Managing fees for Home Care Packages

As a home care provider, you’re responsible for correctly managing home care fees. Find out when you can charge fees, what the options are if a person is in financial hardship, and when you must refund fees.

Recording fees

You must include a person’s fees in their:

When you can charge fees

You cannot ask anyone 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.

To find out about the home care fees you can charge, go to fees for Home Care Packages

Financial hardship

The hardship supplement is available to home care recipients who:

  • started home care from 1 July 2014
  • are in genuine financial hardship
  • cannot pay their fees due to circumstances beyond their control

Find out more about the hardship supplement.

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 person dies, ends their Home Care Package or moves to another service provider
  • a person has overpaid

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

Where a provider is holding monies owed to a care recipient and cannot return these for reasons outside of the provider’s control, the provider should apply “unclaimed money” requirements. These requirements are specified under legislation in the state or territory where the provider delivered the Home Care Package to the care recipient.

Date last updated:

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