People living with HIV are disproportionately affected by poverty, which can actually contribute towards worsening health.

People living with HIV are disproportionately affected by poverty, which can actually contribute towards worsening health.

Between 2006 and 2009, one in six people accessing HIV treatment in the UK was living in poverty and had to access hardship support.  The average income of those accessing this help was £42.  Many had no income at all.

In 2010, we published Poverty & HIV: 2006-2009 together with the Terrence Higgins Trust who administer the Hardship Fund for people living with HIV (formerly run by Crusaid).  

Our research found that there were six main drivers of poverty among people living with HIV:

• the experience of the immigration and asylum systems
• insufficient benefits
• poor health
• unemployment
• inadequate housing
• responsibility for children

Housing and Benefits

We are also working on two areas closely linked to poverty - housing and benefits.  Amongst other things, we are calling for people living with HIV to be treated as a priority for access to social housing on health grounds, and for a benefits system which supports an appropriate standard of living for people living with HIV to ensure they live healthily and with dignity.