Pip for unilateral hearing loss

[SomeCommonThing]

I'm thinking of applying for pip for one sided hearing loss, I've been moderately deaf in that ear for as long as I can remember and have worn a hearing aid since I was a child.
I feel my hearing is getting worse and have an appointment to request another hearing test, I have also finally accepted I actually have a disability, and decided to maybe try apply for pip.
I was wondering if anyone on here had any experience of claiming for a similar condition?

I didn’t suggest she did @TheShellBeach i don’t think you really understand my posts. I’ve successfully applied for disability benefits many many times. I am VERY aware of what is in a PIP form and many other disability related forms. You seem very focused on not thinking about how the benefit could help OP.

Unless you need aids or help to make a meal, eat, take meds, wash/dress or get around then you won't. If you have unilateral hearing loss even not fixed with an aid it's unlikely you'd qualify, under mobility it would be considered you could drive if you have a license, read signs and timetables etc, plus a hearing aid would help which is not considered an aid as say a walking stick or stair lift is for the purposes of PIP.

plus a hearing aid would help which is not considered an aid as say a walking stick or stair lift is for the purposes of PIP.

I don't believe this is the case.

Can anyone provide a link for the AMA DA thread mentioned earlier on? I can't find it and would like to have a look.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/AMA/4711860-i-assess-disability-claims-ama?page=14&reply=122834024

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Sorry.
I hope sincerely that she applies successfully.
Have we misunderstood one another - if so, I apologise.

I hope you don't mind me saying, but have you considered looking at, potentially, the anxiety that your hearing loss may be causing as well.

I'm not saying don't apply for PIP etc (I truly do not know enough about it), however, I've seen what you put on the AMA thread and I have quite significant hearing loss and it has never occurred to me to not shower while my husband is not at home in case I don't hear the smoke alarm. Perhaps I am too cavalier and need to be more risk aware, but could I gently suggest there's a bit more to this than the hearing loss.

Incidentally, I do make a lot of adjustments to my every day life, and DH gets super annoyed with me for not wearing my hearing aids at home, and quite often my five year old has to tell me the baby has woken up from her nap and is crying (and honestly it makes me very sad she has to do that, but the moulds make me ears ache after a while and so I take them out) but I also manage to be independent.

I'm genuinely trying to say this gently OP, as I do know how isolating it can be to have a form of sensory deprivation, but regardless of what you do or don't choose to spend the money on (and again sorry if I was crass) it does sound like you have restrictions on your independence, which could be approached maybe in a different way. Best wishes and best of luck with whatever you decide.

Could you hear a smoke alarm without a hearing aid? I'm unclear as you speak of unilateral hearing loss, but looking at some of your comments, I'm unsure what you hearing is like in the other ear! Anyway. If you couldn't hear a smoke alarm without your hearing aid. Given you would have to take it out for a bath or shower. You would score 2 points for an aid under activity 4 - bathing and showering. The aid being for the smoke alarm eg flashing light.

I suspect (if hearing loss is your only problem, particularly if your hearing is fine in the other ear) you would struggle to get enough for an award. As already stated you need 8 points.

Potentially 2 points for an aid for activity 7 communicating (the hearing aid). Then 2 points with prompting for activity 9 engaging.

Based purely on hearing loss, you wouldn't be able to argue anything for:
activity 1 - food prep
activity 2 - taking nutrition
activity 3 - managing therapy
activity 5 - toilet needs
activity 6 - dressing
activity 8 - reading
activity 10 - budgeting.

Unless you have other health conditions you haven't mentioned, which functionally restrict you, there would be little point in making a claim.

I have hearing loss with other issues and during my pip interview the assessor did ask me what sort of a difference I felt pip would make. I explained the difficulty in my area to access treatment that I needed and the nearest NHS facility was inaccessible to reach and sporadic in appointments and that it would be a godsend in making private treatment affordable. She was more than sympathetic and the question did not feel invasive but matter of fact.

Absolutely point of PIP is it’s not means tested and disabilities come with a variety of challenges and expenses that able bodied people don’t face, but I think it’s fine to consider how the money can help.

Tbh it isn't something that I really have much thought until recently when someone suggested that I look into pip etc.
Me only showering when DH is home isn't something I necessarily worry about or get anxious about, it's just something I started doing, there was a very innocent smoke alarm activation whilst I was showering once and I didn't hear it. Nothing bad happened and I don't feel anxious about it, but I will still wait to shower at night or early in the morning when DH is here, likely because I'm aware of it?

It is quite isolating, and yes I do get anxious about certain situations and avoid them, and I probably do rely on DH more than I should, but I can and do still go out and do stuff alone, I still go to work etc, I just have to do additional things to work around the loss every day.

I work in this area. You may be eligible depending how your hearing loss affects you. it Not out if the question.

What range dB is heavy hearing loss?

I can hear the smoke alarm without hearing aid, unless I am showering.
I also can't hear it if I'm laying on my hearing ear, I can just about hear low frequency deep noises, like banging, but can't identify what the sound is.
I wouldn't feel I needed any sort of adapted alarm as DH is always here.

I have an appointment to request another hearing test as I do feel my hearing has declined, whether that's just the one side or both I don't really know.

I have no other health conditions that affect my daily living activities, so perhaps I wouldn't be eligible.

Hearing aids are considered a necessary aid. Particularly if you can’t manage without them. In terms of travel even with mine in I can’t hear tannoy announcements and struggle to lip read adequately in busy stressful environments. If I haven’t got someone with me on public transport it’s hard going.

I really relate to that, it can make for a very stressful day out. Do you find utilising private healthcare is easier than NHS?

DD is profoundly Deaf. She chose not to apply for PIP as when she looked at the form she felt she was able to manage the majority of the sections well enough and in the situations she finds difficult, claiming PIP would not make a difference.

Yes, along with the hearing loss I have bad tinnitus and tension headaches which I live with, but masseter botox helps minimise the severity but the nearest nhs provider is a 120 mile round trip and they can’t provide the treatment with the regularity it’s required. Privately it’s £200 a time but is the difference between being able to work and function more normally than not.

Difficulties need to affect you for 50% of the time. I'm not sure that 5/10 minutes a day of not being able to hear an alarm would be significant.

Oddly that is not the only issue.

Hmmm I'd be interested in this too, I'm profoundly deaf in both ears, qualify for a cochlear implant, but my hearing is so bad if that failed if only have 2% of haring left in one ear. Rely on dh to make phone calls etc. Also on 40mg of citralopam for anxiety and panic attacks. Not been able to work for 15 years. Never thought I'd be eligible

Surely once you’ve got a hearing aid you won’t have these problems?

I'm deaf in one ear and have 40% in my other ear, I only got 2 points in my assessment. I thing the OP may have difficulties in getting enough points to qualify for PIP. I go to a group for deaf people and only one person gets PIP and that's for 100% deafness.. It may be possible if engagement with others is effected but not very likely if you have partial hearing...plus at assessment if you engage with the assessor that going to work against the OP.

Also they would argue that getting a hearing aid may fix the issue.

im recently moderately deaf in one ear and average low in the other. Wouldn’t consider pip. I can work but I understand how hard it is. Hearing aids can’t make you hear how you would naturally, it’s still not the same. Unilateral hear loss is poorly understood. Sometimes I can hear people from across the room but then can’t even hear what ppl are saying right in front of me- then colleagues believe I’m lying or something for attention!

That's not how PIP works Everyday.

She will be affected in social situations and planning a journey. She could well get lower PIP.

FYI deafness will also qualify you for a disabled rail card