Recently diagnosed with HIV? Click here

Work, employment and financial issues

For people living with HIV, wellbeing means more than just the absence of illness. Access to income support, employment, housing and other support services are all important.

NAPWHA's HIV Living work aims to ensure that governments and service providers understand and respond to the needs of positive people across the country.

Key aspects of this area of our work include responding to the government's welfare reform agenda, advocating on behalf of positive people in their dealings with government agencies, and developing the capacity of PLHIVPerson (or people) Living with HIV. This term is now preferred over the older PLWHA. organisations.

Key resources

Same-Sex Law Reform and Pension Changes: the Case for Savings Provisions & Other Transitional Arrangements
Same Sex Law Reform briefing paper - cover

This briefing paper discusses the impact of changes to social security payments (including the Disability Support Pension) for people in same-sex relationships, which are planned to take effect from 1 July 2009.

Life insurance now an option

Positive Living article • Adrian Ogier • 7 March 2013
living with HIV

Once upon a time, HIV was viewed as too much of an insurance risk. But these days, some Australian companies are offering full policies for people living with HIV. read more »

Getting on the DSP

Positive Living article • Adrian Ogier • 7 March 2013

Why did this reader have to go through such an ordeal to get on the Disability Support Pension? read more »

Changes to DSP Assessments

Positive Living article • Graham Douglas-Meyer • 2 March 2012

Graham Douglas-Meyer reports on the implications of the new impairment tables for assessing eligibility for the DSP. read more »

NAPWHA lobbies for PLHIV on DSP

Positive Living article • Adrian Ogier • 24 November 2011
living with HIV

With changes to qualifying criteria for the Disability Support Pension due to come into effect on 1 January, NAPWHA has been lobbying for certain considerations to be made when assessing HIV positive applicants. read more »

Disability Support Pension overhaul

Positive Living article • Adrian Ogier • 1 September 2011
living with HIV

People applying for the disability support pension (DSP) will soon be assessed under strict new criteria to be introduced by Centrelink.

From January next year, the government plans to introduce new impairment tables to assess the severity of impact a medical condition has on a person's level of ability to work. read more »

Mailbox: DSP review

Positive Living article • Adrian Ogier • 27 May 2011

I was diagnosed with HIV in 1992 and put on the Disability Support Pension which I’ve been living off ever since.

Last June I had a pension review and according to Centrelink I rated BELOW the 20 point criteria you now have to meet to qualify for the DSP. read more »

Making concessions

Positive Living article • Brad Johnston • 13 March 2009

‘Pensioner’ is such a loaded term, muses Brad Johnston. Particularly when you’re an apparently healthy 38-year-old. read more »

A downside of same-sex law reform

Positive Living article • Adrian Ogier • 13 March 2009

With impending social security changes set to adversely affect a good chunk of our community, it’s important we look for ways to ease the transition for a group already doing it hard. read more »

Same-Sex Law Reform and Pension Changes: the Case for Savings Provisions & Other Transitional Arrangements

Resource • 5 March 2009

This briefing paper discusses the impact of changes to social security payments (including the Disability Support Pension) for people in same-sex relationships, which are planned to take effect from 1 July 2009. read more »

NAPWHA urges pension changes

Positive Living article • admin • 25 November 2008

In a submission to the federal government’s review of pensions and the tax system, NAPWHA has made a plea for urgent action to be taken on the rate of pensions and concession entitlements as they affect people with HIV. read more »

1234next ›last »
Syndicate content
Text size: font smallerfont normalfont larger

External links

NAPWHA's service directory includes these relevant links:

Stay in touch

NAPWHA's email newsletters provide regular info about issues affecting people with HIV and the response to HIV in Australia. Click here to subscribe.

Subscribe to Positive Living

Our free quarterly newsmagazine, Positive Living provides authoritative, independent information about living with HIV and HIV treatments. Click here to subscribe.

RSS feeds

Our website has RSS feeds covering all topic areas — just go to the topic area you're interested in and click the RSS feed icon.

Twitter users can stay up-to-date with NAPWHA's work and be alerted to new content on the website by following @napwa.

Join us on Facebook NAPWHA Facebook.

Find out more at LinkedIn

Find out more about NAPWHA at LinkedInNAPWHA at LinkedIn.

HIV Clinical Trials update

Recently updated entries from the NAPWHA Clinical Trials database.

more