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Commonwealth HACC Program

New Funding and New Service Providers

The aim of this factsheet is to provide information about New Funding and New Service Providers

What is the Commonwealth HACC Program

Since 1 July 2012, full responsibility for funding, policy, management and delivery of all basic maintenance, support and care services for older people in all states and territories, except Western Australia and Victoria, has been transferred to the Commonwealth, under the Commonwealth HACC Program.

The Commonwealth HACC Program assists:

• frail older people with functional limitations as a result of moderate, severe and profound disabilities; and
• the unpaid carers of these frail older people.

Older people in this context is defined as being 65 years and or 50 years and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The objective of the Commonwealth HACC Program is to enhance the independence of frail older people and to avoid or delay the premature admission to long term residential care through the provision of basic maintenance, support and care services. These are defined as those services essential to a person’s wellbeing, for example, personal care and community nursing.

What funding is available under the Commonwealth HACC Program

As part of the 2012-13 Budget, the Australian Government has committed growth funding to the Commonwealth HACC Program.

When priorities and funding processes have been determined, the Department will announce funding processes to allocate new funding on the Tenders and Grants page on the Department’s website (www.health.gov.au/Tenders).

How do I become a Commonwealth HACC service provider?

A Commonwealth HACC service provider is an organisation that receives funding through the Commonwealth HACC Program to deliver basic maintenance, support and care services to frail older people and their carers.

Funding to become a Commonwealth HACC service provider is on an application basis. Prospective applicants will be able to apply for funding through funding rounds run by the Department of Health and Ageing. Eligibility and other requirements will be clearly specified in the documentation for the funding process.

Information on any current Commonwealth HACC funding process will be available on the Tenders and Grants page on the department’s website (www.health.gov.au/Tenders) and on the Government’s grants website (www.grantslink.gov.au) as well as major newspapers.

To receive funding for programs that come under the Aged Care Act 1997, such as Home Care Packages, organisations are required to be granted ‘approved provider’ status prior to commencement of funding. If you are looking to become a Commonwealth HACC service provider, you are not required to become an ‘approved provider’ as the Commonwealth HACC Program is not under the Aged Care Act 1997.

How do I apply for funding under the Program?

Funding must be sought through an approved funding process run by the Department.

Any eligibility and other requirements for a particular funding process will be clearly specified in the documentation for that process.

How will I know if a funding process has commenced? How do I obtain copies of the documentation for a process?

Any new funding to be provided through the Commonwealth HACC Program will be advertised on the Tenders and Grants page on the Department’s website (www.health.gov.au/Tenders).

The Department may also advertise:

• in major national newspapers and other selected newspapers;
• on the Aged Care Portal; and
• on the Government grants website (www.grantslink.gov.au).

The advertisement will provide details of where to obtain the documentation for the process.

Are activities other than service delivery funded?

The Commonwealth HACC Program funds a range of activities associated with the support and development of the sector and of service providers operating within the sector. Further detail is provided in Chapter 3 of the Commonwealth HACC Program Manual. Funding processes for these activities will be advertised as set out above.

What if I want to deliver services to younger people as well?

Service providers can support consumers of any age. State and territory governments fund and manage basic community care and specialist disability services for people under 65 years and under 50 years for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. You should contact your local state or territory government for information on how to receive funding for delivering services to younger people.

If I am already a Commonwealth HACC Service provider and want to deliver additional services, what can I do?

If additional services can be delivered within existing resources, including fees and indexation amounts, service providers are able to extend the amount of services they provide. Commonwealth HACC service providers are also able to utilise the flexibility provisions set out in Chapter 5 of the Program Manual to deliver some basic maintenance, support and care services for which they are not funded (subject to conditions).

More information

The Commonwealth HACC Program Manual and the Commonwealth HACC Program Guidelines provides further detail regarding the program, including the obligations that Commonwealth HACC service providers need to meet in delivering services.

The Commonwealth HACC Program Manual and Guidelines are available from the Commonwealth HACC page on the Department’s website (www.health.gov.au/HACC). The website also contains general information about the Commonwealth HACC Program including frequently asked questions (FAQs), factsheets and key contact information.

For more information contact the HACC service provider help desk by phone on 1800 057 616, or send an email to HACC Reform (HACC.Reform@health.gov.au).
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