Hearing Aids

Many of you will have read the letter from L. Garner of Upper Hutt concerning hearing aids, and who to ask to pay for them, War Pensions Services or ACC.

As other readers of the RSA Review have pointed out you need to choose carefully. I would urge all those who have hearing loss that could be attributed to service, and particularly war service, to think first of making that War Disablement Pension claim. You will not only receive treatment in the form of hearing aids, which can be replaced as the years roll on, but you will normally also receive a War Disablement Pension and a battery allowance. As I stated in my article in December not everyone needs the most expensive aids. People need the aids most suited to their circumstances, and War Pensions Services will pay higher amounts for hearing aids if there are good reasons for doing so.

The inclusion of your hearing loss on a War Disablement Pension claim could make the difference between your reaching 70% and the chance to claim a Veteran’s Pension (see above) and your (later) widow to claim Surviving Spouse’s Pension, and not receiving those extra benefits.