Yes, you can potentially get disability for hearing loss if your condition prevents you from working. You may be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits depending on your situation and the severity of your condition.
To qualify, you’ll need to meet specific criteria set by the Social Security Administration (SSA) or demonstrate through medical records and tests that your hearing loss limits your ability to perform any job. Read on to learn what types of hearing loss qualify, how to prove your condition, and how an attorney can help you to seek benefits.
Key Takeaways
- Hearing loss can qualify as a disability if it significantly affects your ability to work or communicate.
- The SSA Blue Book provides clear criteria for hearing-related impairments, including specific thresholds for hearing loss with or without cochlear implants.
- You may still qualify for benefits even without meeting a Blue Book listing by proving that your hearing loss makes it difficult to perform your past work or adapt to other types of jobs.
- Strong medical evidence is essential. You’ll need hearing tests like audiometry and word recognition scores, plus medical records and professional evaluations to support your claim.
- An experienced disability lawyer can guide you through the process, help you gather the correct documentation, and build your case to increase your chances of approval.
Table of Contents
- Is Hearing Loss Considered a Disability?
- What Type of Hearing Loss Qualifies for Disability?
- What If My Hearing Loss Doesn’t Meet a Blue Book Listing?
- How Do You Prove a Hearing Disability?
- Hearing Loss Disability Benefits: SSDI vs. SSI
- FAQs About Hearing Loss and Disability Benefits
- Legal Help for Hearing-Impaired Individuals Seeking Disability Benefits
Is Hearing Loss Considered a Disability?
Yes. According to the SSA and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), hearing loss is considered a disability when it substantially limits a person’s ability to hear and communicate, especially in work environments. If your condition affects your ability to perform your job or adapt to other work, you may be eligible for disability benefits.
What Type of Hearing Loss Qualifies for Disability?
The SSA outlines specific criteria for hearing-related disabilities in its official medical guide, the Blue Book. This guide includes Listings 2.10 and 2.11, which describe the conditions under which hearing loss qualifies for SSDI or SSI. To be approved, your condition must meet or medically equal the severity described in these listings, based on diagnostic testing and functional limitations.
Hearing Loss Without Cochlear Implants (Listing 2.10)
To qualify under this listing, your hearing loss must meet either of the following criteria:
- An average air conduction hearing threshold of at least 90 decibels (dB) and a bone conduction hearing threshold of 60 dB or more in the better ear
- A word recognition score of 40% or less in the better ear
Testing must be performed without hearing aids and conducted by a qualified medical professional using SSA-approved methods.
Hearing Loss With Cochlear Implants (Listing 2.11)
- Automatically considered disabled for 1 year after implantation.
- After 1 year, eligibility depends on your ability to recognize spoken words using the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) with a required score of 60% or less.
What If My Hearing Loss Doesn’t Meet a Blue Book Listing?
Even if your hearing loss doesn’t meet the exact criteria in the SSA’s Blue Book, you may still qualify for benefits through a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment. This process evaluates how your condition affects your ability to:
- Perform your previous work
- Adapt to any other type of work, considering your age, education, and job skills
Successfully proving disability through an RFC assessment can be complex and evidence-heavy. A disability attorney can help gather the right documentation, work with your medical providers, and present your case clearly to the SSA even if you don’t meet a specific listing.
How Do You Prove a Hearing Disability?
To qualify for disability due to hearing loss, you must show the SSA clear and convincing medical evidence that demonstrates how your condition limits your ability to work. The more comprehensive and organized your proof is, the stronger your claim will be.
Here are the key types of evidence and testing you may need:
- Audiometric Testing: This includes pure tone audiometry, speech recognition thresholds, and word recognition scores. These tests objectively measure your hearing sensitivity and how well you understand speech. They must be administered by a licensed audiologist using SSA-approved protocols and equipment.
- Otologic Examination: This exam is performed by a licensed physician, usually an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist. It helps rule out other conditions and evaluates the overall health and structure of your ears, providing a medical foundation for your diagnosis.
- Hearing in Noise Test (HINT): If you’ve received cochlear implants, this test is required to assess how well you recognize words in a noisy environment. A score of 60% or lower on the HINT may support eligibility after the first year of implantation.
- Functional Assessment: This documents how your hearing loss affects your daily activities and work-related tasks, such as following verbal instructions, using the telephone, or communicating with coworkers. Statements from employers, coworkers, or vocational experts can also be helpful here.
- Medical Records: You’ll need thorough documentation from ENT specialists, audiologists, or neurologists. This includes your diagnosis, treatment history, hearing test results, use of hearing aids or implants, and any observations about how your condition affects your functioning over time.
Working with an attorney can help ensure these components are properly gathered and presented. Your attorney can coordinate with your doctors, verify that testing meets SSA guidelines, and help build a persuasive claim that clearly demonstrates why you should qualify for disability benefits.
Hearing Loss Disability Benefits: SSDI vs. SSI
When applying for disability benefits due to hearing loss, it’s important to understand the 2 primary programs offered by the SSA. While both provide financial assistance, they serve different groups of people and have different eligibility requirements.
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI): This program is designed for people who have a sufficient work history and have paid into the Social Security system through payroll taxes. To qualify, you must earn enough “work credits”, which are based on your age and how long you’ve worked. If approved, your monthly benefit amount will depend on your prior earnings.
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI): SSI is a needs-based program intended for individuals with little to no income and limited assets, regardless of work history. It’s ideal for people who have never worked or haven’t earned enough to qualify for SSDI.
Understanding which program you qualify for, or if you should apply for both, is something a disability lawyer can help you determine based on your income, resources, and work history.
FAQs About Hearing Loss and Disability Benefits
There’s no single percentage used by the SSA. However, hearing thresholds above 90 dB or word recognition scores below 60% in both ears typically indicate severe enough hearing loss to qualify.
The SSA does not consider mild hearing loss a disability. Instead, moderate to profound bilateral hearing loss, especially if unaided and untreated, is more likely to qualify.
Cookie bite hearing loss, a type of hearing loss where a person has the most trouble hearing sounds in the mid-range frequencies, can qualify for disability if it meets SSA criteria. You must prove that the loss significantly limits your ability to work or communicate in common environments.
Yes, but it’s difficult. The SSA primarily evaluates bilateral hearing loss for disability purposes. However, if hearing loss in one ear causes balance problems, affects speech comprehension, or contributes to functional limitations in the workplace, you may still qualify.
Tinnitus alone is generally not considered disabling, but if it contributes to measurable hearing loss, you may be eligible. You’ll need comprehensive testing and medical records to show the functional impact of both conditions together.
Legal Help for Hearing-Impaired Individuals Seeking Disability Benefits
Applying for disability for hearing loss can be frustrating and confusing, especially when your condition doesn’t fall neatly into the SSA’s strict criteria or your initial claim has already been denied. At The Law Offices of Dr. Bill LaTour, we’re here to help you navigate the system, avoid common mistakes, and maximize your chances of approval.
We have years of experience helping hearing-impaired individuals in California secure the SSDI and SSI benefits they need. Whether your hearing loss is due to aging, injury, or another medical condition, our legal team will guide you through every step of the process with personalized care and proven strategies.
When you choose our firm, you gain a dedicated advocate who will:
- Help you understand your eligibility based on SSA’s Blue Book criteria and your unique medical history
- Coordinate required hearing tests and documentation to make sure your claim meets SSA standards
- Handle your paperwork, deadlines, and appeals, taking the stress out of dealing with the SSA on your own
- Communicate with doctors and specialists to ensure your medical records clearly support your disability claim
- Fight for your benefits, even if you’ve been denied in the past
Schedule Your Free Consultation
If your hearing loss is keeping you from working or managing daily life, don’t wait another day to seek help. The disability process is challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Call The Law Offices of Dr. Bill LaTour today or fill out our online form to schedule your free consultation. We’re ready to help you pursue disability benefits for your hearing loss and get the support you deserve.
