DLA - how best to attain a LONGER award?

I am a regular subscriber to Benefits and Work and would first of all like to thank you for putting together such amazing guides. They really are invaluable and in the past have helped me to attain transfer from Income Support to the ESA Support Group without a medical and higher rate DLA for both care and mobility.

The reason why I am emailing is because I am about to apply for DLA again. My current DLA award expires this August and I have unexpectedly been sent a DLA renewal pack rather than the PIP claim form that I was expecting.

My problem is that I have been receiving fixed term awards of DLA for 2 years and would like a longer award. I therefore wondered what is the best way to try and attain a longer award at the application stage?

If after being awarded DLA again I am granted a further 2 year award what kind of evidence would I need to provide to try and attain a longer award should I wish to proceed to Mandatory Reconsideration/Appeal?

Many thanks

John wrote: I am a regular subscriber to Benefits and Work and would first of all like to thank you for putting together such amazing guides. They really are invaluable and in the past have helped me to attain transfer from Income Support to the ESA Support Group without a medical and higher rate DLA for both care and mobility.

The reason why I am emailing is because I am about to apply for DLA again. My current DLA award expires this August and I have unexpectedly been sent a DLA renewal pack rather than the PIP claim form that I was expecting.

My problem is that I have been receiving fixed term awards of DLA for 2 years and would like a longer award. I therefore wondered what is the best way to try and attain a longer award at the application stage?

If after being awarded DLA again I am granted a further 2 year award what kind of evidence would I need to provide to try and attain a longer award should I wish to proceed to Mandatory Reconsideration/Appeal?

Many thanks

Hi J,

Welcome to the forum !!

If you have received a DLA Renewal Pack rather than PIP, you must not yet be in an : Active PIP Postcode Area, or will not be at the time that your fixed term DLA Awards end.

You should fill it in and make sure that is returned in good time before your fixed term award ends : Sending Documents to the DWP.

To be on the safe side, you could ring The DLA Unit after a few days of posting to ensure that they have it.

Failure to return your DLA Renewal in good time would result in your DLA Claim being closed, and you would be forced to make a totally fresh claim for PIP.

There would be no going back to DLA.

See : When should I send my renewal form back?

There are also guides on DLA Renewals, 2nd and 3rd links down : This Page.

See also : DM Guide DLA & AA

With respect to gaining longer awards, you would have to show that you suffer long term chronic progressive conditions where it is very unlikely that your conditions and resulting limitations would improve in the future.

There may not be a great advantage to gaining a longer or Indefinite Award.

Even current DLA recipients with Indefinite or Life Awards can expect to be invited to claim PIP sometime after October 2015 running until October 2017.

Good luck, and please keep us updated.

bro58