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Members who are Potential Claimants for Hearing Aids

Jul 23, 2019Update

The Union had been advised by Michael Barnes of Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers (Our Legal Firm) that there has been a significant change, for the worse, in terms of the availability of funding to investigate hearing aid claims for Union members.

WIRO, as the body responsible for the funding as at 1 January 2019, advises it will no longer provide funding for the purpose of investigating or pursuing a claim for hearing aids if the member is eligible for subsidised hearing services under the Australian Government Department of Health Hearing Services Program.

WIRO will not provide Grants of Aid for members who, putting in its simplest, are not still working and who may be in receipt of a range of federal Government benefits.

If you have a concern regarding hearing loss, it should be investigated now rather than after your “retirement”.

It may have been an old tail or folk law to the effect:

  1. You are better off putting your claims off until you retire or about to retire; and/or
  2. You can have more than one claim.

That is not the case.

If you are concerned about hearing loss and you have been advised of any hearing abnormality, get in contact with the Union now so you can be referred to Carroll & O’Dea for legal advice.

Michael Barnes has advised that the WIRO constraint on funding relates only to hearing aids and does not relate directly to the possibility of pursuing a claim for whole person impairment under to Section 66.

Members should not be completely disheartened by this news, they should be motivated to get early advice. Please contact the Union for your referral.

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