Guides Rights and support (UK)

Hearing loss at work: reasonable adjustments, Access to Work

The meeting moves on and you're still piecing together the last point. If hearing loss makes work harder, you can ask for reasonable adjustments at work, and your employer is responsible for paying for them. On top of that, the government's Access to Work scheme can fund support such as BSL interpreters, speech-to-text reporters and specialist equipment.

In a bright office with city views, a woman reads live captions on her phone as a colleague explains something on her laptop.

Nilesh Madhavji · Updated 4 October 2026

This article covers England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own law and its own Access to Work scheme: see section 9.

1. Do I have a right to reasonable adjustments if I have hearing loss?

In many cases, yes.

Under the Equality Act 2010, you're disabled if you have an impairment with a "substantial" and "long-term" negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. Long-term means 12 months or more.

RNID puts it plainly: if your hearing loss makes day-to-day activities difficult, you're protected as having a disability under the law.

Employers must make reasonable adjustments so disabled workers are not substantially disadvantaged when doing their jobs. That covers all workers, including trainees, apprentices and contract workers.

2. What reasonable adjustments help with hearing loss at work?

Think about where you lose information, then ask for the fix.

Meetings - Agendas and papers sent in advance, so you know the topic before anyone speaks. - A seat where you can see every face, with light on the speakers rather than behind them. - One person speaking at a time, and a chair who keeps it that way. - Captions switched on for video calls, and cameras on so you can lipread. - Written notes or a short email summary of decisions and actions afterwards.

Professional communication support - A speech-to-text reporter (STTR), who types what's said live. - A notetaker. - A BSL interpreter, if you use BSL.

Your workspace and kit - A quieter desk, away from the kitchen, printer or main walkway. - Listening devices, a personal listener, loop systems, or an amplified phone. - Flashing-light fire alarms, so you aren't relying on a sound. - Time off for audiology appointments.

Everyday working - Using email, chat or text instead of phone calls where possible. - Deaf awareness training for your team, or simply sharing tips for talking to someone hard of hearing.

Formal meetings deserve formal support. But a lot of work happens in quick chats: a question at your desk, a catch-up in the kitchen, instructions on site. For those, a live caption app can help. Subt is one option: open the free web app, put your phone between you and your colleague, and their words appear as large text. Nothing is saved. The web version uses your browser's speech service; a £1.99 iPhone app that captions on-device is coming. It is not a replacement for a speech-to-text reporter or interpreter in a meeting that matters.

3. Who pays for reasonable adjustments?

Your employer.

Acas is clear: "The employer is responsible for paying for any reasonable adjustments." You should not be asked to pay.

Since July 2025, GOV.UK has said explicitly that Access to Work will not pay for reasonable adjustments that employers must legally make. Access to Work is there for support beyond that.

What counts as "reasonable" depends on things like whether the change would reduce the disadvantage, and whether it's practical and affordable. Your employer doesn't have to change the basic nature of the job.

4. What can Access to Work pay for if I'm deaf?

Access to Work is a grant for people with a disability or health condition who need support to do their job or get to and from work.

For deaf people and people with hearing loss, it can include:

Support workers, such as a BSL interpreter.
Specialist equipment and assistive software.
Communication support at a job interview.

RNID gives examples including BSL interpreters, speech-to-text reporting, notetakers, listening devices, loop systems and amplified phones.

The grant does not affect your other benefits and you don't pay it back.

Is there a cap? Yes. For awards made from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, the maximum is £69,260 a year, according to the GOV.UK factsheet. Awards made in earlier years may have a different limit.

Will my employer have to contribute? Access to Work can fund up to 100% of support workers, such as interpreters, and of communication support at interviews. For equipment and adaptations, your employer may have to share the cost if you'd been working there for more than 6 weeks when you applied. In that case the employer pays everything up to a threshold (nil for 0 to 49 staff, £500 for 50 to 249, £1,000 for 250 or more) and 20% of costs between the threshold and £10,000.

That 6-week rule is worth knowing. If you're starting a new job, applying in your first 6 weeks can mean equipment is funded at up to 100%.

5. Am I eligible, and how do I apply?

In England, Scotland and Wales, you need to:

be 16 or over
have a condition or disability that means you need support at work
be in paid work, or about to start or return to it in the next 12 weeks. Self-employment, apprenticeships, work trials, internships and placements count.

If you're self-employed, you need an annual turnover of at least £6,500. If you get Employment and Support Allowance, there are limits on your working hours. Civil servants get support from their employer instead.

How to apply: - Online, through the GOV.UK Access to Work page. - Helpline: 0800 121 7479, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. - Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 121 7479. - A BSL video relay service is available too.

Have ready: your workplace address, a workplace contact, how your hearing affects your work, and your National Insurance number.

Apply early. The National Audit Office reported in February 2026 that applications took an average of 109 working days to process in November 2025, up from 66 in 2024-25. RNID has heard from deaf people who lost job opportunities or didn't pass probation while waiting. Apply as soon as you have a job offer or interview date, and keep receipts: you have 9 months to claim costs.

6. Do I have to tell my employer about my hearing loss?

No. It's your choice.

Acas says nobody has to tell their employer, or a potential employer, that they're disabled.

But your employer's duty to make adjustments kicks in when they know, or could reasonably be expected to know. If you want support, you'll need to tell someone.

On a sunny railway platform, a man with a rucksack reads live captions on his phone as a station worker in hi-vis points to his train.

7. How do I ask my manager for adjustments?

Ask in a meeting, by email or by letter. Then put it in writing either way, so there's a record.

Start with the effect, then the fix. Specific beats vague.

"I have hearing loss. I'm missing parts of team meetings, especially when people talk over each other."

"Could we send the agenda the day before, turn captions on for video calls, and email the actions afterwards?"

"In large meetings I need a speech-to-text reporter. I'm applying to Access to Work for this."

"Could I move to a desk away from the kitchen? The noise makes calls very hard."

Agree a date to review how it's going.

If following conversations all day leaves you drained, say so. Lipreading and listening fatigue is real, and fewer back-to-back meetings can be a fair thing to ask for.

8. What about job interviews?

Employers must consider adjustments to the recruitment process too.

GOV.UK says employers can ask about your health or disability before a job offer only for limited reasons, such as finding out whether you need adjustments for the interview.

Access to Work can fund communication support at a job interview, such as an interpreter. Eligibility for interview support is slightly different, so check the GOV.UK eligibility page.

"I'm deaf. For the interview, I'll need a quiet room, good light on the panel, and the questions in writing as well as spoken."

"I use a BSL interpreter. I'm arranging this through Access to Work."

9. What if I live in Northern Ireland?

Northern Ireland uses the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, not the Equality Act.

nidirect explains that employers must make reasonable adjustments, and that failing to meet the duty "cannot be justified and is always unlawful". Examples include modified equipment, accessible materials and interpreters.

Access to Work (NI) is run by the Department for Communities. It can fund communication support for deaf people at work or interview, equipment, and adaptations. Help is approved for as long as needed, up to three years at a time.

To apply, email HealthandWorkSupportCo-ordination@communities-ni.gov.uk or ask a work coach at your local Jobs and Benefits office.

10. What if my employer says no?

Acas says employers should talk it through with you, explain their decision and try to find other ways to support you.

If that doesn't work, Acas suggests raising an informal or formal complaint with your employer and then, if that doesn't resolve it, considering an employment tribunal claim. Talk to Acas or RNID before you get that far. In Northern Ireland, contact the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Keep copies of every request and reply. Dates matter.

Quick answers

Is hearing loss a disability under the Equality Act?

It can be, if it has a substantial, long-term effect on everyday activities. RNID says hearing loss that makes day-to-day activities difficult is protected.

Can my employer make me pay for adjustments?

No. Acas says the employer pays. Access to Work is extra help, not a substitute for the employer's legal duty.

Will Access to Work affect my benefits?

No. GOV.UK says an Access to Work grant won't affect other benefits and you don't pay it back.

Sources

Live captions. Right there.

Read what’s being said.

Put Subt between you and the person speaking. Their words appear in big, clear type as they talk.

Or open the web app

The iPhone app runs on Apple’s latest on-device speech recognition. Faster, and nothing leaves your phone. £1.99 one-off; the web app is free.