Support at Home Participant Contributions

Arrangements & Fees

What are participant contributions?

Participant contributions are mandatory payments that Support at Home participants must make toward their ongoing quarterly services budget.

As a program participant, you will make contribution payments directly to your home care provider, and those funds will be subsequently credited to your budget. The diagram below outlines the different funding components that make up your participant budget:

How Support at Home Contributions Work

Under the Support at Home program, Services Australia will conduct an assessment of your income and assets to determine your contributions. Ultimately, your contributions to your care are based on two factors:

The outcome of your assessment and your pension status
The type of services you receive

Support at Home services are divided into three support categories:

Clinical Supports Category — No Participant Contribution: The government will fully fund clinical care (including nursing care and physiotherapy) for all Support at Home participants.
Independence Category — Moderate Participant Contribution: Supports that help keep care recipients out of hospital and residential aged care (including personal care, assistive technology, and home modifications) will require a moderate contribution.
Everyday Living Services Category — Highest Participant Contribution: Everyday living services such as domestic assistance and gardening will require the highest contribution. (Note: There will be no caps on gardening and cleaning services.)

The contribution fee estimator on My Aged Care is a useful tool that can help you understand how much you may need to pay toward your care. You can also refer to the table below:

Support of Home Contribution Rates

	Clinical supports	Independence	Everyday living
Full pensioner	0%	5%	17.5%
Part pensioner	0%	Part pensioners and CSHC holders will pay between 5% and 50% based on an assessment of their income and assets. For part pensioners this will be based on their Age Pension means assessment. CSHC holders will undergo a separate assessment for Support at Home.	Part pensioners and CSHC holders will pay between 17.5% and 60% based on an assessment of their income and assets. For part pensioners this will be based on their Age Pension means assessment. CSHC holders will undergo a separate assessment for Support at Home.
Self-funded retiree (holding or eligible for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card – CSHC)	0%
Self-funded retiree (not eligible for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card)	0%	50%	80%

Source: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

The Income and Assets Assessment

Services Australia will assess your income and assets to determine your contributions as a participant in the Support at Home program.

You should complete your assessment after you’ve been assessed for home care but before you begin receiving home care services. This is to ensure you understand all costs upfront.

If you are a full- or part-time pensioner, Services Australia will use the financial information from your pension assessment to determine your contributions. Conversely, if you are a non-pensioner, Services Australia will not have your financial details on file. You will complete an income and assets assessment once you’re approved for Support at Home services.

Visit the income and means assessment section of My Aged Care to learn if you are required to submit an income and asset assessment. You can also call Services Australia on 1800 227 465.

Please note: If you do not provide your income and assets information to Services Australia, you will be considered a ‘Means Not Disclosed’ participant and your contributions will be set at the maximum level. Additionally, if you encounter changes in your financial status that may impact your contribution, you must notify Services Australia within 14 days of those changes occurring.

Home Care Package Participants

A ‘no worse-off’ principle for contribution arrangements will prevent the 2025 aged care reforms from negatively impacting current home care recipients.

If on 12 September 2024, you were:

Receiving a Home Care Package
On the National Priority System
Assessed as being eligible for a Home Care Package

…you will make the same or lower contributions once you transition to Support at Home, even if you are reassessed into a higher Support at Home classification at a later date.

Contribution Limits

A cap (tracked by Services Australia) will ensure no individual pays more than $130,000 in non-clinical care costs over their lifetime. This applies to both in-home care and residential care. Hardship arrangements that were in place before 1 July 2025 will carry through to Support at Home. There will not be an annual cap on participant contributions.

Services Australia will notify your home care provider once you reach your lifetime cap. At that point, the Government will pay the remaining contributions to your provider by way of increased government funding for the Support at Home classification.

Notification of Participant Contributions

Services Australia will notify Support at Home participants of their contribution rate. This will occur regardless of whether participants have completed an income and assets assessment or if their pension information was used.

You can begin receiving services before your income and assets assessment is finalised. Services Australia assumes no participant contributions are payable and will pay the full monthly claim entitlement until your assessment is finalised or you’ve been assigned a ‘Means Not Disclosed’ status.

Once the income and assets assessment is finalised, Services Australia will apply the correct participant contribution rate and backdate this to the date you entered the Support at Home program (i.e. the date on the Aged Care Entry Record form).

Fee Reduction Supplement

The fee reduction supplement offers financial assistance to participants experiencing financial hardship who cannot pay their Support at Home contributions due to their financial circumstances. Service providers will not be required to collect fees while a participant’s hardship application is being assessed. If approved, the government will pay for some or all of their aged care fees.

To apply, the participant (or their nominee) must submit the Aged Care Claim for financial hardship assistance form (SA462) to Services Australia. Applicants may also obtain assistance from a financial counsellor or the Aged Care Advocacy Line on 1800 700 600.

Support at Home Service List

Participant contribution category	Service Type	Services	In scope	Out of scope
Clinical Supports: Specialised services to maintain or regain functional and/or cognitive capabilities.	Nursing care	Registered nurse Enrolled nurse Nursing assistant Nursing care consumables Providers may apply for the supplementary Oxygen Supplement for Aged Care through Services Australia for eligible participants.	Community-based nursing care to meet clinical care needs such as: assessing, treating and monitoring clinical conditions Administration of medications Wound care, continence management (clinical) and management of skin integrity Education Specialist service linkage	Subsidised through other programs: Services more appropriately funded through other systems (e.g., health or specialist palliative care)
	Allied health and other therapeutic services	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker Allied health therapy assistant Counsellor or psychotherapist Dietitian or nutritionist Exercise physiologist Music therapist Occupational therapist Physiotherapist Podiatrist Psychologist Social worker Speech pathologist	Assistance for an older person to regain or maintain physical, functional and cognitive abilities including support to remain safe and independent at home. May include a range of clinical interventions, expertise, care and treatment, education including techniques for self-management, and active and supervision to improve capacity. Treatment programs should aim to provide the older person with skills and knowledge to manage their condition and promote independent recovery where appropriate. Interventions can be provided in person or via telehealth individually or in a group-based setting (i.e. clinically or sub-clinically). A treatment program may be delivered directly in person or via another allied health professional under the supervision of the senior allied health professional where safe and appropriate to do so. Prescribing and follow-up support for Assistive Technology and Home Modifications	Subsidised through other programs: Other government programs must be accessed in first instance (e.g., Chronic Disease Management, Mental Health Plan) Where ongoing care needs to be funded through other systems, due primarily to health care complexity, e.g., palliative care, specialist medical care, management of conditions requiring specialist multidisciplinary input Management of conditions primarily associated with disability related decline (e.g., acute mental health)
	Nutrition	Prescribed nutrition Providers may apply for the supplementary Enteral Feeding for Aged Care Supplement through Services Australia for eligible participants.	Prescribed supplementary dietary products if included in a care plan and required (not otherwise provided under residential aged care services)	General expenses Products that are not prescribed or medically needed (e.g., weight loss)
	Care management	Home support care management	Activities that ensure aged care services contribute to the overall wellbeing of an older person (e.g., care planning, service coordination, monitoring, regular assessment, advocacy and support, education) Care partners will hold clinical qualifications or be supervised by a clinician dependent on scope of responsibility	Administrative costs funded through prices on services
	Restorative care management	Home support restorative care management	Restorative care partners provide specialist coordination services for older people connected to time-limited Restorative Care Pathway Care partners will hold clinical qualifications	Administrative costs funded through prices on services

Participant contribution category	Service Type	Services	In scope	Out of scope
Independence: Support delivered to older people to help them manage activities of daily living and the loss of skills required to live independently.	Personal care	Assistance with self-care and activities of daily living Assistance with the self-administration of medication Continence management (non-clinical)	Attendant care to meet essential and ongoing needs (e.g., mobility, eating, hygiene) Support with self-administration of medication activities (e.g., arrange for a pharmacist to prepare Webster packs) Attendant care to manage continence needs (e.g., support to access advice/funding, assistance changing aids)	General expenses: Professional services that would usually be paid for (e.g., waxing, hairdressing) Subsidised through other programs: Services more appropriately funded through the health system (e.g., pharmaceuticals, dose administration aids)
	Social support and community engagement	Group social support Individual social support Accompanied activities Cultural support Digital education and support Assistance to maintain personal affairs Expenses to maintain personal affairs	Services that support a person’s need for social connection and participation in community life. Support may include: Service and activity identification and linkage Assistance to participate in social interactions (in-person or online) Visiting services, telephone and web-based check-in services Accompanied activities (e.g., support to attend appointments) Support to engage in cultural activities for people with diverse backgrounds and life experiences. This includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or intersex people. Support may include: Assistance to access translating and interpreting services and integration of information into the older person’s chosen language Referral pathways to advocacy or community organisations Assistance in attending cultural and community events Access to training or direct assistance in the use of technologies to improve digital literacy where the support aids independence and participation (e.g., paying bills online, accessing tele-health services, connecting with digital social programs) Internet and/or phone bills where the older person is at risk of, or is homeless, and support is needed to maintain connection to services	General expenses: Costs to participate in an activity (e.g., tickets, accommodation, membership fees) The purchase of smart devices for the purpose of online services Service fees (e.g., funeral plans, accountant fees) Subsidised through other programs: The delivery of digital education where the need can be met through the Be Connected program delivered through the Department of Social Services
	Therapeutic services for independent living	Acupuncturist Chiropractor Diversional therapist Remedial masseuse Art therapist Osteopath	Assistance (e.g., treatment, education, advice) provided by university qualified or accredited health professionals using evidence-based techniques to manage social, mental and physical wellbeing in support of the older person remaining safe and independent at home Treatment programs should aim to provide the older person the skills and knowledge to manage their own condition and promote independent recovery where appropriate Interventions can be provided: In-person or via telehealth Individually or in group-based formats (e.g., diversional therapist-led recreation program) A treatment program may be delivered directly or implemented by an allied health assistant or therapy support worker under the supervision of the health professional, where safe and appropriate to do so Remedial massage may only be delivered by an accredited therapist and must be included in a prescribed allied health treatment plan to address functional decline Engagement of a diversional therapist to design and/or facilitate social programs that promote recreational, psychosocial and physical well-being for older people who live with age or disability related impairments that will benefit from a tailored program to enable and maintain participation	Subsidised through other programs: Other government programs must be accessed in first instance (e.g., Chronic Disease Management Plan) Services more appropriately funded through other systems (e.g., hospital costs, treatment, medicines and dispensing, psychiatry, dental care and imaging services, or care unrelated to age-associated or maintained decline) Traditional medicine (e.g., services from a Chinese Medicine Practitioner, such as acupuncture) where these are not considered part of the Medicare Benefit Schedule or are not prescribed by a doctor (see Medicare for guidance) General expenses: Massage for relaxation Participation in recreation programs (e.g., tickets, accommodation, membership fees, materials to participate like craft materials)

Participation category	Service Type	Services	In scope	Out of scope
Independence: Support delivered to older people to help them manage activities of daily living and the loss of skills required to live independently.	Transport	Direct transport (driver and car provided). Indirect transport (taxi or ride-share vouchers).	Group and individual transport assistance to connect older person with their usual groups or individual activities.	General expenses: purchase of an individual’s car and running costs. transport costs (e.g., public transport, flight, ferry). claiming transport costs where travel assistance or local government programs are available. travel for holidays.
	Assistive technology and home modifications	Assistive technology. Home modifications.	Assistive technology and home modifications in the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications maintenance, and repair.	–
	Domestic assistance	General house cleaning. Laundry services. Shopping assistance.	Essential light cleaning (e.g., mopping, vacuuming, washing dishes). Laundry and ironing clothes. Accompanied or unaccompanied shopping.	General expenses: professional cleaning services that would usually be paid for (e.g., pest control, carpet cleaning, dry cleaning). pet care services and other purchased items.
Everyday living: Support to assist older people to keep their home in a liveable state in order to enable them to stay independent in their homes.	Respite	Respite care	Provision and assistance of an older person by a person other than their usual informal carer; delivered on an individual or group basis, in the home or community.	Subsidised through other programs: residential respite is funded through the Australian National Aged Care Classification model (AN-ACC).
	Home maintenance and repairs	Gardening	Essential light gardening (e.g., mowing, pruning, and yard clearance for safe access).	General expenses: professional gardening services such as tree removal or landscaping, farm or water feature maintenance. gardening services that relate to accessibility (e.g., installation and maintenance plants, garden beds and compost). repair services that would usually be paid for by owner (e.g., replacing carpets due to usual wear and tear) except if the damage is due to a health condition (e.g., carpet damaged by a wheelchair user). services that pose a risk to the section of carpet damaged by a wheelchair user. services that are the responsibility of other parties (e.g., landlords, government housing authorities, generally covered by private insurance).
	Home maintenance and repairs	Assistance with home maintenance and repairs	Essential minor repairs and maintenance where the activity is something the older person is unable to do themselves or where required to maintain safety (e.g., clean gutters, replace lightbulbs, repair broken door handle).