Once the claim for your child is decided, you are sent notice of the decision. Any award made will be for a fixed period. This could be for just one year, or for a longer period if it is clear that the condition(s) giving rise to a need for help are likely to continue. The DWP will invite you to make a renewal claim about four months before the end of the award, unless your child is approaching 16, in which case they normally have to claim personal independence payment instead once they reach that age (see 3 above ).

Backdating – DLA cannot be backdated to earlier than the date of claim (see 20 above ). There are only limited situations in which an earlier date can be treated as the date of claim; these are the same as those for attendance allowance (see Chapter 5(18) ).