Insurers have reported a sharp rise in claims for hearing aids damaged as a result of wearing a face mask.
Direct Line says it received 288 claims over lockdown, each worth an average of £1,628. And Aviva reported a 400 per cent increase in claims for lost and damaged hearing aids between April and July.
Around a third of customers said they believed it had fallen out when taking on or putting off their mask.
Insurer Aviva reported a 400 per cent increase in claims for lost and damaged hearing aids between April and July
Pensioner Michael Ainsley, 70, lost one of his hearing aids the first time he wore a mask in public.
The father-of-two had tried to remove his mask after leaving a shopping centre in Derby but the ear loop got tangled in his glasses.
He didn’t realise this had dislodged his £2,745 rechargeable hearing aid. He adds: ‘I have had this problem many times.
I have to be so careful in case I lose it again.’ The former headmaster was able claim the money from his home insurer, Direct Line.
Most home insurers will cover hearing aids, but customers may need to pay extra. Gordon Harrison, chief audiologist at Specsavers, says: ‘Wearing a face mask and hearing aids can be difficult. We’ve seen some people lose or even break aids.’
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