DLA Reconsiderations: Why So Many Families Are Under-Awarded (And What You Can Do About It)

One of the most common messages we receive is this:

👉 “My child was awarded lower rate… but I know they need more support.”

And in many cases — they’re right.

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The Reality: It’s Often Not the Need… It’s the Wording

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) decisions aren’t just based on your child’s condition.

They’re based on:

👉 How clearly their needs are explained
👉 The level of care and supervision required
👉 The real-life impact on daily living

This is where many applications fall down.

Parents are often doing their best — but the form itself is:

• Confusing
• Repetitive
• Difficult to interpret

So answers end up sounding like:

• “My child struggles”
• “They have meltdowns”
• “They have no sense of danger”

The problem is…

👉 These phrases are too vague for decision-makers.

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What Decision Makers Are Actually Looking For

When your application is reviewed, the focus is on:

• How often support is needed
• How long difficulties last
• What happens without supervision
• Whether your child is safe

For example:

❌ “My child has meltdowns”
✅ “My child has daily meltdowns lasting up to 45 minutes, requiring constant supervision to prevent harm”

That level of detail can completely change how a claim is understood.

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Why So Many Children Are Awarded Lower Rate

We see this pattern every day:

👉 Children with significant needs being awarded lower rate care or mobility

Not because they don’t qualify…

But because:

• The level of supervision isn’t clearly explained
• Risk isn’t fully described
• The wording doesn’t reflect the reality

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The System Is Difficult — And That’s Not Your Fault

The DLA process is not straightforward.

It requires:

• Understanding how decisions are made
• Translating real-life struggles into the right language
• Knowing what to emphasise — and what to avoid

Most parents are never shown how to do this.

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You Can Challenge the Decision

If your child has been awarded lower rate and it doesn’t feel right, you can:

👉 Request a Mandatory Reconsideration

This gives you the opportunity to:

• Re-explain your child’s needs
• Provide stronger evidence
• Clarify anything that was misunderstood

But again — success often comes down to:

👉 How it’s written and structured

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Why Many Reconsiderations Fail

A lot of families are told to “just challenge it” —
but are not shown how.

Common issues include:

❌ Simply saying “I disagree”
❌ Repeating the same wording
❌ Not adding clear examples or evidence

Which often leads to the same outcome again.

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How AskEllie Can Help

We created AskEllie because we saw how many families were:

• Being under-awarded
• Struggling with forms
• Left to figure it out alone

And often being quoted hundreds of pounds for help.

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Our Reconsideration Support Service

We now offer affordable, structured support to help you:

• Clearly explain your child’s needs
• Strengthen your reconsideration
• Avoid the most common mistakes
• Make sure nothing important is missed

👉 This service is available via our Stan Store
👉 And you can also access support through our contact page

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Final Thought

If your child’s award doesn’t reflect their needs…

👉 Trust that instinct.

In many cases, the issue isn’t eligibility —
it’s how the information has been presented.

And with the right wording and structure,
that can be changed.

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Need Help With a DLA Reconsideration?

If you’re unsure where to start, or don’t want to risk getting it wrong…

👉 Come by and see us at AskEllie

We’re here to help you:

• Get clarity
• Strengthen your case
• And make sure your child’s needs are properly understood