hearing loss and PIP

Would like to hear from anyone with hearing loss as part of their reason for claiming PIP. In particular how you have argued your case when the hearing loss affects your confidence to travel especially to unfamiliar places. Also when it affects your ability to socialise in a group as your hearing loss means you can't hear well enough to follow the conversation & therefore join in, leaving you isolated. Any hints on how best to argue this with DWP? And your success or otherwise in getting sufficient points to get at least the standard rates? Many thanks.

Hi Sam I was on DLA mid rate and just been awarded standard care without having an assessment but I plan to request a MR to argue that I should score 10 points for mobility as I wont go to unfamiliar places alone due to my deafness and also the anxiety I suffer. I was awarded 8 points for communication needs and none for social mixing so I am thinking of appealing that too. I wrote 12 pages of additional evidence to explain my situation just spelling out how hard it is and giving examples of the problems I have pleased in someway they awarded me no less than previously but think I meet descriptors too for low mobility and possibly high care if I get 4 for social mixing.

Hi nickjb ...reply appreciated... . Was beginning to feel a bit alone with regard to hearing loss issues and PIP! I got nowhere through explaining myself how my hearing loss affects me even though I went into detail. No luck at MR stage so now having to Appeal. Decided that I need professional report and audiologist has now confirmed I can get such a report identifying how my hearing loss affects my ability to handle berbal communication. It baffles me how they decide on points for socialising with others...I can't follow speech in a group or in noisy environments and so suffer social isolation and exclusion as a result yet I got no points. Like you I won't travel to unfamiliar places due to a mixture of my hearing loss and another condition and the anxiety / safety issues I feel in such a situation but still I got no points for that....I was told I could get travel info via internet on my phone.....

Can I ask you if you have always been deaf and use sign language or whether your hearing loss is from a later point in life? My hearing loss appeared in my early middle age and so I never learnt sign language and speak normally. All help welcome.

Any other ideas anyone?

FAO Moderators.... Could one of you kindly point me in the direction of where exactly in the PIP guides etc it addresses the issue of hearing loss/deafness in relation to applying for PIP? Would be much appreciated.

Still hoping someone can help/ share with me some tips/ideas on how best to deal with communication difficulties in a PIP claim.