Payments for illness, retirement, old age, caring, widowhood, maternity and unemployment are provided by the Department of Social and Family Affairs, including Disability Allowance and the Treatment Benefit Scheme.

Disability Allowance and Treatment Benefit are social insurance schemes which could allow you to receive help with your hearing loss or the cost of hearing aids. Your entitlement to these schemes depends on your payment of the correct number of PRSI contributions in a set time.

Disability Allowance

Disability Allowance (DA) is a means-tested weekly allowance paid to people aged 16 to 66 with a disability. At the age of 66 and over claimants will not qualify for DA but will be assessed for a state pension. Those who qualify for Disability Allowance could also qualify for supplementary welfare payments and extra social welfare benefits.

The following is a link to the Disability Allowance section of the Department of Social and Family Affairs website if you would like more information. Here you can also find the specific rules of entitlement: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/IllnessDisabilityAndCaring/PeoplewithDisabilities/DisabilityAllowance/Pages/da.aspx

The Treatment Benefit Scheme

You could qualify for help with the cost of hearing aids or hearing aid repair through the Treatment Benefit Scheme if you have made the necessary PRSI contributions.

The Department of Social and Family Affairs will pay up to half the cost of a hearing aid or up to half the cost of its repair, up to a fixed maximum contribution of €500 for each hearing aid every four years. You may also be entitled to receive benefit for hearing aid(s) supplied in other EU states.

• Application forms MA1 and MA2 (Dependent Spouses) are available at all Advance Clinics.
• Excluding any Treatment Benefit paid, each person may claim 20% income tax relief on their own portion of the cost of the hearing aid purchase. Forms Med 1 (Allowable Medical Expenses Claims) are available from Advance Hearing Aid Centres.

Please click on the following link for more information on the Treatment Benefit Scheme where you can find out whether you qualify for it, and how to apply: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publications/SW24/Pages/2HowdoIqualify.aspx