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 | Maximum points on the activity |
|---|---|---|
| 7. Communicating verbally | Cannot follow speech, even with hearing aids; needs lip-reading or a BSL interpreter | 12 |
| 9. Engaging with others | Needs someone with you to take part in conversations, or distress in social situations | 8 |
| Mobility 1: Planning and following journeys | Cannot follow an unfamiliar route without help, for example if you cannot hear announcements or ask for directions | 12 |
Reading (activity 8) and budgeting (activity 10) are about reading written information and making money decisions, so hearing loss on its own does not usually score on them.
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.
The points run from 2 (needing a hearing aid to hear) through 4 and 8 (needing communication support for complex or basic information) to 12 (unable to express or understand verbal information at all, even with support): see the communicating descriptors.
“Communication support” means help from a person trained or experienced in communicating with people with specific communication needs, such as a BSL interpreter, or from someone who knows you well.
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. The descriptors most likely to apply are:
For hearing loss, the usual route is being unable to follow an unfamiliar route without someone with you (10 points), or even a familiar one (12 points); see the journeys descriptors.
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 you cannot follow an unfamiliar route without help, the 10 points are enough for the standard mobility rate on their own, without any physical mobility limitation. The enhanced rate from this activity alone needs 12 points (unable to follow even a familiar route without help).
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.
For how much each component pays this year, see PIP rates.
Other Benefits Linked to PIP with Hearing Loss
- Disabled Persons Railcard: PIP at any rate qualifies, and so does a hearing impairment on its own
- Blue Badge: may be available if mobility is significantly affected
- Carer’s Allowance: someone caring for you for 35 hours a week or more may be able to claim if you get the daily living part
- BSL interpreter at your assessment: ask the assessment provider to arrange one
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).