Sensorineural hearing loss is one of the most common service-related conditions claimed through DVA, and one of the most underclaimed. If you spent years working around aircraft, artillery, armoured vehicles, or firearms, your hearing damage is almost certainly service-related.
DVA compensates hearing loss under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) for post-2004 service, and under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) or Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA) for earlier service. The right Act depends on when and how you served, but the pathway is the same: establish that your hearing loss is caused or aggravated by your ADF service.
Many veterans accept hearing loss as an inevitable part of service and never claim. That's leaving real money on the table. Even mild-to-moderate bilateral hearing loss can attract significant impairment points and a meaningful lump sum, plus fully funded hearing aids for life.
Why Hearing Loss is common in the ADF
The ADF operates some of the loudest environments in any workplace. Jet aircraft on flight decks, artillery fire, small arms on ranges, armoured vehicle engines, and explosives all generate noise levels that cause permanent cochlear damage. Repeated exposure over a service career, even with hearing protection, accumulates damage that standard audiometric thresholds don't always capture until years later.
The occupations at highest risk include combat engineers, infantrymen, cavalry troopers, artillerymen, RAAF ground crew, and naval personnel who work on or near the flight deck. But hearing loss isn't limited to these roles. Anyone who fired weapons on service exercises, spent time in noisy vehicles, or worked near heavy machinery has meaningful exposure to claim against.
Medical access
Provisional Access to Medical Treatment (PAMT)
Hearing Loss is on the PAMT list. This means you can access funded medical treatment while your DVA claim is being assessed — you do not need to wait for a liability decision to start treatment.
Hearing aids (fully funded, including fitting and ongoing maintenance)
Audiologist assessments and follow-up appointments
Cochlear implant assessments where clinically indicated
Hearing rehabilitation services
Deadline: PAMT applications for Hearing Loss must be lodged by 30 June 2026. After this date, PAMT will no longer be available as the VETS Act takes effect. Do not wait.
Statement of Principles — in plain English
DVA assesses your claim against a Statement of Principles (SoP). Here are the key factors that most commonly apply to Hearing Loss claims, translated from the legal language.
Cumulative noise exposure at work, the main pathway for most veterans
Exposure to a cumulative noise exposure of at least 85 dB(A) LAeq8h for a cumulative period of at least 5 years
Acute acoustic trauma: a single loud event that caused immediate hearing damage
Exposure to a noise level of at least 130 dB(A) peak sound pressure level on a single occasion
Gunfire or explosion exposure without adequate hearing protection
Attendance at a single firing event or explosion generating noise above impulse noise thresholds
Ototoxic drug exposure: some medications used in service damage hearing
Exposure to an ototoxic substance as defined in the SoP, including aminoglycosides, cisplatin, and quinine derivatives
Conditions that commonly develop alongside
Veterans with Hearing Loss often develop related conditions that may also be claimable. These are worth assessing at the same time as your primary claim.
What to expect for impairment points
Hearing loss is assessed using audiometric data, specifically the permanent threshold shift (PTS) across speech frequencies (500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, and 3000 Hz) in both ears. DVA uses the GARP M tables to convert your audiogram results into impairment points.
Mild bilateral hearing loss typically attracts 0–5 impairment points. Moderate bilateral loss often falls in the 5–15 point range. Severe bilateral hearing loss can reach 20+ points. The exact points depend on which frequencies are affected and by how much. A properly formatted audiogram from a qualified audiologist is essential. A GP hearing screen is not sufficient.
Veterans with tinnitus alongside hearing loss can claim both conditions and combine the impairment points. Given how commonly they occur together, having both assessed at the same time usually makes sense.
Use the DVA PI Points CalculatorWhat a strong Hearing Loss claim looks like
Audiologist report with full audiometric testing: pure tone audiometry and speech discrimination scores across all frequencies
Service records showing noise-hazardous postings, weapons handling qualifications, and relevant deployments
Workplace noise exposure history: unit records, platform logs, or statutory declaration from yourself or a colleague
Prior audiometric records from your ADF career (these are held by Defence Health and can be requested through your service records)
Medical history documenting when hearing loss was first diagnosed and whether it has progressed
Statement from you detailing your specific noise exposures, whether hearing protection was available and worn, and the progression of your symptoms
DVA currently takes 3–6 months to decide most initial liability claims. Complex or multi-condition claims can take longer. Lodging a complete, decision-ready claim upfront reduces back-and-forth.
Processing times guideCommon questions about Hearing Loss claims
Ready to claim Hearing Loss?
Book a free consultation and we'll walk you through whether your condition meets the SoP factors, what evidence you need, and how to build a decision-ready claim.
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