Health problems can mean that many people with HIV are unable to or have a reduced ability to work, while living with the condition can put additional demands and restrictions, such as reduced access to insurance, on financial resources. Poverty can then contribute to deterioration in health in a vicious circle.
Around one in four people who are living with HIV are unemployed and claiming benefits. This figure is well above the UK average, with one in 10 claiming Disability Living Allowance (DLA) according to the last major study in 2008 and the situation is likely to have worsened in the current economic recession.
What do you need?
A national study of people living with HIV, showed that almost a third were living on a personal income of less than £10,000 per year with almost half living on less than £15,000 per year. In the survey, a third felt unhappy about their opportunities in their current job or in the job market and three in 10 felt they had experienced problems getting a job or advancing in their current job.
Attitudes and barriers to employment in HIV positive patients - Royal Free Hospital Study 2010
Black Africans, women and older people were particularly adversely affected by poverty and unemployment in this and other studies. Refugees and asylum seekers were found to be in the worst circumstances with many unable to work and having very limited access to any financial support. Many migrants to the UK come from countries with high HIV-prevalence such as Sub-Saharan Africa.
Late diagnosis and long-term diagnosis of HIV both contribute to poor health among people living with HIV. The resulting inability of people to work as they had been able to prior to their diagnosis often leads to increased financial hardship and even destitution.
50 plus
A Terrence Higgins Trust study in 2010 revealed that people with HIV aged 50 and over were, in comparison with their peers, less likely to be economically active and far less likely to have financial provision for their old age. Almost half sometimes or never had enough money to manage on. Although around a third were working, almost as many were reliant on state benefits. Half of those surveyed were not confident that they understood their entitlements to benefits.
Our policy team is working to combat poverty in the following ways:
- In consultation with the Government on benefits and financial policy.
- With Job Centres and other employment agencies to improve support for people with HIV.
- With the Home Office and the UK Border Agency on policy towards migrants with HIV.
- With wider coalitions of concerned charities and other agencies on benefits reform, allowing asylum seekers to work or improving their financial support, as well as wider disability employment issues.
- With the financial industry, to improve access to products for people with HIV, for example our work with Prudential on insurance for people with HIV.
The Hardship Fund
In 2012 Terrence Higgins Trust re-opened a national Hardship Fund for people in severe financial need after merging with the charity Crusaid in 2010.
Read Terrence Higgins Trust and NAT’s joint report on Poverty and HIV.
More details about the Hardship Fund.
Read a 2008 study on Social and economic hardship among people living with HIV in London
Read What do you need? 2007-2008. Findings from a national survey of people with diagnosed HIV