in April do I just wait for decision his claim ends 20-08 this year x

How they do it in general is all just so confusing, I'm might just ring up Monday morning to see if i still have to fill in the 2nd lot of forms for renewal for he's care, I just can't understand how it's taken them under 2 weeks to make a decision on mobility but new claims take 25 weeks and can be with DM for like a month surely it doesn't take a month to read through it all. You could possibly wait for a decision in May but already fill out April forms so they are ready to send if your unhappy with MR decision you get given a good time frame to be able to send them back, I received 4yr olds 3 weeks ago and they told me it needed to be back by 23rd April. They received it last Monday and I got a decision yesterday by post so they must have literally received it, read it and made a decision within a few days x

Ahhh thankyou for that feel bit better now hopefully decision comes before renewal z

@Macca04 You do not need to send any more forms back if the decision notice you have received in the post off the back of filling in the mobility section states your child's award is HRC until 2027 and LRM from April ( 5th birthday) and until 2027 then that's your child's award and decision...

If you disagree with this decision you would then call them and ask for a MR and state the reason why and additional evidence ect and they will look at the whole claim again ( both components)

The renewal for care you've received in the post has just crossed over before the decision was made for HRC and LRM from 5th birthday until 2027.

You can call them on Monday just to double check that for your own peace of mind but from what you've wrote here that's what's happened.

Congratulations on your child's award 💫

Hey guys,
NC SD 12.12.24
Awaiting a report from the paediatrician that should be with me in the next 2 weeks. Do you reckon I have time if I send off the next day by special delivery?
Also do they accept personal statements from an extra curricular group leader if it isn't on professional letter headed paper? (It's just a letter from the leader of a local group we attend, written on Word)

I would definitely send extra information. My son's renewal is due to end 20/04, he has just gotten a diagnosis of autism on the 4th of this month, and I have sent of proof of diagnosis. I called they other day and they told me that it still hadn't been scanned into the system even tho I had sent it almost 2 weeks ago, but the man I spoke to made a note on the system that he now has a diagnosis. You could give them a call once you send the information off to let them know 🥰x

@intoFolklore Yes they do accept that kind of evidence just write " someone who knows the child" their relationship with the child ie group leader for? How often the child attends and then their statement observations supporting letter ect.. Also yes you should have time to send the other additional evidence from the pead just check the thread once you have it on what estimated date they are upto with claims 💫

Perfect thank you for putting my mind at ease I won't bother filling out the 2nd lot of forms, if I was to put in for an MR would all payments stop until they had reached a new decision or would he carry on getting he's usual amount HRC until a new decision or would he get hrc & lrm until a new decision is made. Thank you so much

Can anyone help me with coc, do I just add the change or everything?

@Macca04 your new award is HRC and LRM from 5th birthday this award will stay in place until it's end date in 2027 when you will need to do your renewal.
If you put in for a MR this award will stay in place and payments will continue until a decision is made on the MR 💫

Does anybody no if PTSD or CPTSD could come under smi ive been told by my ds therapist that she thinks he's suffering from it so he's being assed in the next few weeks for a diagnosis thanks

@Kittenheaven23 No it doesn't

At least he's getting the mental health support that he needs im glad he's actually speaking to a therapist now as he normally doesn't speak about how he's feeling to anyone even the mental health at CAHMS couldn't get him to open up so this is a step in the right direction thank you for answering my question

I posted my new claim on 28feb, they phoned me a week after to say its been scanned through. Suppose it depends or just luck of the draw 😵‍💫

@Kittenheaven23 You're welcome one of the regulations for smi is arrested development or incomplete physical development of the brain.
That can mean any sort of emotional or functional delay or lack of development but there has to be a physical cause and this must result in a severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning.
It's basically where a child's brain has not grown or developed properly because of things like genetic conditions, infections before birth, brain injury or damage at birth, brain infections or brain damage after birth, neurological conditions autism, global development delay, downs syndrome and chromosome disorders and very limited cases of trauma and neglect from birth to age 1 that has resulted in how a child's brain forms and functions and the conditions has to be permanent.

Post traumatic stress disorder or complex disorder doesn't satisfy the criteria for arrested or incomplete developed of the brain.

That is absolutely fantastic news that your child is getting the right mental health support and is slowly feeling safe enough with the therapist to open up and talk.. Sometimes that takes a very long time doesn't it and it's frustrating for the parent cause you just want to say tell me what's wrong or how you feel cause we want to fix everything and make it better but on occasions its not as simple as that is it so finding the right person and environment for the child is a great step... Hopefully your child continues to take them steps.... Big hugs to you my child also has PTSD on top of everything else and isn't ready to unpack that yet but is having work with her SEMH and trauma informed practices and pastoral management and the EP has referred into the mental health side of camhs.. He's already under the neuro side.. Its a long road sometimes but with mental health we have to be patient and slow and hopefully help the child unpack it so they don't take it into adulthood with them 🤞🏼 or have learnt skills and strategies to help them manage it 🤍 sending hugs 💫

You're right its a long road ahead but slow and steady wins the race so it will take as long as it takes at his own pace sending hugs to you 🤗

Hi all
Mr Awarded mobility for 3 year old dd under VUW rules
shows it can be done
so happy as can now get a motability vehicle we so desperately need
sd 01/10. Good luck everyone

That's great news.

Hi all.
Recieved my childs renewal forms, will be sending back next day signed for tomorrow. His dla lasts until July, does anyone have a rough timescale of how long they will take with the renewal? I'm worried that it won't be done in time as new claims and MRs are taking so long. Which will mean my carers will stop as well as his dla?

Hiya, my son's old claim is due to end on 20/04, they still have not made a decision. But a couple of people on here have says they've gotten a decision about 3 weeks before due to end. So I'm hoping we'll be the same 🤞🏼 I did call up last week and they told me it can take right up until the day it's due to end but am hoping that won't be the case. I will keep you posted when I get a decision 🥰x

Thankyou, fingers crossed yours is renewed very soon then, would be brilliant if you could keep me updated 🥰