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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Covid-19 issues  →  Thread

Child on DLA approaching 16 - process during COVID

Daphne
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I asked via stakeholder forum for confirmation on process during COVID - here are the questions and the responses -

When a child on DLA is approaching 16 and would normally be invited to claim PIP, is the award being extended. If so, for how long?

a)If your child gets DLA and they have been invited to claim PIP, you do not need to do anything. They do not need to claim PIP at this time. Your child’s DLA payments will continue. We will send a letter at a later date to confirm this. We will also contact you in the future to tell you/them when to claim PIP. (Awards have been extended for 6 months?)

What happens if they have already received the invitation letter but not yet claimed?

b)If your child gets DLA and they have been invited to claim PIP, you do not need to do anything. The form does not need to be completed and returned to us. Your child’s DLA payments will continue. We will send a letter at a later date to confirm this. We will also contact you in the future about continuing your child’s claim to PIP.

And what happens if they have already submitted the PIP claim?

c)You do not need to do anything. Your child’s DLA payments will continue. We will send a letter at a later date to confirm this. We will also contact you in the future about continuing your child’s claim to PIP.

If your child has been invited to a PIP telephone assessment appointment, it is important they take part. It helps us make a decision on their claim. If your child cannot take part, contact the assessment provider to let them know. Their contact details are on the appointment letter they sent you/your child.

If your child does not take part and you/they have not contacted the assessment provider, the assessment provider may return their PIP claim to DWP. We will then try to contact you/your child but if we cannot get in touch with you/them, or they did not have a good reason for not taking part, their DLA payments may stop.

If they have a face-to-face appointment, they do not need to attend. The assessment provider will contact you shortly to let you know what will happen next.

After they have taken part in the telephone assessment appointment, your child’s DLA payments will continue until we have made a decision on their PIP claim.

 

clive
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Newcastle Council Welfare Rights

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Thank you Daphne for this. This looks really helpful. 

This is great for advisers seeing this, and can pass this onto the people they are working with and I can add it to our council’s coronavirus and benefits page for example, so wonder could I be cheeky and ask if you could ask the DWP to add this guidance on their DLA /DLA for children webpages so that many others can see it. ;)

Daphne
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Clive - this is one of the things that most winds me up. I have asked time and time again for all this information to be put on gov.uk - I even had a special meeting with the people from gov.uk to explain why it was so important that there was clear information in the public domain - every time they send me anything I reiterate it. I have asked for them to produce specific coronavirus DMG/ADM memos to no avail.

You would think it would be simple but apparently not :( I will keep asking but don’t hold your breath.

I welcome suggestions about how we could put more pressure on the government

BC Welfare Rights
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The Brunswick Centre, Kirklees & Calderdale

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Ask Marcus Rashford to help?

Vonny
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Welfare rights adviser - Social Inclusion Unit, Swansea

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BC Welfare Rights - 17 June 2020 09:56 AM

Ask Marcus Rashford to help?

Not such a bad idea

I know nothing about football, but now understand his mum had 5 kids, could people who do twitter or such things, try to get him onto the 2 child limit and benefit cap?

Daphne
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His original letter does refer to the two child limit - https://twitter.com/MarcusRashford/status/1272302819819823105

WillH
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Hello people on this thread ...

Does anyone know if the resumption of reviews & reassessment activity includes 16 year olds on DLA? (In England & Wales that is - not to complicate things with the DLA to 18 rule in Scotland - at least not for now!)

Ta.

Will

annief
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Benefits adviser - Maggie's Centre, Edinburgh

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I had a DLA review for a 16 year old who missed the cut off date for DLA to 18 last week.
As it was, he should have claimed under special rules and it took ages to get through to the DLA/PIP helpline to get them to note the system that special rules applied.

WillH
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Oh dear - so he turned 16 before 1st September?

Sorry to hear you had problems with the special rules too….

I have answered my own question now as almost immediately started getting cases of 16 year olds being sent PIP letters - it’s definitely happening :-(

clive
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Newcastle Council Welfare Rights

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So can we assume we are back to ‘normal’? The DLA gov webpage shows no sign of the above easements and extensions.

Daphne
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Response via stakeholders -

Question 1 - When a child is on DLA and is approaching 16 they would normally be invited to claim pip, is the award being extended and if so for how long

Answer - The Rising 16 process is in now back to business as usual. We are now inviting claims to PIP from Rising 16s

Question 2 - What happens if they have already received the invitation but not yet claimed

Answer - We are now able to take new claims to PIP. Yes, you will need to claim PIP, please call the new claims number. The number is 0800 917 2222. If you make a claim for PIP your DLA payments will continue until we have made a decision on your PIP claim. If you do not contact us to claim PIP your DLA may stop.

Question 3 - what happens if they have already submitted the claim (presuming here that the claimant has already returned the ‘How your Disability affects you’ form?)

Answer - We are now processing claims to PIP again so we will look at the information you provided in your form to make a decision. We may need you to attend an assessment, if so, the Assessment Provider will contact with you to invite you to an assessment. If you are asked to attend an assessment, it is important that you take part as this helps us to make a decision on your claim.

We will write to you once we have made a decision on your claim