DLA - contact the school

[debs40]

It gets better. I have claimed DLA and they have written to say they are contacting the school.

That'll be the end of that then!

Has anyone else had this?

Can I scream for you?

It's routine, unfortunately. My first claim included a negative report from school saying everything was fine (when this happens DWP will let you know where the claim failed). I took it to reconsideration with additional evidence to prove that there were issues in school and the claim was approved. That was in 2005 and I haven't had one rejected since.

I've sent in the Autism Outreach Team's report and set out the help he gets with social skills and his sensory problems. I would hope it is not disputed as it is the reason he's on SA+! But grrrrr!

Yep did same here for ds renewal lol like they know how many times he gets up in the night.like hello dla advisers he's at Sn nursery for a reason .luckily enough they wrote report not seen it but was enough to agree with what I said as ds get his renewal now font have to do for 5 years

DLA didnt tell me they would be contacting the school and i didnt see a copy of what school said, but during Tribunal they mentioned Taewonkdo lessons that i had enrolled ds in. I hadnt mentioned that anywhere, ds's TA had a daughter in the lessons (lessons lasted 3 weeks before ds refused to go anymore)

Send a copy of your ds's IEP and also point out that your ds requires more help than he is currently getting and you will be applying for SA. What help he gets in school and what help he needs are two different things.

Blimey Claw, did you end up in Tribunal? Did you win? Good for you for pursuing it.

The help I have put down is just that set out in the plan of provision the teacher has drawn up (which makes them look like they are doing loads!) and the ASD team stuff. I have asked for it to go to the SENCO and I've just emailed him to warn him and told him I've just put down what is in the provision plan and report so hopefully it will be ok????

Debs, i made my claim in Feb 2009, went to tribunal (had to attend the same tribunal 3 times) they finally awarded lower rate care and mobility in March 2010. You can guess what ds's school would have reported! so it can be done (im still waiting for DWP to pay though)

Just had their written reasons and didnt get middle rate, as the tribunal didnt believe how bad ds's sleeping is, not sure if i can be bothered to appeal it again.

Depends on what the provision is?

What rate are you going for and are you going for mobility too?

Sorry Debs, didnt think, probably a bit too personal to put here.

The DLA are crafty, they will send a list of questions to school asking whether age appropriate or not. So school just have to answer age appropriate and if not age appropriate why not iyswim.

Its like dealing with the LA!

Our DLA claim was refused on the basis of the headteachers report where he basically wrote one word answers for most questions (yes no and N/A). Then ended it with "Whilst I cannot comment on home circumstances there is nothing significant at school that would enable us to feel supportive of this application"

I knew we would be turned down when I found out they were contacting the head. Had it been the senco (who knows dd well) it more than likely wouldve been a more detailed and accurate report. We are going to Tribunal in the next few months.

Just tell the DLA you home educate now?

I didn't put a particular rate, just followed Cerebra's guidelines. Have put down for mobility too though as DS really cannot walk in a straight line and would be off the pavement in a minute if left to his own devices.

I;m sure the new Gov is going to make this sort of stuff as difficult as possible

I can't believe how easy it was for us, reading all this. We were turned down point blank based on the Nursery report, so I sent in hospital and SALT reports and also a short note letting them know the exact hours he was in nursery (ie, 12 1/2 a week, so not much!) and also the strategies they have in place (visual prompts in the toilets etc), and that he neither eats nor sleeps there. Got new decision in our favour more or less by return of post.

I am about it, TBH, does it just depend whose desk it lands on?

You are entitled to see a copy of what everyone has said about him- you get a copy of everything in the bundle of papers that you get before the Tribunal. I did, anyway, including what the decision-makers had said about why claim was refused.

If you have evidence of what outreach team etc. have said, it should be enough to counteract the randomness of the school response. If the school do a weird response, like I said, you will see a copy of it and can refute the random bits with evidence.

Tribunal wasn't horrific - people very nice in mine. Went in with nothing (decision maker had said that he was OK academically and so shouldn't have any needs more than normal child - clearly why he has a full-time statement then ) and came out with high rate for both, based on psych report.

Don't worry too much if you have to appeal, is my rambling point!

Debs, just dug out the questionnaire from my tribunal papers, to give you an example of what they might send to school. Like i said they are sly, they ask very specific questions.

Please give details of the effect of the disabling conditions (appropriate for age) on

a) self care, washing, dressing, feeding, toilet use

b) reading, writing, social skills

c) awareness of common dangers

Are there any behavioural problems, aggression, self harm, damage to property, need for physical restraint.

Its a lot like the SA process, expect to be turned down and appeal i think.

Oh great. I wish I'd never started it now. I could do without the extra stress. Yet the people involved in the dx process and the Early Bird Plus course suggest doing it.

Debs, they can only say no and if you dont want to appeal, you can just apply again at a less stressful time. Its worth a try.

It is a difficult one and I feel your pain!!

I think if you refuse them permission they are more likely to refuse the award because they couldn't get confirmation from the school directly of the level of support but you could ask cerebra who have produced a really good guide on this. www.cerebra.org.uk/parent_support/DLA_guide

Is there any professional you can ask to support you and write a letter? Can you ask a relative that knows your child well to write a letter? Send it a diary of a week as well?

Leonie, it all boils down to which evidence they accept. Its amazing how school can interfere in so many things, great if you have a supportive school, but they can really mess everything up if you dont!

Just reading my written reasons, tribunal are claiming school stated that ds is aware of common dangers and requires no extra supervision and they accept school report.

As far as i was aware they did not contact school, i didnt get a copy of this in the evidence and they dont list it in their evidence! (i supplied copies of IEPS, etc)

Make sure if they do contact school, you get a copy of it, so at least you can argue against it.

I know what you mean. I have guided it towards SENCO who I'm sure will pass it back to the teachers. I'm sure they'll then think I'm just trying to make a bit of cash out of all this!

Ive been waiting since March 2010 for the DWP to make a payment on the tribunal decision to award. Just faxed them over a copy of the decision as they said the hold up was not having received a copy.

Apparently they wont now be making a payment as the decision notice shows an error on law. They have awarded lower rate mobility from Feb 2009 and ds wasnt 5 until March 2009.

They cannot award lower rate until a child is 5.

What a bloody mess, looks like im going to Upper Tier Tribunal after all. I need this like a hole in my head!