Recently diagnosed with HIV? Click here

Disability Support Pension

The Disability Support Pension (DSP) provides a source of income support for people who are unable to work due to injury or serious illness, including HIV. In recent years, access to the DSP for new applicants has been tightened and is now limited to people assessed as unable to work more than 15 hours per week.

Key resources

Surviving the Centrelink DSP Review
Fact sheet cover image - Centrelink reviews

This Positive Life (NSW) fact sheet offers information and practical tips for people on the Disability Support Pension to help them understand and deal with a Centrelink review.

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.

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 »

NAPWHA submission to Pension Review

Submission • Robert Mitchell • 29 September 2008

The attached submission was made by NAPWHA to the federal government's review of the pension system. read more »

123next ›last »
Syndicate content
Text size: font smallerfont normalfont larger

In this section

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