How long to assess a DLA claim?

busymumof3

My MIL applied for DLA at the beginning of May. Since than she has had a letter saying her claim had been received and another at the end of June saying they were sorry they hadn't got back to her. The form was completed by a nursing professional on her behalf.

Is it normal to still be waiting for a reply more than 11 weeks later and is it likely that they will want to see medical reports etc ? My MIL suffers from moderate progressive dementia.

Thanks for any advice. Having read a few past threads it seems as if DLA can be a bit of a battleground.

shykins

i have had exactly the same.. sent form in beginning of may. had one letter saying they were seeking more info and yesterday a letter saying sorry they hadnt written to me

seems like it takes forever .. i have heard it can take up to 12 weeks but we are both near that already
x

fabwitch_2

I applied 17th April for my son and they still have not made a descision. I was told I would hear by 23 July but I phoned them yesterday at 6pm and still the decission maker hadn't made a decision. I was told to phone them Monday morning to see if they have dealt with the claim. My sister in law applied in May and had a letter two weeks ago saying her son was not intitled to DLA. Their target is to deal with all claims in 8 weeks and the most 12 weeks but my claim still has not been dealt with. I do hope when I finally hear it is not rejected . Good luck with your claim.

busymumof3

My MIL was notified last week that she was entitled to the middle rate of DLA. This is great as it effectively pays for her contribution towards the costs of the care package she receives to help her stay at home as long as possible.

THey may not have met their 8 week target to assess her claim but we are happy with the end result.

hjb123

Glad to hear that you have been awarded that! I have heard it can take ages for DLA to be decided, it seemed to take long enough when I was applying to Incapacity Benefit and when it was being reinstated on winning appeal.

shykins

glad to hear that yr MIL has heard from them at last and has recieved DLA..... i am STILL waiting

its now been over 12 weeks!!!!
x

crystal64

Sometimes it can take up to 6 months depending on backlog if you dont like the result you should see a welfare rights officer they are really great for helping with filling out forms much better than CAB. Hope this helps someone.

Claire_DC

It's worth giving your local DLA/Social office a ring to see where they're up to and they can usually give you an estimate of how long it will take too! They are usually only too happy to help!

jooles5a

Hi
In my experience of these things, if they could get it off their desks by turning your MIL down or referring for a medical, they would've already done it. When the form was filled in, did your MIL sign it herself or someone else? Or, did the person filling in the form indicate your MIL might need someone to act on her behalf ? If so, the docs have probably been referred to your local Social Security Office to perform what they call an 'appointee' visit - this must be done BEFORE any decision is made about the DLA award. An appointee is someone the DWP officially appoint to act on behalf of one of their customers in dealing with their benefits. The DLA claimant and prospective appointee should be present whilst the role of appointee and its responsibilities are described. Then there's a bit of form filling and then, after the visiting officer's written a report, everything should go back to the DLA unit. (Your MIL is under 65 I take it otherwise she should have claimed Attendance Allowance).

The underlying problem here will more than likely be the time of year your MIL has applied - peak leave season and not enough staff. If an appointee visit needs doing then you're battling both DLA leave and Social Security leave.

Good Luck anyway.