Managing fees for Home Care Packages

As an approved provider, you are responsible for correctly managing home care fees. Find out when you can charge fees, what to do if a person is in financial hardship, and when you must refund fees.

Explaining fees

The fees that may apply to people who start Home Care Packages from 1 July 2014 are:

  • a basic daily fee
  • an income tested care fee
  • amounts for additional care and services.

See the Home Care Package fee scenarios for some simplified examples of how fees are worked out for people with different financial circumstances.

Use the Understanding fees for home care fact sheet to help explain fees to your care recipients:

The fees are different for people who started home care before 1 July 2014. Find out what fees you can charge and what happens if they change provider

Recording fees

You must include a person’s fees in their:

When you can charge fees

You cannot ask a person to pay home care fees before their Home Care Package begins.

Once you have entered into a Home Care Agreement, you can ask them to pay fees up to one month in advance.

You must provide invoices that are clear and easy to understand.

Temporary leave

When a person takes temporary leave from their Home Care Package, it may affect the fees you can ask them to pay. 

Read more about the fees you can charge a person on temporary leave from their Home Care Package

Financial hardship assistance

The hardship supplement is available to home care recipients who:

  • started home care from 1 July 2014
  • are in financial hardship
  • cannot pay their fees due to circumstances beyond their control
  • apply to Services Australia and are approved for financial hardship assistance.

People who started their home care before 1 July 2014 are not eligible for financial hardship assistance. They can negotiate lower fees with you as set out in the Aged Care (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997.

Refunding fees

You must refund any fees:

  • paid in advance if a care recipient
    • dies
    • ends their Home Care Package 
    • moves to another service provider
  • a care recipient has overpaid.

You cannot include home care fees paid in advance and overpaid fees in the calculation of unspent funds.

If you have money owed to a care recipient and cannot refund it for reasons outside of your control, you should apply ’unclaimed money‘ requirements. 

These requirements are specified under legislation in the state or territory where you delivered the Home Care Package to the care recipient.

Read more about releasing unspent funds

Date last updated:

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