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Industrial Deafness

Volume 195: debated on Tuesday 23 July 1991

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To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what criteria are applied by his Department for those seeking disablement benefit for industrial deafness; and if he will make a statement.

To qualify for disablement benefit for occupational deafness a person must (a) have worked for at least 10 years in one or more of the occupations for which the disease is prescribed; (b) if no longer in a prescribed occupation, claim within five years of leaving that work; and (c) suffer sensorineural hearing loss of at least 50 decibels in each year, being due in the case of at least one ear to noise at work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were awarded disablement benefit for industrial deafness in the last 12 months.

There were approximately 1,200 new awards of industrial injuries disablement benefit due to industrial deafness in the year to 1 April 1989, the latest period for which figures are available.