DLA WAITING TIME THREAD 67

[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.

Not necessarily I rang two weeks ago and was told it was going to be 25 weeks and there was no update at that stage and found out today she had been awarded two days ago x

They actually take the piss with these waiting times

SD 06.12 NC

This is my first post, but I've been lurking for a while... I phoned today and was told that a decision was made on Monday but they couldn't tell me the outcome.

How long after a decision is made will payment land in the account (if it's a yes)?

Thank you.

@michbright you can call back on option 4 and they will tell you over the phone x

Thank you. I’m phoning back now… don’t have much time as I’m supposed to be working but I’ll give it a go 😊

@michbright hope it goes well x

Feel free to tell me I'm a CF for asking but what is your child's age and disability and their reasons for awarding LRC?
I only ask as my son is quite young (2.5yo) and on the ASD pathway and has a lot of sensory issues that includes dangerous sensory seeking and self harming behaviours. He only sleeps for 4 hours per night as well. I'm worried it will be a complete decline due to his age.

I got through but then as I was speakng it got cut off! Trying again. First call took 15 minutes to get through... currently at 10 minutes on second call.

Did you ring them back x

I’m literally in the same situation as you. Reading the eligibility my boy should be awarded higher rate care as he also has no awareness of danger etc. my boy is 3 in June and wakes 3 times a night and will be awake for 1.5-2 hours each time. I sent off referrals from speech and language, portage and pre school autism assessment. But something inside me is telling me it’s not enough and will be declined.

Jus rang as I saw somone awarded 17/1/2025 Mine is a new claim 6/1/2025 lady was lovely she was like new claims takeing around 25weeks and then could take up to 5 weeks for decision maker to make a decision she's like renewals may take quicker and specail circumstances may be quicker but roughly decision makers not picking up new claims till close to 25 week mark then takeing how ever long to make a decision

When is your scan date? I've sent a fair bit of evidence including sleep diaries, sleep clinic referral, confirmation he's on the LA SEN register, SALT report, OT report, ASQ reports showing delays in every area, ASD pathway acceptance letter, a letter from his playgroup leader and a letter from his HV.
Hopefully it's all enough, just a very anxious wait as this extra money will really help us access more support for him

SC is 18/12 for us.

there should be no reason for a decline with all that evidence!

Quite close in dates then! Hopefully we both hear back very soon. Really hope your child gets awarded and I hope their sleep improves soon. The sleep deprivation and loneliness in the middle of the night makes me cry so much so I know how hard it is xx

I got through... LRM and MRC!

@michbright that’s amazing news!! xx

Same to you! Good luck with everything! You’re right, it is extremely exhausting then having to deal with everything during the day too.

Zero help, no point ringing in my view

I am holding off till atleast 4pm today cause I know they'll give me the script of rubbish if I call too early.

@Daryl54 i haven't quite caught up reading through the thread but just got to your comment from 7th...
Did your award go from high to low so you've put in a MR?
If so you qualify under criteria for your MR to be looked at urgently..
If you call the MR option and tell them you need your MR looked at urgently due to financial hardship they send it to DM as urgent
To qualify under hardship criteria you have to either of had a higher award that's now been lowered or your claim is affecting the motability scheme..
So you qualify under the first rule..
Hope that helps

I've just rang them it's been with a decision maker for 6 weeks apparently it's not now with 3 weeks to go x

I'm so relieved! We've had a rubbish couple of months, so this is amazing news.

Not CF at all, it's quite bad actually how hard it all is. I don't think I will be much help my daughter is almost 2 and has a stoma. But we have trouble sometimes with her bags staying on and she ends up in hospital quite frequently as she is very vulnerable to any sort of viral illness and is being investigated for immunity issues as even the doctors and nurses who deal with kids like her day in day out don't think it's normal! But day to day it's quite variable and he basically said as she doesn't typically need more than 1 hour a day additional care that's why it is LRC. I think it is fair really. The money we will just put away and use for hospital admissions as we probably spend a couple of hundred each time on parking, accommodation (our hospital is 50+ miles away), food etc. Probably not helpful info for you sorry! X

@s39 Unfortunately there is no timescale for MR or COC the legislation on timescale only applies to new claims and renewals.. Which is why you will notice renewals are done before the current award ends and new claim timescale has now been reduced and the backlog reduced to around 18 week wait they actually have to get that down to 15 weeks under benefit timescale legislation I think this is why MR and COC are being put on the back burner and taking a ridiculously 25 - 28 weeks... Once the New claim wait is 15 weeks that should speed up MR and COC but right now it's atrocious 😩

is the waiting time for new claims 18 weeks now or still the 25 weeks