GARP Chapter 7: Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, Explained Simply

Chapter 7 covers hearing loss, tinnitus, and the rest of the ears, nose and throat.

Hearing is the most claimed condition in the veteran community. It is also the most mathematical chapter in the Guide.

The short version

1. You have a hearing test (an audiogram).
2. Six frequencies are read off it and turned into a percentage of hearing lost.
3. An amount is subtracted for normal age-related hearing loss.
4. What is left becomes your impairment points.
5. Tinnitus is scored separately, on top.

The hearing test rules

Four things make a test usable:

• It must be recent. No more than six months old. If you say your hearing has got worse in the last six months, it must be no more than six weeks old.
• It must test the right frequencies: 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hz.
• It usually needs bone conduction as well as air conduction. Not always, but often.
• It must make sense against your history and any older tests.

And one more: the test is done without your hearing aids in. Hearing aids do not reduce your rating.

Why age is subtracted

Everyone loses hearing as they get older. That part is not service related, so it comes off.

It is called presbyacusis, and there is a set table for it. The older you are, the more is subtracted. This is normal and it is not DVA being difficult — but it does mean an older veteran with the same audiogram as a younger one will score less.

Only one hearing number

However many labels are on your file — "right sensorineural deafness", "left conductive deafness", "noise induced hearing loss" — you get one hearing score. The Guide treats it as a single loss of function.

Tinnitus is the exception. It gets its own separate rating.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is scored on how much it interferes with your life. The things that matter:

• Is it there all the time, or does it come and go?
• Does it stop you getting to sleep?
• Does it wake you?
• Does it stop you concentrating?
• Do you need masking, a device, or medication?
• Have you had treatment for it, like CBT?

"It's always there but you get used to it" scores low. If it actually costs you sleep and concentration, say that.

One ear only

If only one ear is accepted, there is a special rule — the "paired organs" policy in Chapter 7. It recognises that when one ear is damaged, the other one matters more. It can lift your score. Ask whether it has been applied.

The rest of ENT

Part 7.2 covers everything else:

• chronic sinusitis and nasal blockage
• rhinitis
• loss of smell and taste
• voice and throat conditions, including hoarseness
• ear discharge, perforated eardrums, ear infections
• dizziness and balance problems — though vertigo attacks are usually better rated under Chapter 15

These are small numbers individually. They still push your combined total up.

What this means for you

• Get a fresh audiogram. Within six months. Six weeks if your hearing has changed recently.
• Ask for bone conduction to be done at the same time.
• Claim tinnitus separately. It is a second rating.
• Describe the tinnitus honestly. Sleep and concentration are what count.
• Ask about the paired organs rule if only one ear is accepted.
• Do not forget sinus, smell and taste. They are separate small scores.

Common questions

Should I take my hearing aids out for the test?

Yes. Impairment is measured unaided. Wearing them would understate your loss.

My hearing loss was accepted years ago. Do I need a new test?

Yes, if you are being assessed now. The audiogram has to be current for the period being assessed.

Why did my mate get more for the same test result?

Almost always age. Less is subtracted from a younger veteran's loss.

Is tinnitus really worth claiming on its own?

Yes. It is a separate rating from hearing loss, and for many veterans it is the more disabling of the two.

Next in this series

Chapter 8: eyes and vision.

Want a hand with yours?

If you have a permanent impairment assessment coming up, we do these every week. Call 0429 146 039 or email reception@vhc.org.au.

More reading

What is the GARP? · The chapter map · DVA Claims: PI points calculator · Permanent Impairment Assessments · DVA claims · SoP library

This is general information for Australian veterans. It is not legal advice. It explains Chapter 7 of the Guide to Determining Impairment and Compensation 2026 (F2026L00595), which started on 1 July 2026. The full rules are on the Federal Register of Legislation. Check your own situation with DVA on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).