New figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that Brits with 14 hearing disorders may be able to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP), with successful claimants potentially receiving up to £194.60 per week.
PIP is a benefit paid out by the DWP that can help with extra living costs if you have both a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, and difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition. It comes in two parts: daily living and mobility. The daily living component is based on whether you're able to do a range of household tasks like washing and cooking, while the mobility component is based on your mobility and travel requirements.
The benefit is available to people aged 16 and over and under State Pension age. You'll continue getting it beyond that point if you have an approved claim, but you generally can't make a new claim after reaching State Pension age.
PIP payment rates
PIP is paid out at two rates, depending on your needs. For daily living, the lower rate is £76.70 per week, while the higher rate is £114.60 per week. For the mobility part, the lower rate is £30.30 per week, and the higher rate is £80.
This means you can get £194.60 per week in total if you meet the eligibility for the higher rate in both England and Wales. Northern Ireland has PIP, and though it's a devolved matter, the rules largely run in parallel with those in the rest of the UK.
PIP has been replaced with the Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in Scotland, though it also has most of the same eligibility criteria.
Full list of hearing disorders
Below is the full list of hearing disorders that were identified in the last quarterly totals to July 2026 as the primary disabling condition on successful PIP claims that unlocked the daily living component, the mobility component, or a combination of the two:
- Chronic secretory otitis media
- Chronic suppurative otitis media
- Conductive hearing loss - Other causes of / type not known
- Conductive hearing loss due to Trauma
- Mastoiditis
- Otitis externa - chronic
- Otosclerosis
- Deafness - congenital
- Labyrinthitis
- Menieres disease
- Sensorineural hearing loss - Other causes of / type not known
- Sensorineural hearing loss due to Trauma
- Hearing loss - mixed
- Disease affecting hearing & balance - Other/ type not known
Many people were awarded the enhanced rate for both. However, it's important to note that PIP isn't given just for a specific diagnosis. Entitlement is decided based on how a long-term health condition or disability affects someone's ability to carry out specific daily living and mobility activities, as per The Daily Record.
This assessment is made by the DWP, informed by independent medical advice. You therefore should not be put off from making a claim just because the condition you have doesn't feature on the list, which isn't definitive.
