Entitlement to any benefit?

poppy217

I am wondering if anyone can help me as it seems very difficult to find out an answer to this question without going through application process which I am not ready to do yet.
I have recently been diagnosed as hard of hearing, it is a degenerate deafness so it will lead to profound deafness. I am a wife and mother of two small children. I do currently work part time for two hours each morning but my job is becoming more and more difficult as I cant hear the people around me or on the telephoen. This would obviously be the same in any job and leads to alot of anxiety and confusion - especially when I mishear things or cant hear what my boss just said!
Having said that, people obviously say its just my ears that dont work so there must be other things I can do which is true to a point but also not true for the above reasons and the extreme loss of confidence that I, personally am suffering.
In this respect, am I entitled to any type of benefit for this disability? I will not be entitled to Income Support I believe as my husband works. Can anyone please advise me about any entitlement I may have?
Many thanks

healy

You may be able to get some DLA if you have care and mobility needs.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/disabledpeople/financialsupport/dg_10011731

poppy217

I havent really got care or mobility issues in that sense. Obviously, I am progressively missing people speaking or noises around me and that will get worse but Im perfectly able to look after myself and get about providing I dont need to hear something - my name being called for example.

dmg24

I agree DLA may be suitable. It would be difficult to claim ESA as there are many jobs that deaf people can do, even those who are profoundly deaf.

If your condition is affecting your mental health, perhaps you need to discuss this with your GP? They may be able to refer you for support in adapting to your condition.

poppy217

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I quite agree about deaf people still being perfectly able but I do believe this is if they are confident people. I, unfortunately have just got my life back together after many years in an abusive relationship and have now been told this so it has thrown me sideways a little bit as I know Im not the type of person to stick up for myself when people will inevitably treat me like I am stupid. However, I am determined to not let it beat me and will find a way to make it work but am currently struggling at work and obviously will continue to do so.

What is ESA? What is the new equivilent to Incapacity Benefit?

Francesanne

poppy217 wrote: »

I havent really got care or mobility issues in that sense. Obviously, I am progressively missing people speaking or noises around me and that will get worse but Im perfectly able to look after myself and get about providing I dont need to hear something - my name being called for example.

Have they suggested a hearing aid might help you?

dmg24

ESA is the new Incapacity Benefit.

I would also consider contacting one of the deafness charities to see what they can offer to help with your condition.

The problem with going down the sickness benefits for a condition like this is that, once you have chosen to go down this route, chances are that you will never get back to work. I know it is tough, but I would work at overcoming your barriers and staying in work.

poppy217

Yes, it would help and make some of life easier but hearing aids will not solve the problem of mumbling people (and there are an awful lot of them) or people who speak to you whilst looking down or away or even worse with their hands over their mouth. They also dont help in group situations, in rooms that echo or meetings. As much as they will help whilst I have residual hearing and Im grateful for that, it wont solve all my problems im afraid.

poppy217

Thank you again for your response. This is also something I am aware of as I have only just returned to work two years ago and just starting to build a career from scratch after not having the freedom to leave the house etc so this is a bit of a blow. I have had my heart set on doing a degree in social work/psychology so that I would be able to help others like me so the thought of not working again is devastating in that sense but I also sense I am wanting to recluse myself as a way of protecting me.
Thank you for your help and I will look into contacting the deaf charities and see where this leads.

sunnyone

You need to try aids, they only amplify and dampen some sounds but they will help for some things and you can get special settings to use with special phones in the hard of hearing stage of deafness, did they give you the level of your deafness?

Diagnosed hard of hearing wouldnt warrent a DLA claim though hearing is classed as a bodily function but being verbal and having the ability to write muddy the waters.

I would hold out working for now, you can ask for suitable adjustments under the DDA from your employer and access to work can help with phones but not hearing aids now, they did till a couple of years ago but dont do it now.

NHS digital hearing aids are very good today and virtually invisable, no one can see mine but I am having bright blue molds made because at my level of deafness it helps for my deafness to be visable.

I have cards to give people to allow me to understand them better, hints cards from my deafened society to help with the hands over mouths etc,they come in very usefull especially with strangers.

There is no reason you cant do a degree with your deafness and there is lots of help available to disabled students in this day and age.

Being deaf isnt the end of the world, it did feel like that when I found out in my early teens and when you are newly diagnosed you just see your world turned on end, you probably have been compensating for your deafness for a long time before you sort help and you keep going doing the same things to manage.

If you can remember your level of deafness it would help to give you advice on DLA, your local social services can help with a sensory social worker and give you links to your local deaf charity which is invaluble and they will help you with a DLA claim.

Hear-Hear

Poppy wrote: "it is a degenerate deafness so it will lead to profound deafness".
Whoever told you that ought to be shot. Sensori-neural hearing loss certainly never improves, and hearing deteriorates naturally, but no-one can ever predict the extent to which it will deteriorate.

"but hearing aids will not solve the problem of mumbling people".
This is the most common symptom of sensori-neural hearing loss (sometimes called hearing nerve deafness). A pair of good digital hearing aids will not _fix_ your hearing but will correct it in a way that you will be able to hear starts and ends of words SO much better. The words will stop tumbling into each other, and you will hear more CLEARLY rather than more LOUDLY. Only the very basic digital aids add volume, whereas aids with 6 to 12 channels ar elikely to make a massive difference to your speech understanding, especiually in background noise. (The NHS Siemens Reflex in 12 channel, for instance, whereas the [outdated] NHS Siemens Prisma is only 4 channel). Looking at 12 channels+, if you can, can really change your life.

As your GP to arrange a test for you, or arrange one for yourself at places like Boots and Specsavers. You can even try aids there to see what a difference they could make, and help to understand how they work.