Can I claim if I have already left the armed forces?

Yes. Both veterans and currently serving personnel can claim. There is no requirement to still be in service. Many successful claimants left the armed forces years or decades before making their claim.

Do I need a formal hearing test to start?

No. You do not need an existing audiogram or formal diagnosis. A free assessment will determine whether your symptoms and service history support a claim, and the solicitor arranges the independent audiological examination as part of the process.

Will making a claim affect my pension or benefits?

No. A civil negligence claim against the MoD is entirely separate from military pension entitlements and state benefits. Your pension is not at risk.

What if I served in more than one branch?

If you served in multiple branches of the armed forces, your full service history is considered. Noise exposure from all periods of service counts towards the claim.

Armed forces hearing loss claims: how to get the compensation you are owed

Hearing loss is one of the most common and most undercompensated injuries in the British Armed Forces. Many veterans accept it as an inevitable consequence of service. It is not. The MoD had a legal duty to protect your hearing, and when it failed to do so — through inadequate hearing protection, poor risk assessment, or lack of audiometric testing — you have the right to claim compensation.

This guide covers who can make armed forces hearing loss claims, how much you can expect, and what the process involves.

Who can make an armed forces hearing loss claim?

You may be eligible if you served in any branch of the UK Armed Forces and developed hearing loss or tinnitus that you believe is linked to noise during your service. This covers:

Soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and officers in the Army
Serving and former personnel in the RAF
All ranks in the Royal Navy
All ranks in the Royal Marines

Eligibility applies whether you are still serving or left the military years ago. There is no minimum service period — a single intense noise event can be sufficient to establish a claim. The key legal test is whether the MoD breached its duty of care by failing to adequately protect your hearing.

If you served in a role with high noise exposure — infantry, artillery, armoured corps, aviation engineering, submarine service, or similar — the evidence base for your claim is usually strong. You can find branch-specific information on our Army deafness claims and tinnitus compensation pages.

What counts as noise-induced hearing loss?

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is permanent damage to the inner ear caused by prolonged or sudden intense noise. In a military context, common causes include:

Small arms fire (rifles, pistols, light machine guns)
Artillery and mortar fire
Armoured vehicle engines and tracks
Explosive ordnance (IEDs, grenades, demolitions)
Aircraft engines and flight deck noise
Ship machinery, sonar systems, and engine rooms

Tinnitus — persistent ringing, buzzing, or humming in the ears — frequently accompanies NIHL and can be claimed for separately or alongside it. Hyperacusis (abnormal sound sensitivity) and acoustic shock (sudden-onset damage from a single loud noise event) are also compensable conditions.

How much compensation can you claim?

Military hearing loss compensation is assessed under the Judicial College Guidelines (17th Edition, 2024). The table below sets out the general damages ranges by condition.

Condition	Compensation range
Total deafness (no tinnitus)	£110,750 to £133,810
Complete loss in one ear (with complications)	£38,210 to £55,570
Severe NIHL with severe tinnitus	£36,260 to £55,570
Moderate NIHL and tinnitus	£18,180 to £36,260
Mild tinnitus with some NIHL	£15,370 to £18,180
Mild NIHL or mild tinnitus alone	Around £14,300
Slight tinnitus with slight NIHL	£8,890 to £15,370
Slight loss or tinnitus alone	Up to £8,560

These figures cover general damages (pain, suffering, and loss of amenity). You may also recover special damages on top:

The cost of hearing aids and future replacements
Lost earnings, past and future, if hearing loss has affected your work
Private medical treatment and rehabilitation
Transport costs for medical appointments
Care and assistance costs

The total award is based on an independent audiological assessment, which the solicitor arranges. You do not need to pay for this upfront.

A real example from our case files: an artillery veteran received a £45,000 settlement following a claim against the MoD for NIHL sustained during service with heavy artillery. See our compensation amounts guide for a fuller breakdown of how figures are calculated.

What is the time limit for armed forces hearing loss claims?

The standard limitation period is three years from your date of knowledge: the date when you first became aware (or reasonably should have been aware) that your hearing damage was significant, that it was linked to your military service, and that the MoD had failed to protect you adequately.

This is not necessarily the date you left the armed forces. Many veterans make successful claims ten, twenty, or thirty years after leaving service, because their date of knowledge came much later.

The MoD has also established an extended settlement scheme with a deadline of the scheme deadline that applies to your circumstances. This scheme was approved by the High Court following significant litigation. Claims submitted under the scheme before that date benefit from a more streamlined process. Claims after that date are still possible but face additional scrutiny.

Courts also retain discretion under Section 33 of the Limitation Act 1980 to allow claims outside the standard period, taking into account the length and reasons for the delay and its effect on the available evidence. However, this discretion is not guaranteed. If you are unsure whether you are in time, the safest step is a free initial assessment rather than assuming your claim is barred.

Does an existing War Pension or AFCS award affect my claim?

No. The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and War Pensions Scheme operate entirely separately from civil negligence claims. Receiving an award under either scheme does not prevent you from bringing a separate claim against the MoD through the courts.

The two systems measure different things. AFCS awards a tariff payment for the injury itself. A civil claim compensates you for the MoD's negligence and can include special damages — hearing aids, earnings, treatment — that AFCS does not cover. You can pursue both. See our AFCS vs civil claim guide for the full comparison.

Do I need medical records or a formal diagnosis to start?

No. You do not need existing medical records or a formal hearing test to begin the process. A specialist assessment will establish your current hearing levels and link them to your service history.

What helps at the start is a clear account of:

Which branch you served in and for how long
The roles or postings that involved significant noise exposure
Any hearing tests you recall from service (even if you no longer have the results)
Your current symptoms (hearing difficulties, tinnitus, sound sensitivity)

Service records can be requested from Veterans UK if they are missing. A solicitor experienced in armed forces hearing loss claims will handle this for you.

How do armed forces hearing loss claims work?

The process follows six stages:

Free assessment. A specialist reviews your service history, noise exposure, and symptoms. No cost, no obligation.
Service records. The firm requests documentation covering your postings, roles, and any audiograms taken during service.
Independent medical assessment. A specialist audiologist conducts a pure tone audiogram and, where relevant, speech discrimination testing. This establishes the severity of your loss and whether it is consistent with noise damage.
Building the case. Your legal team prepares a detailed argument showing the MoD failed in its duty of care, covering hearing protection provision, risk assessments, and audiometric testing gaps.
Claim submission. The claim is submitted to the MoD. Most cases settle through negotiation. Court proceedings are rare, but the firm will take a case to trial if necessary.
Settlement. Compensation is agreed and paid, covering general and special damages.

All cases are handled on a no win, no fee basis. If your claim is unsuccessful, you pay nothing.

The MoD settlement scheme: why July 2026 matters

In recent years, the MoD faced substantial litigation from veterans with hearing damage. The High Court approved an extended settlement scheme to handle the volume of outstanding claims, with a deadline of the scheme deadline that applies to your circumstances.

If you have been putting off making a claim, this deadline is the reason to act now. Claims submitted before the scheme deadline that applies to your circumstances are processed under the scheme's agreed framework. Claims after that date return to the standard litigation route, which is slower and carries more legal risk.

This is not a marketing tactic. It is a factual legal deadline that will affect veterans who delay.