Disability Benefits for Hearing Loss

How SSA Evaluates Hearing Loss

SSA evaluates hearing loss under the special senses listings in section 2.00, with different rules depending on whether you have a cochlear implant. The measurements must come from proper audiometry performed without hearing aids, because SSA wants to know your actual, unaided hearing.

• 2.10 — hearing loss not treated with a cochlear implant. You meet this listing in one of two ways:
  • an average air-conduction hearing threshold of 90 decibels or greater in your better ear, together with an average bone-conduction threshold of 60 decibels or greater in your better ear (measured at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz); or
  • a word recognition score of 40 percent or less in your better ear, using a standardized speech test.
• 2.11 — hearing loss treated with a cochlear implant. If you have a cochlear implant, SSA considers you disabled for one year after the surgery. After that year, you continue to meet the listing if your word recognition score is 60 percent or less on an approved sentence test.

How the Testing Works

The audiometry must be performed by a qualified professional using calibrated equipment, and speech testing must use a standardized word list. SSA generally requires that the testing be done in a way it can rely on, and it may ask for an evaluation by an otolaryngologist (ENT) if the records are unclear. Hearing loss that does not meet these exact thresholds can still be significant, and SSA will consider it, along with any related problems like severe tinnitus or balance disorders, when deciding what work you can do.

Medical Evidence for a Hearing Loss Claim

Hearing claims depend on standardized testing, so your file should include:

• Audiometry results — pure-tone air and bone conduction thresholds for each ear, measured without hearing aids.
• Word recognition scores — speech discrimination testing using a standardized word list for each ear.
• An ENT or audiologist evaluation describing the type and cause of your hearing loss.
• Cochlear implant records, if applicable, including the surgery date and post-implant sentence testing.
• Documentation of related problems — tinnitus, vertigo, or balance disorders that add to your limitations.

Because SSA relies on precise numbers, it is important that the audiometry is performed correctly with calibrated equipment and reported clearly. Ask your audiologist or ENT to record thresholds and word recognition scores for each ear separately, and to note how your hearing loss affects communication in daily life and at work. If your hearing loss is progressive or linked to another condition, records over time help SSA understand the full picture.

Qualifying Through an RFC Assessment

If your hearing loss does not meet the specific thresholds in listing 2.10, SSA assesses residual functional capacity (RFC) — how your hearing affects the work you can do. Significant hearing loss makes it hard to understand speech, follow spoken instructions, and communicate with coworkers and customers, which rules out many jobs that depend on verbal interaction or telephone use.

Safety is another concern: SSA will restrict work around hazards where you must hear warnings, alarms, or approaching equipment. Severe tinnitus can interfere with concentration, and balance problems that sometimes accompany inner-ear disorders can limit work at heights or on uneven surfaces. SSA combines these limits into an RFC and compares it to your past work and other jobs. While people with hearing loss can often perform many types of work, the limitation becomes more significant when combined with other conditions or when few suitable jobs match your background, age, and skills.

Tips for a Stronger Hearing Loss Claim

• Get tested without hearing aids. SSA measures your unaided hearing, so make sure the audiometry reflects your actual thresholds.
• Include word recognition scores. A score of 40 percent or less in your better ear can meet the listing even when your thresholds are close.
• Use qualified testing. Audiometry should be done by an audiologist or ENT with calibrated equipment so SSA can rely on it.
• Document tinnitus and balance problems, which can add to your limitations beyond the hearing numbers.
• If you have a cochlear implant, note the surgery date, since you are considered disabled for one year afterward and evaluated on sentence testing after that.