Military hearing loss claims

The MoD owes a duty of care to all its service members, including those who serve in the Regular and Reserve forces. If you believe that your hearing has been damaged by your military service and you have served after 15 May 1987, then you may be able to bring a claim.

It is not possible to bring a claim against the MoD for any service prior to 15 May 1987. This is because of the doctrine of Crown Immunity. If all your service is before 15 May 1987 then unfortunately you will not be able to bring a civil claim against the MoD, though you may still be able to make a War Pension claim.

War Pension and AFCS claims

The War Pension scheme applies to any injuries or illnesses that were caused by service before 6 April 2005. It is a ‘no fault’ scheme, so claimants don’t need to prove that the MoD was liable for their injury – they must only prove that their injury was caused, or aggravated, by service. There are no time limits to making a claim under the War Pension scheme and compensation is assessed on a percentage basis. Claimants with a disablement level of less than 20% receive a lump-sum compensation payment, and claimants with a disablement level of 20% or above will be paid an ongoing ‘War Pension’. In order to make a successful claim for noise-induced hearing loss under the War Pension scheme, a claimant must prove that their hearing loss is more than 50 decibels, averaged across the frequencies of 1, 2 and 3 kHz. This is a high threshold and many of our civil claimants do not meet this threshold for a War Pension award.

The AFCS scheme applies to any injuries caused by service on or after 6 April 2005. Injuries are assessed according to set descriptors and compensation is paid based on a set tariff system. There is a strict 7 year time limit for making an AFCS claims, which starts from the date that the claimant first suffered the injury, or the date that they first sought medical advice for the injury.

It is possible to make a War Pension or an AFCS claim at the same time as making a civil military hearing loss claim. However, the general rule is that a claimant cannot recover compensation for the same injury twice. Therefore, any compensation already received will be offset against any future compensation received.

Time limits

The time limit for making a civil claim is generally three years from the date that a claimant knows they are suffering from an injury and who is responsible – in military hearing loss claims it is the date at which a claimant links their hearing problems with their military service.

We recently secured the Matrix agreement with the MoD which gets rid of the limitation issue, so it no longer matters if your claim is brought out of time. Under the Matrix, the MoD are no longer able to argue that a claim has been made outside of the three-year time limit. However, there is a deadline to join the Matrix which is 30 January 2026.

If you are unsure about whether any time limits apply to you, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can advise you.

Serving personnel and veterans from all branches of the forces can make a military claim, including those who serve in the Army, RAF and Royal Navy (including Marines). Both Regular and Reserve staff can claim, as well as Commonwealth soldiers and Gurkhas who have served with British Armed Forces.

Personnel who have served in UKSF can also claim, however Special Forces claimants need to request ‘EPAW’ (Express Prior Authority in Writing) before they can make a claim.

Civil hearing loss claim

Relevant service dates: Any military service from 15 May 1987 onwards.

Possible to claim while serving?: Yes.

Time limits: Normally 3 years from the date of knowledge (i.e. when the claimant first knew, or ought reasonably to have known, that hearing loss was related to service). The court can exercise discretion to allow late claims in some circumstances.

Need to prove liability?: Yes – must prove the MoD was negligent and that exposure to noise caused, or materially contributed, to the hearing loss.

Compensation type: Aim is to put the claimant back in the position they would have been in without the injury. Includes monetary damages for pain and suffering, loss of earnings, and other financial losses.

AFCS (Armed Forces Compensation Scheme) claim

Relevant service dates: Applies to injuries or conditions arising from service on or after 6 April 2005.

Possible to claim while serving?: Yes.

Time limits: Must be submitted within 7 years of the injury, diagnosis, or date of first medical treatment. (In limited circumstances, late claims may be accepted.)

Need to prove liability?: No – it is a no-fault scheme; only need to show that the condition was caused or made worse by service.

Compensation type: Tariff based lump sum payment for injury, plus potential ongoing Guaranteed Income Payment (GIP) for more serious injuries.

War pension claim

Relevant service dates: Applies to injuries or conditions arising from service before 6 April 2005.

Possible to claim while serving?: No.

Time limits: No strict time limit – a claim can be made at any time after leaving service, though claims should ideally be made within 7 years of discharge.

Need to prove liability?: No – it is a no-fault scheme; only need to show that the condition was caused or aggravated by service.

Compensation type: Lump sum payments for disablement assessed at below 20%. Weekly or monthly pension payments for 20% and above (and possibly additional allowances).

Whether you’re a veteran or still serving, our highly experienced Military Services team will advise you for free on whether you have a civil claim for compensation. If you think you have hearing loss as a result of your military service, please complete our initial questionnaire here.

We will ask you a few details about your service before sending you a Welcome Pack that outlines how we will deal with your claim. If we think you have a strong case, we’ll represent you on a no-win, no-fee basis.

You can make a claim at the same time as making a War Pension or an AFCS claim.

During the initial stages of a claim, we will gather your military and medical records and send you for a hearing test. We will then instruct an ENT expert to confirm whether you have military noise-induced hearing loss. If the report is supportive of your claim, we’ll begin to value your claim.

In 2024, we reached a significant settlement agreement with the MoD, called the ‘Matrix’ agreement. The Matrix streamlines how military hearing loss claims are handled and provides a set framework for agreeing certain issues in the claim. Our clients therefore now only have to prove that any hearing loss was sustained during their time in the military.

As part of the agreement, the MoD has agreed to drop legal defences meaning it will no longer dispute that it owes a duty of care to members of the armed forces who have suffered hearing loss while serving their country. In addition, the MoD has committed to abandon its defence of ‘limitation’ which has prevented some claims from succeeding because they were brought outside of the three-year time limit.

The agreement also contains a ‘matrix’ which is based on the date the claimant left regular military service for the last time. The Matrix agreement offers clarity to successful claimants who have suffered hearing loss and ensures the settlement process will be easier for all parties and reduce costs. It also means that any member of the armed forces who served after 15 May 1987, and can show they have suffered military noise-induced hearing loss, will be entitled to compensation.

The Matrix agreement only applies to our clients. For claimants represented by other law firms, the MoD reserves the right not to offer the same terms as set out in the matrix.

The Matrix agreement is only open to claimants until 30 January 2026. For further information, please watch our series of videos explaining the Matrix.

We have one of the country’s largest military departments and our specialist solicitors have extensive experience handling military hearing loss claims for serving and former members of the Armed Forces. We understand the unique challenges faced by military personnel exposed to excessive noise during service, from gunfire and explosions to heavy machinery, vehicles and ships.

Our dedicated team offers expert legal advice to help you secure the compensation you deserve for military hearing loss claims, including tinnitus and noise-induced hearing loss. With a proven track record of success, we guide you through every step of the process — from assessing eligibility to obtaining medical evidence and negotiating settlements — ensuring your claim is handled with professionalism and care.

Our team includes former service members and our lawyers have received national recognition for their efforts on behalf of our military clients. We are also holders of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold award.