Average DVA Payout for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus (2026)

Most veterans with service-related hearing loss and tinnitus receive between $20,000 and $170,000 in permanent impairment compensation under the MRCA, depending on severity, lifestyle impact, and whether you take a lump sum or fortnightly payments. Mild hearing loss with minor tinnitus sits at the lower end. Severe bilateral loss with constant, debilitating tinnitus pushes well past $100,000. These are separate conditions under DVA’s assessment system, and each attracts its own impairment points. That distinction matters more than most veterans realise.

Hearing loss and tinnitus are the two most commonly claimed DVA conditions. If you served in any role with weapons exposure, vehicle noise, engine rooms, aviation, or heavy equipment, you almost certainly meet the SoP threshold. Here’s how the payout is calculated, what drives the amount up or down, and what evidence you need.

How DVA calculates your hearing loss and tinnitus payout

DVA assesses permanent impairment using GARP M (Guide to Determining Impairment and Compensation). Your payout depends on three things: your impairment points, your lifestyle effects rating, and whether your service was warlike/non-warlike or peacetime.

Hearing loss assessment (GARP M Chapter 7, Table 7.1)

An accredited audiologist conducts a professional audiogram measuring pure-tone thresholds at 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000, 4000, and 6000 Hz. The results are converted into a percentage of binaural hearing loss using the NAL (National Acoustic Laboratories) procedure. That percentage maps to impairment points via Table 7.1.

Hearing loss has a reduced minimum threshold of 5 impairment points (most other conditions require 10). Mild cases often score 0 points. Moderate bilateral loss typically scores 5 to 15 points. Severe loss can reach 40 or more.

DVA must deduct age-related hearing deterioration (presbyacusis) before determining the service-related component. This is where disputes often arise. If your in-service audiograms show normal hearing at enlistment and significant loss at discharge or shortly after, the service connection is strong.

Tinnitus assessment (GARP M Chapter 7, Table 7.2)

Tinnitus is assessed separately from hearing loss under Table 7.2 (Miscellaneous ENT Disorders). The primary measurement tool is the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), a 25-question self-report covering eight domains, each scored 0 to 10. The total score ranges from 0 to 100.

The maximum tinnitus rating is 15 impairment points. That cap exists regardless of how severe your symptoms are. But 15 points of tinnitus combined with hearing loss points can push your total significantly higher.

How the two conditions combine

Hearing loss and tinnitus are assessed under different GARP M tables (7.1 and 7.2), then combined using the whole-person combination method. They are not simply added together. A veteran with 15 points of hearing loss and 10 points of tinnitus won’t get 25 combined. The combination formula produces a slightly lower number, but both conditions contribute meaningfully to your total.

Your combined impairment points and lifestyle effects rating are then cross-referenced against Table 23.1 (warlike/non-warlike) or Table 23.2 (peacetime) to produce a compensation factor, which is multiplied by the maximum weekly rate of $431.84 (as at January 2026).

What your payout looks like in dollars

These ranges assume warlike or non-warlike service. Peacetime rates are approximately 40 to 55% lower at the same impairment level.

Hearing loss only (warlike/non-warlike service)

Tinnitus only (warlike/non-warlike service)

Combined hearing loss and tinnitus: A veteran with moderate hearing loss (10 to 15 points) and moderate tinnitus (5 to 10 points) could reach 15 to 25 combined impairment points, translating to roughly $66 to $115 per week or $85,000 to $147,000 as a lump sum (age 35, warlike service).

All amounts are tax-free and exempt from means testing for Service Pension purposes. Lump sum amounts decrease with age due to actuarial conversion factors.

What affects your payout

Severity of hearing loss

The audiogram results determine your points. Worse hearing equals more points. Bilateral loss scores higher than unilateral.

TFI score for tinnitus

This is a self-reported questionnaire. Be honest and thorough. Military culture encourages underreporting symptoms. If your tinnitus wakes you at night, interferes with conversations, or requires masking sounds to manage, your TFI should reflect that.

Service classification

Warlike and non-warlike service attract higher compensation factors than peacetime service at every impairment level. The gap narrows at higher impairment points and disappears entirely at 80 points.

Age at election

Younger veterans receive larger lump sums because the actuarial conversion factor is higher. A 30-year-old gets roughly 26% more than a 50-year-old for the same weekly rate. If you’re considering a lump sum, age matters.

Lifestyle effects

The four-domain lifestyle rating (personal relationships, mobility, recreation, employment) can shift your compensation factor within each impairment point level. If tinnitus affects your sleep, concentration at work, and social activities, document that.

Presbyacusis deduction

DVA deducts estimated age-related hearing loss. If you’re older, the deduction is larger. Having in-service audiograms showing the onset and progression of loss during service strengthens your position against excessive deductions.

Comorbid conditions

Hearing loss and tinnitus often co-occur with other conditions including balance disorders, anxiety, and depression from chronic tinnitus. Each separately diagnosed condition can attract its own impairment points. Claim them all.

The SoP factors DVA uses to accept your claim

Hearing loss (SoP 98/2019, as amended)

The core noise exposure factor requires exposure to noise of at least 85 dBA as an 8-hour time-weighted average with a 3-dB exchange rate. That means 88 dBA for 4 hours, 91 dBA for 2 hours, or 94 dBA for 1 hour produce equivalent exposure.

For warlike/non-warlike service (reasonable hypothesis standard), you need at least 180 days of cumulative exposure without adequate hearing protection before clinical onset. For peacetime service (balance of probabilities standard), the threshold is one year.

Peak sound pressure of 140 dB(C) or more at the tympanic membrane covers acute acoustic trauma from weapons fire, explosions, and artillery. A single exposure event can satisfy this factor.

DVA maintains a list of military occupations assumed to exceed 85 dBA daily. Infantry, artillery, armoured corps, aviation (helicopter and fixed-wing ground crew), naval engineering, combat engineers, signals, vehicle mechanics, and small arms instructors are all listed. If your occupation is on this list, the noise exposure requirement is effectively presumed.

Tinnitus (SoP 84/2020, as amended)

Tinnitus can be claimed through the same noise exposure factors as hearing loss. It can also be claimed as a secondary condition to accepted sensorineural hearing loss. This secondary pathway is important: if DVA has already accepted your hearing loss, tinnitus can be accepted as a linked condition without you meeting independent noise exposure thresholds.

How to get assessed and what evidence you need

• Professional audiogram from an accredited audiologist (Australian Hearing or equivalent), including bone conduction studies. Service audiograms are useful baseline evidence but do not meet DVA’s diagnostic standards.
• TFI questionnaire administered by your audiologist or treating practitioner. DVA delegates rely on TFI scores for tinnitus impairment ratings. Without a TFI score, you risk underassessment.
• ENT or audiologist specialist report linking your hearing loss and tinnitus to service noise exposure, addressing your service history, noise sources, and the progression of symptoms.
• Noise exposure documentation: service records showing your occupation, deployments, weapons qualifications, vehicle assignments, and any noise-related incidents.
• Buddy statements from colleagues who can attest to the noise environment in your unit or role.

Common mistakes to avoid: not claiming hearing loss and tinnitus as separate conditions (each attracts its own impairment points); relying on GP assessment instead of a specialist audiologist; underreporting tinnitus severity on the TFI; not documenting all noise sources across your entire service career.

DVA commonly disputes: attributing too much hearing loss to presbyacusis; not accepting tinnitus as secondary to hearing loss; using outdated audiometric data; under-rating lifestyle effects. Hearing loss is one of DVA’s streamlined processing conditions. The dispute is rarely about whether DVA accepts the claim. It’s about how many impairment points you receive.

Frequently asked questions

How much is DVA tinnitus compensation worth?

Tinnitus alone typically attracts 5 to 15 impairment points under GARP M, depending on your TFI score. At 10 points with warlike service, that’s approximately $47.93 per week or $61,000 as a lump sum for a 35-year-old. The maximum tinnitus rating is 15 points. Combined with hearing loss, total compensation is significantly higher.

Can I claim hearing loss and tinnitus separately?

Yes. They are assessed under different GARP M tables (Table 7.1 for hearing loss, Table 7.2 for tinnitus) and each attracts its own impairment points. Always claim them as separate conditions. The points combine under the whole-of-person approach.

What TFI score do I need for tinnitus compensation?

You generally need a TFI score of at least 32 to attract impairment points. Scores below 32 typically result in 0 points. A score of 54 to 72 (severe) usually rates 10 to 15 points. Scores above 73 (very severe) attract the maximum 15 points.

Does DVA accept hearing loss claims from everyone who served?

Nearly all military occupations involve noise exposure exceeding 85 dBA. DVA maintains a list of occupations assumed to meet the SoP threshold. If you served in a listed occupation, the noise exposure requirement is effectively presumed. The dispute is usually about impairment severity, not whether the condition is service-related.

What audiogram do I need for a DVA hearing loss claim?

You need a professional audiogram from an accredited audiologist, including bone conduction testing. Service audiograms don’t meet DVA’s diagnostic standards but are useful baseline evidence showing your hearing was normal at enlistment and deteriorated during service.

Are DVA hearing loss and tinnitus payments taxed?

No. All MRCA permanent impairment payments are completely tax-free and exempt from means testing for Service Pension purposes. This applies to both periodic (fortnightly) payments and lump sums.

How long does a DVA hearing loss claim take?

MRCA initial liability claims currently average around 108 days for claims lodged in the last 12 months. Hearing loss is one of DVA’s streamlined processing conditions, so acceptance is often faster. Permanent impairment assessment adds additional time after liability is accepted.