Support and Home contributions & fees

Under Support at Home you will be asked to financially contribute to the cost of your care if you can afford to.

This is called your contribution rate and the amount you need to pay is determined by Services Australia. They do this by assessing your income and assets, and services you need.

Income and assets

Your income and asset assessment are calculated by an age pension means test. This test determines the amount of financial contribution you need to pay, based on your ability to pay. This test is required for all aged care services (except clinical support).

If you have a pension or a Commonwealth Senior Health Card, you will pay a lower contribution rate than people who self-fund.

Services received

Your contribution is also based on the type of service you receive:

• Clinical support: Services like nursing and physiotherapy are fully funded by the Australian Government. They help keep you out of hospital and residential aged care. This means you will not be required to pay a contribution. 
• Independence support: Financial contributions are required for services like personal care, assistive equipment and products. These help you maintain your routine and avoid hospital or residential care.
• Everyday living support: A higher level of financial contribution is required for services like domestic assistance and gardening. These are services that people are more likely to have organised themselves throughout their lives. 

You will only pay contributions for services that you have received. 

How your contribution is calculated

Based on your income and assets, each type of service has a fixed contribution percentage. Your contribution is calculated per hour, or unit of service, for each service received. 

For example: 

• For two hours of personal care, you pay a contribution towards the cost of each hour of your service. 
• If you received five meals, you pay a contribution towards each meal, as it’s billed as a unit of service. 
• If you have consumables like continence pads, your contribution is calculated as a percentage of the product’s cost.

Your Care Partner will explain the payments you need to make when developing your Care Plan.

Support at Home fees

Every Support at Home client receives Care Management services to help manage their care. A Care Management fee is set by the government at 10% of your quarterly budget if you receive ongoing services. 

This amount is the same for all providers, even if you self manage your own care. It comes out of your budget each quarter and is provided to your provider, such as Silverchain, to use flexibly based on your needs.  

Under Support at Home, providers cannot charge for entry or exit costs or package administration or management fees. See our fees and charges for Support at Home.

Learn more about how your Support at Home budget works.

Additional support

There is support available if you cannot financially contribute to your care and meet relevant criteria. 

To apply for a fee reduction, go to the Services Australia website and complete the Aged Care Claim for financial hardship assistance form (SA462). They will assess your financial situation and if approved, your contributions will be reduced or waived.

For more information, call our Contact Centre on 1300 650 803 or complete our enquiry form today.