This contribution will depend on their individual circumstances. Older people approved for a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024 will be no worse off. These people will make contributions for Support at Home that are the same, or lower, than on the Home Care Packages Program. This includes if they are re-assessed into a higher Support at Home classification at a later date.
The Support at Home program will focus government funding on assessed aged care needs that will help participants to stay at home and avoid hospitalisations.
In line with the recommendations of the Aged Care Taskforce, participants will make a greater contribution towards items they have paid or provided for themselves throughout their lives.
How we will set contributions
Participant contributions will be set at a rate per hour (or unit of service) as a set percentage for each service type. This means:
- a participant will pay the dollar amount set by the percentage
- the government will pay the remainder of the price, as a subsidy to the provider.
The rate will be based on the type of service received. Participants will make:
- no contribution for clinical support services (such as nursing and physiotherapy), which will be fully funded by government
- moderate contributions for independence services (such as personal care and products and equipment under the AT-HM scheme) that help keep participants out of hospital and residential aged care
- the highest contributions for everyday living services (such as domestic assistance and gardening)
There will be a $130,000 lifetime cap on contributions to protect those who receive aged care for a long time. This is a combined cap with the non-clinical care contribution for residential aged care.
See case studies on how participant contributions will work.
Financial circumstances
An assessment of the participant’s income and assets and pension status will determine their individual contribution rates:
- full pensioners will pay the lowest contributions
- part pensioners and those eligible for a Commonwealth Seniors Health card will pay contributions based on an assessment of their income and assets
- self-funded retirees not eligible for a Commonwealth Seniors Health card will pay the highest contributions.
Participants who face genuine financial difficulty in paying their contributions and who meet eligibility criteria can apply for financial hardship assistance with Services Australia. If approved, the government will pay some or all of the participant’s Support at Home contributions for the time they are in hardship.
Transitioning from the Home Care Packages Program
Older people that were accessing or were approved for a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024 will be no worse off under Support at Home.
This means:
- If they were assessed as having to pay Home Care Package fees before 12 September 2024, they will pay the same or less under Support at Home.
- If they were assessed as not having to pay fees before 12 September 2024, they will never be asked to pay fees under Support at Home.
The $82,018 lifetime cap will remain for contributions. Fees are indexed on 20 March and 20 September each year.
Please note, a participant’s contributions may change over time because of:
- changes to their assessed aged care needs
- changes to their financial circumstances
- indexation of aged care fees and thresholds
- reaching their lifetime cap.
Collecting participant contributions
Participant contributions will be collected by and paid directly to the provider.
For detailed information on claims and payments under Support at Home, providers can refer to Support at Home: Claims and Payments Business Rules Guidance.