DLA - Over 30 days - To late to appeal?

TheEffect

I received a decision on 20th November stating that they have looked at the decision again and have decided to keep the same decision.

I now have written a long letter, wrote a diary of all the help I need, gotten a letter from one of the learning support teachers at my college and got my statement from my college as well as an old letter from moorefield eye hospital in London.

I'm registered partially sighted (have little vision) and was moved from LOW MIDDLE (Care) to LOW LOW.

It's been over 30 days ovbiously and am wondering would they still accept my appeal letter and information, or is it to late?

Thanks

cattie

If you can give a good reason why your appeal is late, then they may allow it. Stating that you had to wait for supporting information or welfare rights advice is generally accepted as a valid reason, especially in the situation where the Christmas & New Year holiday shut down would have affected the actual time line available to you.

Have you actually got welfare rights advice by the way? If not, it's advisable for you to seek this once you've sent your letter off just in case you need to go to a tribunal for the appeal. Good luck.

TheEffect

cattie wrote: »

If you can give a good reason why your appeal is late, then they may allow it. Stating that you had to wait for supporting information or welfare rights advice is generally accepted as a valid reason, especially in the situation where the Christmas & New Year holiday shut down would have affected the actual time line available to you.

Have you actually got welfare rights advice by the way? If not, it's advisable for you to seek this once you've sent your letter off just in case you need to go to a tribunal for the appeal. Good luck.

Thanks for your reply.

To be honest with you, I knew I had to write a letter of appeal, it's just with December, I was revising for exams (I'm in my last year of A Levels at college) and with Christmas, my 18th Birthday and new year, it has just been left until now, when I've finally thought 'Oh shoot, it's a bit late now'.

I've wrote a letter with all the help I need (Wrote this last week), I'm just waiting for a letter from the learning support officer at my college with my stement of needs at college. I'm going to send these with my letter, as well as an old letter that Mr Morre at Moorefield Eye Hospital wrote to DLA when I last appealed, which was a few years (I don't have time to get him to write a new one, as that will take months).

I haven't really thought about what to do after I've sent the letter. At the moment, I've got so many exams left right and centre and am trying to get into university (which most of my time is spent trying to do), so if they refuse the letter with evidence, I think I'll just accept their decision of lower rate and wait until I can reapply in 2010.

atherlon

TheEffect wrote: »

Thanks for your reply.

and wait until I can reapply in 2010.

i was turned down on appeal but i just reaplied the next day , why do you have to wait over a year ??

TheEffect

atherlon wrote: »

i was turned down on appeal but i just reaplied the next day , why do you have to wait over a year ??

I've been given LOW and LOW rate. I'm appealing the band they have given me. I don't want to cancel the whole DLA and then reapply, as that can take months.