Autism night time care DLA to PIP for 15 year old

First time here, and looking for advice. My 15 year old has autism, with hyper mobility diagnosed age 7 and now severe OCD. He has, and still needs a huge amount of support and we have always had HRC and LRM DLA. He often has nights where his anxiety is sky high and it is only me (Mum) who can talk him down. This is way after 11pm and goes on for up to an hour, and often starts again with a rush to the toilet with IBS at 6am and more reassurance, again well before the household wakes. However, he is now on medication for anxiety (Citalopram) and sleep (Melatonin) and these are helping to improve his anxiety, certainly not a magical cure but sleep is improving overall. This is a recent improvement and I don’t know how long it will go on, and whether or when to inform DWP? He isn't 16 until Sept so we haven’t yet been written to about the transfer to PIP. If I inform DWP will his DLA stop altogether? And how would I then reapply with 8 months until his 16th birthday?

I’m asking advice as to what constitutes a change in need level, as it is the medication that is helping, as his overall anxiety is off the scale. He has not got less anxious himself.

I’m also concerned about the PIP transfer as there appears to be no question about night time care in terms of his anxiety.

Advice gratefully received, thank you

Ljm7, I'm a mere member of the forum but have a PIP award. I can recall a phone call last year with my 'benefits advisor' at the job centre regarding my claim and was advised (in my favour) not to stir the 'wasps nest'. Considering you do not know how long the benefits of your sons' medication will continue ...I would suggest you avoid 'prodding the wasps' nest'

Thank you. He does still very much have overnight care needs as If his anxiety hasn’t been managed in the day, or for example he has mocks and early GCSEs coming up, I anticipate the nights to be very late and disturbed again. It’s hard to work out how sustained the change should be to advise DWP? A few weeks improvement or over a longer period? It literally is only a very recent improvement.

I have a feeling that he will struggle hugely in the next few months with exams. If I contact DWP to tell them, will they then ask me to do the whole form again? He would def more than qualify for MRC as he has huge needs throughout the day and these are well backed up by professional reports.

Can I also ask what DWP would do with him being 16 in Sept? I’m assuming that they would suspend his DLA payments during the review? Or might they go straight for PIP even though he’s got another 8+ months until his 16th birthday? If it takes the usual 8 weeks then that will only be 6 months to go?