Benefits system 'fails deaf people'

Up to 130,000 people are missing out on their allowance, the RNID believes

Deaf people in the UK are missing out on the Disability Living Allowance, a key benefit, because the system is "inaccessible" and a "lottery", a leading charity has said.

Less than one in 10 severely and profoundly deaf adults are receiving the allowance, compared with 30-70% of people with other disabilities, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) said.

Deaf people encounter one obstacle after another when they claim DLA. Access to the benefits system must be improved. We want the government to take steps to ensure the DLA claims process is deaf-friendly

Brian Lamb from the RNID

RNID's report, Can't Hear Can't Benefits, says up to 130,000 deaf people are missing out on Disability Living Allowance (DLA) because they face barriers at every stage of the application process.

Lack of deaf awareness is the central obstacle, the report said.

This means that deaf people have problems communicating with organisations such as the Benefits Agency and the NHS that are supposed to be helping them.

Vicious circle

More than nine in 10 deaf claimants found filling in an allowance form difficult, the RNID said.

Half of all DLA claimants rated the Benefits Agency's ability to communicate with deaf people as "less than satisfactory" or "very poor".

Brian Lamb, RNID Director of communications, said the claims process was failing deaf people.

"Deaf people encounter one obstacle after another when they claim DLA," he said.

"Access to the benefits system must be improved. We want the government to take steps to ensure the DLA claims process is deaf-friendly."