Department for Work and Pensions written question – answered at on 2 October 2025.
Julia Buckley
Labour, Shrewsbury
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help reduce the delays in decisions on Disability Living Allowance claims.
Stephen Timms
The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions
We have seen unprecedented demand in new claims to the DLA Child service line. Additional resources have been deployed, and cases are cleared in date order to ensure fair customer service. As a result, we are seeing improvements in our processing times for new claims. As of the 30th December 2024, The Actual Average Clearance Time was 97.8 days and has since reduced to 57.3 days as of 25th of August 2025, a reduction of 40.5 days.
Yes2 people think so
No0 people think not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.
Allowance for those who need help looking after themselves. Not means tested.
Factsheet from RNID here: http://www.rnid.org.uk/html/factsheets/benefits_disability_allowance_and_deaf_people.htm
Official page from Department for Work and Pensions here: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/disability_liv_allowance.asp
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
