DLA wait times 76

[HeartyGuide]

New Thread as previously one nearly full.

Fabulous. Thanks for the advice. If childcare gets too much for my parents when I’m at uni, and I have to drop out, would it be worth me claiming carers allowance. As I’ve read they take it out the UC payment? Sorry for all the questions it’s just a lot to get my head around! X

You're welcome they don't tell people this.. But if you get your renewal award and the rates are lowered.. Call up request a MR for the rates and request it's done under financial hardship ( it's allowed because your child has been used to a certain rate of money and they've put the child in a financial hardship position by lowering the amount of money) so it goes straight back to a different DM to make a quick decision based on these circumstances)

Don't tell the whole thread though 🤫🤣🤣🤣😋

Also, sorry again for all the questions, I don’t really understand the benefit cap. This is my third child that has been awarded dla. And he isn’t on our UC claim because of the two child limit. Is this something to do with the benefit cap? So what do I need to ask UC to do? And will he be added as a normal child on our uc claim or just the disabled element? Please help 😭

Can your parent (s) not claim the carers allowance for the child?

In my opinion it is always always worth claiming carers allowance if you're entitled to it the reason for this is because when you claim carers allowance as you will receive Class 1 NI credits paid for you, each full year of claiming Class 1 national insurance credits builds up your state pension..

I know that makes no difference to you now but if you care for the child for 15 years it makes a substantial difference

Also it's paid weekly which helps

And yes the full amount is taken out of your uc each month

But you then also get carer element.

But defo always worth claiming carers allowance.

🫶

😂😂, really i think my child should qualify for HRM, however i know how hard it is to get and dont think i could deal with the stress of an MR or tribunal, so will be happy enough with the current rates ( HRC, LRM)

Someone on here said yesterday that they've contacted their local MP to complain about wait times for their COC. It’s so good that MP actually follow through with their complaints and Dla listen. We haven’t seen a COC decision in a while to know what the current wait times are but I did call Dla yesterday to check the evidence I sent had been received and they told me 27 weeks but I believe there is someone still waiting over that.
I actually asked for my daughters claim to be made priority when it was her new claim because I needed to make things safer for her to stop her escaping the house and garden desperately, she was leaving the house in the early hours of the morning when it was dark, so worrying! But thankful she can’t escape anymore.

If you think your child is entitled to it and gets LRM..
Do the MR and then just forget about it
You never know you could get a letter through the door in 25 weeks saying you've won the MR.

Easier said than done forgetting about it i know 🤣

Yes they don't like awarding HRM it's not the money they are bothered about it's the motability scheme because the cars you can get on the scheme costs way more than the £75 a week they take out your HRM.

They hate it but it's tough luck to them because if a child and parent need the car for the quality of life of the child then they deserve it.
Always fight DLA the DMs are overlooking so many claims if they just looked at them properly the first time there wouldn't be so many MRs

Fingers crossed your child gets the same rates or HRM but once you have your letter consider It MR for HRM if needed 🫶

Thanks, i probably need to properly look through all the criteria, i have looked at smi and my child wont qualify through that part as my child ( this one anyway 😂) is not violent, however met all the other points. Child has LD ( moderate-severe) and Autism plus a few other things. X

I was thinking about doing a MR when I receive my letter. Because I meet all the points for day and night. Yet only been awarded MRC. Well I think it’s MRC anyway. Will have to wait for letter x

@Curlycookie5 They always listen to the local MPs they have to.. The local MPs have a duty to their city to help and complain and hold departments under the government accountable. They also take the complaints into the houses of Parliament and the secretary of state has to set new deadlines for wait times.. The DLA only get away with the MR and COC waiting so long because these aren't wrote into legislation for a set time, where as new claims do have set wait times they have to adhere to which is currently 15weeks which is why it's been reduced from 25 weeks at Christmas to average 15 weeks now.

Everyone should write to their local MP.

And anyone that already has fair play to them as it will benefit not just their disabled child but everyone's

My new claim took around 22 weeks I'm 19 weeks into MR and in the last 4 weeks my child's circumstances have changed but I ain't putting in the change as could be awarded what they deserve with the MR..
I didn't even know the wait times were this long or how horrible the process is until I had to claim for my own child as far as we knew at HMRC the wait times were just standard 12 weeks.. I've sent various emails now to the relevant people explaining the situation with the dla wait times but it's only now the local MPs are involved they are doing something about it..

A cycle means they pull DMs off new claims and allocate 1 case each with dates from 1st Jan to 10th March for MR and clear that cycle and then do 10th March to 30th May and clear that cycle and then send the DMs back to new claims..
They will have no choice but to cycle the COC now too.. Most the MPs complaint referrals are for COC..
Fingers crossed for everyone.
Nobody should be waiting this long..
12 weeks is sufficient 🤞🏼

Have you looked at virtually unable to walk for your child that isn't violent? Also a child with a LD and autism on the severe end of the spectrum has more chance at being awarded under smi but depends if you have reports or evidence with details of daily behaviour ect but yes extreme violent behaviour is part of the criteria 🫶

Hiya, you should do a MR and ask them to relook at your claim stating they may have overlooked or not understood the amount of care / supervision / night needs the child has..
You've not really got anything to lose.. Its very rare you lose your current rate during a MR it's usually yes or no for a higher rate

Yeah and in my opinion my child should qualify under the virtually unable to walk and i do have some evidence to back it up, not sure if its enough. My child has an EHCP which includes a number of things to support behaviour/emotions as well ( didnt have one at last renewal), school have filled out a part of the form which should also back up the claim, the Autism report should also back it up ( did not have Autism diagnosis last time), most other reports i handed in last time, just a few new ones that dont relate to VUW 😊

Also, sorry again for all the questions, I don’t really understand the benefit cap. This is my third child that has been awarded dla. And he isn’t on our UC claim because of the two child limit. Is this something to do with the benefit cap? So what do I need to ask UC to do? And will he be added as a normal child on our uc claim or just the disabled element? Please help 😭

The benefit cap is a limit on the amount of overall benefits one person can receive so once you reach the limit your benefits will be capped and any amount over the limit will be deducted on your uc monthly statements.
Check your last uc statement and see if it says " benefit cap" under deductions and a minus amount of money.

If not then you are not affected by a benefit cap also as you've just stated you have two children in reciept of dla you would not be under the benefit cap anyway.

The two child limit is something completely seperate. You won't receive a child element for your third child but your third child will still be on your uc claim as you get child benefit for the third child.
So you need to go on your uc and report a change of circumstance and scroll to your third child's name and select the change of dla and rates for the child and date of the dla award ( the backdated date)

You then need to write a journal message asking for the disabled child element for your third child to be sent to a DM for backdating.

You will then receive the disabled child element for the third child. You will not receive the child element for the third child just the disabled element.

Hope that helps.

I’ve now taken my son’s case to appeal for this reason, I feel like they have totally overlooked so much. Dwp had until the 20th to respond to my appeal, I had an email last week saying they have responded and I will get a letter in the post. For some reason I wasn’t expecting them to respond as all the other ones I’ve seen the dwp have missed the deadline, I’m so anxious just waiting for this letter, someone else said they had been told that it’s usually a good sign when they respond so quickly but that’s not how my luck works 😔

It Depends who the Email was from was it direct from the clerk? Also depends if the letter is a direct response to you from DLA or a third party response ie a response to the tribunal and they are sending you a copy if that makes sense.

If you think it may be a direct response from dla and an overturn of their decision you can't call DLA about it but what you can do is call DLA on Monday on the usual number and just say to the call handler can you just check my child's dla claim and tell me what the child's current rates are..

If its been overturned the new rates will be on your child's dla claim..

You're not supposed to do that but I guess it's a cheat way of finding out the current dla rates which you're within your rights to ask you just aren't allowed to contact dla direct about your tribunal and you wouldn't be doing that.

🤞🏼

Thank you Lovely, you too x

Sorry in advance the Very long reply and thank you for reading.

Thanks for all that extra info. Very helpful.
Im going to fight this for him. Im so upset by all this and the reasons they gave.

I was under the impression they only response to claims that they over turn? Is this the case?

He has had dla since he was 4.(2017).Given Hrc and a very long claim.(until 2024) Lrm to start when he was 5years(2018).
Did renewal 2024 was given same rate Hrc and Lrm until his 17th bday, Jan 2030. Started Mr mid Dec 2024 and declined may 2025. Now have started Tribunal. DWP had until 9th August to respond that was 4weeks. I rung courts on 11th August as was over and they said they give them 2weeks grace period over the 4weeks and if nothing it will then go higher? And start hearing etc, but the court clerk did say dwp re look at the case and can change the decision at any time. But if they are sooo busy and taking months to get to everyones case how will i know where ours is in the pile..

He is 12. 13 in January.
Documented diganosises from Nhs paediatrician are:
:He has severe Autism.
:Adhd
:Global developmental delay(has a mind set of around a child of 5)
:Speech and language delay
:Learning disabilities
:No sleep(he is on Melatonin)
:Bowel issues (under hospital)
:Anxiety
:Hypermobility
:Hyperlexia

I sent in
:All diganosises letters(from Paeds)
:O.T letters(stating he has delayed fine and gross motor skills). Hes lower than 10th percile.(they did some test on him in school).
: Hospital bowel doctors reports.
:Primary school letters, reports, how he couldnt sit his SATS, head teacher etc.
:Senior school letters, reports, letters from Senco how he has to have full 121 pick him up from my car, drop him off, on part time time table, all the passes etc. He can't cope in school. Lack of understanding, danger etc all the extra support he has to have.
: His EHCP
: Sleep diaries
: Detailed letter from me(mum).around 10pages of how his daily life is and the constant care he needs, help him eat, shower him, dress him, lack of understanding and danger etc.

To be honest sooo much documents, those are just the ones i can remember off top of my head.

That was me, im so glad you replied. I couldn't find you. What has been said in the response?x

I was one of the ones who wrote to my local MP about the wait times for COC. I’ve still not heard anything back from him and will likely send a follow up email tomorrow. I explained that the wait times are gruelling and way too long and that if for any reason the claim is denied (for me, I put in COC for HRM under the VUW pathway) I would then have to face another lengthy wait for an MR.

Just the disabled child element. The 2 child cap still applies to the child element

Sorry been working just started catching up on thread.. When you done your MR did you state HRM under smi or VUW.. If smi did you send any reports of violence and restraint.. If you did VUW did you send evidenve of refusal and real world examples of both?

You have so much evidence and all diagnosis but that's why I'm asking about the above as both routes to HRM require evidence as above ( stupid I know) 😩

Thank you for doing that it helps everyone waiting the local MPs don't always respond direct you each person.. If they have like 5 complaints for the same thing they send an overall complaint so may well be the case for your area but if you want a direct reply and for your child's case to be investigated keep on at the local MP for a response 🤞🏼

No worries lovely. It was a long message.

I asked them to look at Hrm under both.

Smi: Yes mum sent a letter in stating both, so did the senco of his school. So did i..

Vuw. Again Senco, me, Ot.

And do you want to hear the most funny (its really not funny but ive cried so hars i know have to laugh) the reason for decline... ?...