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Background information
In total, over 8 million people are deaf or hard of hearing.
Of these, 673,000 are severely or profoundly deaf, relying on lipreading and requiring a textphone or video phone.
(RNID, 2002)
Definition
Total permanent and irreversible loss of all hearing in both ears.
What does this mean?
Loss of hearing may be caused by illness, for example a stroke, or by a serious accident. The loss must be total, permanent and irreversible. Therefore a claim would not be paid if the loss was only partial or was a temporary condition.





