Understanding Support at Home Costs: What will I pay and what’s Government-funded?
If you or an elderly loved one are seeking assistance to live independently at home, you may be exploring home care and Support at Home services.
Support at Home services can include anything from personal care and medication support to meal preparation, cleaning, or companionship. While these in-home care services can make a huge difference to daily life, it’s completely normal to wonder what they cost and how much you’ll need to contribute.
In this article, we break down how Support at Home fees typically work, what factors influence the amount you pay, and where to go for help.
What is Support at Home?
Support at Home is an in-home care program subsidised by the Australian Government to enable older Australians to live independently at home for longer. It aims to make it easier for eligible older individuals to access the services, equipment, products and home modifications you need to stay healthy, active, and connected to your community.
The Support at Home program provides eight different levels of services depending on your assessed needs, with funding from $11,000 annually for minimal support, up to $78,000 for the highest level of care. The higher your level of need, the larger your package budget and the more the government contributes.
What home care services can I get assistance with?
The Support at Home program offers a wide range of support so you can continue to live well at home:
- Clinical care – for example, nursing, physiotherapy and other health-related supports.
- Independence – such as assistance with showering, taking medications, occupational therapy, transport or respite care.
- Everyday living – including help with cleaning, gardening, shopping or meal preparation.
How much will my services cost?
If you are eligible for the Support at Home program it is important to understand what contribution you may have to pay. You should also know how much the government will contribute and how your budget works.
Once you’ve been assessed and approved to receive Support at Home, you will be assigned a Support at Home classification and budget. This government funding will help meet your assessed care needs.
Each Support at Home provider charges a different amount for their services and care management. How much they charge depends on the prices they have set, the services you need, and when you need the services. These charges come out of your quarterly budget.
How much you contribute towards the cost of your services will vary based on services you receive and your financial situation:
- There is no contribution required for clinical supports like nursing or allied health. These services are fully funded by the government for everyone under Support at Home – you don’t pay anything out of pocket for these.
- For Independence supports – such as personal care, mobility support, home modifications – contribution ranges from 5% for full pensioners to 50% for self-funded retirees/ non-pensioners.
- For Everyday Living supports – such as domestic assistance, meal preparation, gardening, transport – contribution ranges from 17.5% for full pensioners to 80% for self-funded retirees/ non-pensioners.
| Age Pension status | Clinical care | Independence | Everyday living |
| Full pensioner | 0% | 5% | 17.5% |
| Part pensioner and eligible for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card | 0% | Between 5% and 50% depend on income and assets | Between 17.5% and 80% depending on income and assets |
| Self-funded retiree | 0% | 50% | 80% |
If you want to work out how much you might need to pay for Support at Home services and plan your budget accordingly, the Support at Home fee estimator may help https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/support-at-home-fee-estimator
For personalised advice or more information, contact our Home Care team today by emailing info.hc@arplus.org.au or calling 07 3051 0628.
Find out more about Support at Home services: www.arplus.org.au/Support-at-home
To learn about how to access Support at Home, read our companion blog: How to access Support at Home Services.
