Can I claim PIP for hearing loss?

Yes. Hearing loss can qualify for PIP if it significantly affects your ability to communicate verbally, read, plan journeys, or engage with other people. PIP does not simply look at the dB level of your hearing loss — it looks at how the loss affects your daily life even when wearing hearing aids. If your hearing loss means you regularly cannot follow conversations, cannot hear alarms or doorbells, or cannot use the phone, you may score points across several activities.

Does having a hearing aid disqualify me from PIP for hearing loss?

No. PIP assesses your ability with aids in place — but your hearing aid must genuinely resolve the difficulty. Many people with hearing aids still struggle to hear in noisy environments, on the phone, or in group conversations. If your hearing aid does not fully compensate for the difficulties, you can still score PIP points. Be honest about what you can and cannot do even when wearing your hearing aids.

Which PIP activities does hearing loss affect?

The main PIP activities for hearing loss are: Daily Living Activity 7 (communicating verbally — cannot understand or be understood); Activity 8 (reading and understanding — if you rely on lip-reading and written information); Activity 9 (engaging with others — social isolation due to communication difficulties); and Mobility Activity 1 (planning and following journeys — if you cannot hear announcements, cannot use the phone for help, or anxiety about not hearing warnings when out alone).

Can a profoundly deaf person get the enhanced PIP rate?

Yes. Profound deafness (including from birth) can qualify for enhanced Daily Living if it means you cannot express or understand verbal information even with aids. If you use British Sign Language (BSL) as your primary communication, you need a BSL interpreter for any verbal communication — this is an aid, and you are still assessed on what you can do with that aid. Enhanced Daily Living is achievable, particularly if multiple daily living activities are affected.

Does tinnitus qualify for PIP?

Tinnitus alone rarely qualifies for PIP unless it is severe enough to significantly affect sleep, concentration, and daily function. Tinnitus combined with hearing loss is more likely to qualify because the combined effect on communication and psychological wellbeing is greater. Tinnitus causing severe psychological distress may also contribute to points for engaging with others or planning journeys if it creates anxiety about going out.

PIP for Hearing Loss — How Deafness and Hearing Impairment Qualifies | PocketWise

Hearing loss and deafness can qualify for PIP when communication, social engagement, or the ability to go out safely are significantly affected. PIP assesses what you can do even with hearing aids in place — and for many people with significant hearing loss, aids do not fully resolve the difficulty.

Read more: See our PIP guide for a full overview of how PIP works.

How Hearing Loss Affects PIP Activities

Activity	What hearing loss affects	Potential points
7. Communicating verbally	Cannot follow speech; cannot use phone; cannot lip-read in poor light	Up to 8
8. Reading and understanding	Relies on written information instead of verbal	Up to 8
9. Engaging with others	Social isolation, cannot participate in groups, withdrawal	Up to 4
10. Making budgeting decisions	Cannot manage phone banking or verbal financial advice	Up to 6
Mobility 1: Planning journeys	Cannot hear announcements, cannot call for help, fear of emergencies	Up to 12

Activity 7: Communicating Verbally — The Key Activity

This is the central activity for hearing loss claims. It covers the ability to express and understand verbal information.

Descriptor	Points
Can communicate complex verbal information unaided	0
Needs communication support for complex information	2
Needs communication support for all verbal information	4
Cannot express or understand verbal information even with support	8

Important: “Communicating” is assessed with your normal aids in use (hearing aids, cochlear implants). If you still need a BSL interpreter, lip-reading support, or cannot follow conversation in normal conditions even with aids, you score points.

Describe real situations: “Even with hearing aids, I cannot follow a conversation if there is any background noise. At my last GP appointment, I misunderstood my medication instructions and took the wrong dose for a week. I cannot use the phone at all — including for emergencies.”

Mobility Activity 1: Planning and Following Journeys

This is often overlooked by hearing loss claimants but can score up to 12 points:

Descriptor	Points
Needs prompting to plan a journey due to sensory impairment	4
Cannot follow a route without another person due to sensory impairment	10
Overwhelming distress when going out alone	4

For deaf or severely hearing-impaired people:

Cannot hear transport announcements — cannot tell if your train/bus destination is announced
Cannot call for help — if lost or in an emergency outdoors, cannot phone for assistance
Cannot hear car horns, bicycle bells, or warnings — safety risk in traffic
Severe anxiety about going out alone — psychological response to these risks

If these apply, you may qualify for the enhanced Mobility component through Activity 1 alone — without any physical mobility limitation.

Hearing Aids — What PIP Does and Doesn’t Assume

PIP assesses you with your aids in use. But aids are not a magic fix:

What aids may resolve	What aids typically cannot resolve
Normal one-to-one conversation in quiet	Noisy environments (pubs, restaurants)
TV (with subtitles)	Group conversations
—	Phone calls (many profoundly deaf people cannot use phones)
—	Hearing alarms, doorbells in other rooms
—	Understanding speech without lip-reading in poor light

Describe what you cannot do even with aids. The assessor must take this into account.

PIP Rates 2026/27

Component	Standard rate	Enhanced rate
Daily Living	£72.65/week	£108.55/week
Mobility	£28.70/week	£75.75/week

Getting Help

RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People): information line 0808 808 0123 — hearing loss PIP guidance
BDA (British Deaf Association): BSL-accessible advice
Citizens Advice: PIP form assistance and appeals support
Action on Hearing Loss: now part of RNID

For more see how to claim PIP, PIP for mental health (if hearing loss causes anxiety), and Attendance Allowance (if over state pension age).

PIP for Hearing Loss — How Deafness and Hearing Impairment Qualifies

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