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Know Your Rights has been compiled by Kerry Citizens Information Service which provides a free and confidential service to the public…
Question: A work colleague told me that there is a payment to help with the cost of my hearing aids. How do I get this?
Answer: You can get help with the cost of your hearing aids under the Treatment Benefit Scheme run by the Department of Social Protection.
From 27 March 2021, you can get the full cost of a hearing aid up to a maximum of €500 or €1000 for a pair. Before this date, you had to pay at least half the cost of a hearing aid and repairs.
For example, if a hearing aid costs €600, you now only pay €100 for one aid or €200 for a pair. The scheme also covers the full cost of repairs to aids, up to a maximum of €100.
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The Treatment Benefit Scheme is available to workers (both employees and self-employed) and retired people who have enough social insurance (PRSI) contributions.
The amount of PRSI contributions that you need depends on your age. You can find out more about the PRSI contributions you need on citizensinformation.ie.
If you do not have enough PRSI contributions of your own, you may be able to qualify using your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant’s PRSI record. In this case, you must have been dependent on them before you started work or your gross income must be €100 or less per week.
You are not classified as a dependent if you are getting certain social welfare payments.
You should check your eligibility for the Treatment Benefit Scheme before buying your hearing aids. Your audiologist or hearing aid provider can do this for you.
To find out if you qualify for the Scheme, your hearing aid provider or audiologist will need some information about you, such as your date of birth and your PPS number.
Before your treatment, you will need to sign a consent form agreeing to them having your information and giving it to the Department of Social Protection.
If you are claiming as a dependant on the PRSI record of your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant both you and your spouse or partner will need to sign the consent form.
There are also dental benefits and optical benefits available under the Treatment Benefit Scheme.
You can read more about the Treatment Benefit Scheme on www.citizensinformation.ie
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