If you’re exploring in-home aged care for yourself or a loved one, you’re probably wondering: how much will this cost?
It’s a fair thing to wonder. With the new Support at Home program, funding works a little differently to what many families are used to, and it’s completely normal to want some clarity before you commit to anything.
Here’s a simple breakdown of how contributions work, what affects the amount, and where Carer’s Network fits in to help you make sense of it.
Who Decides What You’ll Pay?
It’s important to understand your contribution amount is determined by Services Australia, based on your income and assets assessment, not by Carer’s Network. We can walk you through how the system works and what factors affect your rate, but the specific figure comes from your assessment outcome, not from us.
If you haven’t completed an income and assets assessment yet, that’s the first step to finding out your actual contribution. In the meantime, My Aged Care’s Support at Home fee estimator can give you a general indication of what to expect.
The Basics: What’s a Contribution?
Support at Home is a government program that helps cover the cost of in-home aged care services. In most cases, the government pays part of the cost, and you contribute the rest.
How much you contribute depends on a few things: your care classification, any supplements you’re eligible for, and the specific services in your care plan. We’ve broken these down below.
Not All Services Cost the Same
One thing that surprises a lot of families is that contributions aren’t a flat fee. They depend on the type of service you’re receiving.
- Clinical supports – including nursing, allied health and physiotherapy are fully funded by the government. You won’t pay a contribution for these, ever.
- Independence services – such as personal care, transport and equipment under the AT-HM scheme, carry a moderate contribution between 5% and 50%.
- Everyday living services – like domestic help, gardening and maintenance, carry the highest contribution, between 17.5% and 80%.
Worth noting: from 1 October 2026, personal care becomes fully government-funded too. If it’s part of your support plan, you’ll be able to access it at no out-of-pocket cost.
What Affects Your Rate?
As a general guide, full pensioners pay the lowest contribution, while self-funded retirees without a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card pay the highest. It’s also worth knowing that if your income and assets information hasn’t been provided, you’ll be set at the maximum contribution rate in the meantime. So, it’s worth getting that assessment done early.
Does It Matter When You Started?
If you were approved for care on or before 12 September 2024, you won’t be worse off under Support at Home. In practice, that means you’ll pay the same or less than you were under your Home Care Package, and if you weren’t previously assessed as needing to pay fees, you won’t be asked to under Support at Home either.
If you were approved after that date, the standard Support at Home contribution arrangements apply.
If You’re Worried About Affording It
This is a common concern we hear from families, and it’s completely understandable. If you’re genuinely struggling to cover your contributions, financial hardship assistance may be available. If approved, the government covers some or all of your contribution, so cost doesn’t have to stand between you and the care you need.
You Don’t Have to Work This Out Alone
Support at Home can feel like a lot to take in, especially on top of everything else that comes with arranging care for yourself or someone you love. That’s exactly where we come in.
At Carer’s Network, we can’t tell you your exact contribution, that comes from Services Australia, but we can explain how the system works. Once you have your assessment outcome, we are here to help you understand it and guide you through what happens next.
Get in touch with our friendly team to talk through your situation, or head to our full guide on Support at Home contributions for more detail.
