DLA Change of Circs Form - How to Anwer Q57, Why I did not tell DWP Sooner

Hello,

My elderly Dad has been in receipt of higher rate mobility for upwards of 20 years. He has now developed dementia and needs a lot more support so I have completed a change of circumstances form (I've not asked them to have a look at the mobility component although I understand they may do so anyway).

Quesiton 57 asks the date my Dad's condition became worse, (with hindsight, about a year ago) and then goes on to ask why my Dad didn't tell them sooner that his condition had changed. I've answered he doesn't have insight into his condition and it is only recently that family became aware that this was more than normal age related decline, although now we know, from the memory clinic screening, that he has dementia (albeit no formal diagnosis yet*) we can see that the decline that started about a year ago was actually the early visible stages of dementia - though now that we are clued up on the subject we can see that the behaviours indicative of early dementia probably started over 2 years ago.

Does anyone know or can anyone point me to where I can find out what criteria DWP applies to determine whether any award of the care element is backdated to the date of the decline rather than the date the change of circs form was sent. please?

* This won't happen until his next appointment which is with the Memory Clinic Doctor which will be in about two months' time but his score on the screening tool is highly indicative of dementia.

Thank you for reading.