What the funding can and cannot pay for, and why. Every claim on this page cites the page number and section of the government manual, so you can check the English original yourself.
A marker such as p.130 · §10.2 means the statement comes from page 130, section 10.2 of the manual. Every marker is a link — click it and the government PDF opens in a new tab at that page, so you can check the original wording directly. The manual runs to 254 pages. Anything marked service list comes from the separately published Support at Home service list.
Fifteen sections. Jump straight to the one you need.
These ten cover most of what comes up in practice.
It sits in a government account managed by Services Australia, and the provider can only claim it after a service is delivered. It buys services, not cash.
And only what your assessment approved. Anything off the list cannot be paid for with government funds. p.130 · §10.2
The service list says Essential light cleaning — mopping, vacuuming, washing dishes. Spring cleans, carpet cleaning and pest control are "professional cleaning that would usually be paid for". service list p.7
Four conditions must be met beforehand. The manual is explicit: providers can refuse to reimburse. p.141 · §10.7.1
Unspent quarterly funds carry over only up to $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget, whichever is higher. The rest is gone. p.122 · §9.7.1
Four consecutive quarters with no service and the funding is withdrawn and reallocated. p.160 · §12.1
Nursing, physio, OT, psychology, dietetics — clinical supports carry a 0% contribution regardless of your means. p.109 · §9.4
The means assessment is optional, but skipping it means 50% / 80% contributions. p.113–114 · §9.5
No administration fee, no travel fee. If you are charged one, question it. p.134–136 · §10.3
The standards require that you feel safe and supported to complain, without reprisal. p.143 · §10.9
This is the single most common source of friction, and the cause is almost always the same. Families expect a cleaning company; what the government actually buys is essential light cleaning. In Australian aged care these have never been the same thing.
The service list defines the whole "Everyday living" category as:
"Support to assist older people to keep their home in a liveable state in order to enable them to stay independent in their homes."
Read that twice. The funding buys keeping the home liveable, not making the home immaculate. That definition decides every line below.
This is not a cost-cutting excuse. There are three real reasons:
The middle column is the government's own wording. You can take this page to any provider and hold them to it.
| Service list column | Official wording |
|---|---|
| Service type | Domestic assistance |
| Services | General house cleaning · Laundry services · Shopping assistance |
| In scope ✅ | Essential light cleaning (e.g., mopping, vacuuming, washing dishes). Launder and iron clothing. Accompanied or unaccompanied shopping. |
| Out of scope ❌ | General expenses: · professional cleaning services that would usually be paid for (e.g., pest control, carpet cleaning, dry cleaning) · pet care · cost of groceries and other purchased items. |
Source: Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Support at Home service list, page 7, "Everyday living — Domestic assistance". The corresponding manual entry is p.133 · §10.2.
| What you want | Allowed? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mopping, sweeping, vacuuming | ✅ Yes | Named examples of essential light cleaning. |
| Washing dishes, wiping kitchen surfaces | ✅ Yes | "washing dishes" is in the official wording. |
| Cleaning the bathroom, toilet and basin | ✅ Yes | Routine hygiene that keeps the home liveable. |
| Making the bed, changing linen and towels | ✅ Yes | Covered by laundry services. |
| Washing, hanging out, ironing and putting away clothes | ✅ Yes | "Launder and iron clothing." |
| Taking out rubbish, wheeling the bin to the kerb | ✅ Yes | Routine upkeep, and directly safety-related. |
| Dusting surfaces, tidying rooms | ✅ Yes | Within light cleaning. |
| Inside of windows you can reach from the floor | ⚠️ Usually | Fine without a ladder; not if it needs working at height. |
| Clearing out the fridge | ⚠️ Usually | Removing old food and wiping down is routine; full defrost and deep clean is not. |
| Accompanied or unaccompanied shopping | ✅ Yes | Shopping assistance — but you pay for the goods themselves. |
| Outside windows, upstairs windows, anything needing a ladder | ❌ No | Work at height — a work health and safety prohibition, and beyond "light". |
| Annual or spring cleaning | ❌ No | "Professional cleaning services that would usually be paid for." |
| Carpet or steam cleaning | ❌ No | "carpet cleaning" is named in the out-of-scope column. |
| Pest control, termite treatment | ❌ No | "pest control" is named in the out-of-scope column. |
| Dry cleaning | ❌ No | "dry cleaning" is named in the out-of-scope column. |
| Degreasing the oven or rangehood | ❌ No | Specialist chemicals and hours — professional, not light, cleaning. |
| Moving the sofa, bed or cupboard to clean behind it | ❌ No | Injury risk from shifting heavy items, and deep cleaning besides. |
| Clearing out the garage, shed or loft | ❌ No | Decluttering, not keeping the home liveable. |
| A one-off hoarding clean-up | ❌ No | Needs its own assessment and a specialist service, not ordinary domestic hours. |
| Feeding pets, walking the dog, litter trays | ❌ No | "pet care" is named in the out-of-scope column. |
| Washing the car | ❌ No | Not on the service list; vehicle costs are expressly excluded. p.134 §10.2 |
| Cleaning an adult child's room in the same house | ❌ No | The funding covers the participant's living needs only. |
| Renovating, painting, refurbishing | ❌ No | "General home renovations" are expressly excluded. p.172 §13.1.2 |
| Mowing, pruning, clearing the yard | ⚠️ Different service | Not domestic assistance — it is home maintenance, and equally limited to essential light gardening. |
In scope: Essential light gardening — the examples given are lawn mowing, pruning and yard clearance for safe access.
Out of scope: professional gardening that would usually be paid for (tree removal, landscaping), and gardening that "relates to visual appeal rather than safety/accessibility" — planting, garden beds, compost.
Source: service list p.7, "Home maintenance and repairs".
In scope: essential minor repairs and maintenance the person used to be able to do themselves, or that safety requires — clean gutters, replace lightbulbs, repair a broken door handle.
Out of scope: professional services usually paid for (pest extermination, installing cabinetry, replacing carpet worn by ordinary use) — with one exception: an imminent age-related safety risk, such as uneven flooring that poses a falls risk, or carpet damaged by a wheelchair.
Also excluded: anything that is someone else's legal responsibility — landlords, government housing authorities, or matters normally covered by insurance.
Source: service list p.7.
It can be done — just not with government funding. The manual permits additional services outside the budget under a separate private agreement, self-funded. p.122 §9.7 We will quote at market rate in writing beforehand, and nothing is drawn from your aged care funds.
One case deserves separate mention. If the state of the home has reached the point of affecting health and safety — falls risk, infestation, a kitchen or bathroom that can no longer be used — that is no longer a cleaning question. It is a signal that the support plan needs reviewing, and we will help you request that.
We hear each of these most weeks.
| What we hear | What the rule actually says |
|---|---|
| "Why can't I buy the thing I want?" | Government funds pay only for items on the service list, and only those your assessment approved. Nothing off the list can be funded. p.130 · §10.2 |
| "Why do supplements need a doctor or dietitian?" | The listed item is prescribed nutrition: "prescribed nutritional supplement products (enteral and oral) and associated aids to treat impairment or functional decline", which may include prescribed supplements bought at a pharmacy. Ordinary supplements without a prescription do not qualify. p.133 · §10.2 note 4 |
| "Why does a grab rail need an OT assessment first?" | The manual requires that all home modifications be prescribed by a qualified health or allied health professional such as an OT. Some assistive technology also requires a prescription or must be bought "under advice". p.175 · §13.4.1 |
| "I bought it already — why won't you reimburse me?" | Four conditions must be met before purchase (on the list, approved, written into the care plan and budget, agreed in writing). The manual says plainly that providers can refuse to reimburse where they are not met. p.141 · §10.7.1 |
| "It's my money — why can't I save it?" | Unspent quarterly funds carry over only up to $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget, whichever is higher. The remainder is no longer available. p.122 · §9.7.1 |
| "Why is 10% taken for management?" | It is how the program is designed: 10% of every ongoing classified participant's quarterly budget goes into the provider's care management account and may only be used for care management. p.89 · §8.8 |
| "Why am I charged for a last-minute cancellation?" | Less than 2 business days notice is a late cancellation; nobody home is a "no show". The provider may claim in full and charge the contribution. With a legitimate reason (hospital, for instance) you can request an adjustment in writing. p.142 · §10.8 |
| "I know a handyman — why is this so complicated?" | The law requires third-party workers to be formally engaged by a registered provider and fully worker-screened. Where statutory obligations cannot be met, the provider may decline that person, but must give written reasons. p.151–152 · §11.5 |
| "I'm overseas or in hospital for months — can't services just pause?" | They can pause, but after four consecutive quarters (one year) without service counted from the end of the quarter of your last service, the funding is withdrawn and reallocated. p.160 · §12.1 |
The Statement of Rights sits in section 23 of the Aged Care Act 2024. Providers and every care worker must take "all reasonable and proportionate steps" to act consistently with it. p.22–23 · §2.3.1
In addition, on written request the provider must within 7 days supply a statement of its financial position and its most recent audited accounts. p.64–65 · §7.3.1
The law presumes every older person has decision-making capacity. A registered supporter's role is to help the person make and communicate their own decisions; it confers no power to decide on their behalf. The provider must still take the decision from the person themselves.
Only someone who also holds legal authority — guardianship, an enduring power of attorney — is an "appointed decision-maker" and may decide within the scope of that authority. p.23–24 · §2.4
The government defines a list of fundable and excluded services. Participants can only receive government-funded services from that list.
| Category | Services included | Your contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical supports | Registered and enrolled nurses, nursing assistants, nursing consumables; allied health and therapeutic services (OT, physiotherapy, podiatry, psychology, dietetics, exercise physiology, speech pathology, social work, music therapy and other therapies); prescribed nutrition; care management. | 0% |
| Independence | Personal care (help with self-care, assistance to self-administer medication, non-clinical continence management); social support and community engagement (group and individual, accompanied activities, cultural support, digital education, help with personal affairs); therapeutic services for independent living (acupuncture, chiropractic, recreational therapy, remedial massage, art therapy, osteopathy); respite; transport (direct or taxi and rideshare vouchers); assistive technology and home modifications. | 5–50% |
| Everyday living | Domestic assistance (general cleaning, laundry, shopping); home maintenance and repairs (gardening, repair assistance, materials); meals (preparation and delivery). | 17.5–80% |
Apart from a few items charged per session, per meal or at actual cost, everything on the list is measured in hours. Change ahead: from 1 October 2026 personal care moves from Independence into Clinical supports — fully government funded, with no contribution from you. p.130–133 · §10.1–10.2 · p.109 · §9.4
The service price is the provider's entire revenue.
Providers must also publish their prices on the My Aged Care portal and their own website, and record the agreed prices in the service agreement. p.134–136 · §10.3–10.3.3
The manual allows "you pay, the provider reimburses" arrangements, most often for nursing consumables and prescribed nutrition. But it is a conditional arrangement, not an entitlement — in two places the manual states that providers can refuse to reimburse where the conditions are not met. That is why we insist on approval before purchase. p.140–141 · §10.7–10.7.1
| Type | Conditions that must all be met before the purchase or service | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A listed service or item e.g. nursing consumables, prescribed nutrition | ① it is on the Support at Home service list; ② you are approved to receive it (see the Notice of Decision and support plan); ③ it is written into your care plan with the price in your individualised budget; ④ the reimbursement arrangement has been discussed with you and recorded in writing. | p.141 §10.7.1 |
| A service delivered by a third party | In addition: the provider must itself be registered to deliver that service, and must have formally engaged that worker and completed all worker screening. This cannot be done retrospectively. | p.155 §11.5.4 |
| Buying assistive technology yourself | ① it is a product on the AT-HM list; ② you have approved AT eligibility (or transitional approval as a former HCP client); ③ funds are available and the product is in your care plan and individualised budget; ④ the reimbursement arrangement is discussed and recorded. | p.181–182 §13.6.1 |
To claim from government, the provider needs evidence of the purchase from you, including the price — an invoice or receipt. The provider must keep those records for government audit. p.141 · §10.7.1
Providers must claim within 60 days of the end of the quarterly funding period (and within 60 days of the end of the funding period for AT-HM). After that government will not accept the claim, and the cost falls on you or on us. p.141 · §10.7.1 · p.182 · §13.6.1
The price you paid contained both the government subsidy and your contribution, where one applies. The provider may either refund you in full and then invoice your contribution on the usual cycle, or refund only the subsidised portion. Which approach applies must be agreed with you and recorded. p.142 · §10.7.2
The most misunderstood item on the list. There is no category called "health supplements" in the manual. The two closest items are tightly defined.
Covers "prescribed nutritional supplement products (enteral and oral) and associated aids required to treat impairment or functional decline", and may include prescribed supplements bought at a pharmacy.
Conditions: there must be a prescription, and it must address an assessed functional impairment. p.133 · §10.2 note 4
Only specialised nursing products for a specific individual — prescribed emollients, oxygen therapy consumables — the kind a nurse would not carry with them.
Note: everyday consumables such as bandages and antiseptic are already included in the nurse's hourly price and cannot be claimed separately. p.133 · §10.2 notes 2–3
Talk to your care partner, then a nurse, GP or dietitian assesses and writes a prescription.
The care partner confirms the item is on the service list and within your approved services. p.130 §10.2
The item and price go into your care plan and individualised budget, and the reimbursement arrangement is confirmed in writing. p.141 §10.7.1
You or we buy it. If you buy, keep the invoice or receipt showing the price.
Evidence to the care partner, claim within 60 days of the quarter's end, refund and contribution settled as agreed. p.141–142 §10.7
Manual chapter 13. AT and home modifications have their own funding tiers and their own account, separate from your quarterly service budget. Whether you get it, and at which tier, is decided by the aged care assessment and recorded in your Notice of Decision and support plan. p.171–173 · §13.1–13.2
| Tier | Maximum | Period and notes |
|---|---|---|
| AT · low | $500 | 12 months |
| AT · medium | $2,000 | 12 months |
| AT · high | $15,000 | 12 months. Not a hard cap — above $15,000, additional funds can be sought with a valid prescription and supporting evidence. |
| Home modifications · low / medium | $500 / $2,000 | 12 months |
| Home modifications · high | $15,000 | 12 months; for complex work, evidence of progress to Services Australia within the first 12 months can extend it by another 12 (24 total). Lifetime cap $15,000. |
| Assistance dog upkeep | $2,000/yr | Allocated automatically every 12 months; cannot accumulate or carry over. Covers vaccination, worming, necessary grooming, food and vet fees. |
The assessor uses the IAT tool to assess functional capacity and the home environment, and decides whether home modification funding is granted and at which tier. p.172 §13.2
Every home modification must be prescribed, by an OT, physiotherapist, speech pathologist, podiatrist, registered nurse, GP, rehabilitation physician or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner within their scope. p.175–176 §13.4.1
All AT-HM costs must be agreed with you and recorded in writing before funds are drawn (this can be done in stages). p.183 §13.7.1
Delivery and installation, building approvals, training in use, professional follow-up review — these come out of the AT-HM funding too. If the tier is insufficient, a support plan review can be requested. p.176–177 §13.4.2
Home modifications may be claimed in stages as work progresses. p.183 §13.7.1
For every AT-HM item the provider must keep the invoice plus at least one further piece of evidence — care or clinical notes, a delivery docket you signed, photos or video of the completed installation, electronic system records. p.183 §13.7.2
Administration costs for assistive technology may not exceed 10% of the item cost or $500, whichever is lower; coordination of home modifications may not exceed 15% of the total quote or $1,500, whichever is lower. These must come out of the AT-HM funding and cannot be charged to care management. p.177 · §13.4.3
AT and modification items are charged at the Independence rate; prescriptions and wrap-around services are charged as clinical supports at 0% — meaning the assessment, prescription, training and follow-up cost you nothing. p.183 · §13.8
Maintenance and repair: listed AT can be maintained and repaired from AT funding, but only where the equipment was originally obtained through Support at Home or another Australian government-funded aged care program. Repairs to privately bought equipment are not covered. p.179 · §13.4.5
Manual chapter 9
Your annual funding follows your classification and is split into four quarterly budgets (each covering three months, calculated as annual budget ÷ days in the year × days in the quarter, so quarters differ slightly). Services Australia releases each quarterly budget at the start of the quarter (July, October, January, April) into a government-managed account in your name; the provider can only claim after a service is delivered. Mid-quarter entrants are pro-rated by days. p.99–100 · §9.2
Your account cannot go negative, and government will not pay claims beyond the budget. The manual states that "overspending should not occur" and that preventing it is the provider's responsibility. Where an overspend does happen, either you agreed in the service agreement to self-fund it, or the provider absorbs it. That is why we watch rosters and balances closely. p.123–124 · §9.7.3
Providers must develop the individualised budget with you (and your registered supporter or appointed decision-maker): the government funding amount and AT-HM tier amounts, the cost of each service and each item of AT or modification, prescription and wrap-around costs, AT administration and modification coordination costs, a description of each item, and the contribution rate you pay on each. The budget must be reviewed alongside every care plan review, whenever service costs change, and whenever you ask. p.121–122 · §9.7
Ongoing service funding (less the 10% care management, less your contributions) + short-term pathway funding where applicable + AT / home modification funding where approved + primary supplements (oxygen, enteral feeding, veterans and so on) + the Commonwealth portion of any unspent former HCP funds. p.101–102 · §9.3
§9.4–9.6 — contributions are assessed by Services Australia on your income and assets. Providers do not set them and cannot change them. The amount depends on two things: which category of service you use, and your pension status. p.109 · §9.4
| Means assessment outcome | Clinical supports | Independence | Everyday living |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full pensioner | 0% | 5% | 17.5% |
| Part pensioner and self-funded retiree with a CSHC | 0% | 5–50% | 17.5–80% |
| Self-funded retiree without a CSHC, and "means not disclosed" | 0% | 50% | 80% |
Rates between the bands are tapered against the means assessment. If you do not give Services Australia your income and asset details you are treated as "means not disclosed" and charged at the top rate — the assessment is not compulsory, but declining it costs money. Care management carries a 0% contribution rate. p.109–110 · §9.4 · p.113–114 · §9.5
Contributions are subject to a lifetime cap. Once reached you pay nothing further and government meets 100% of the cost. Services Australia notifies both you and the provider. p.113–114 · §9.4.3 · p.119 · §9.6
Where your financial circumstances change in a way that could affect your contribution, you must tell Services Australia within 28 days — this is the participant's own responsibility. If the change increases your contribution it applies from the next quarter; if it decreases it, it is backdated to the date of the change and the provider must refund the difference. p.114 · §9.5 · p.118 · §9.5.3
Before the means assessment is finalised, government pays at 100% subsidy. Once it is settled, the rate is backdated to your entry date. If you underpaid, the provider must recover the difference; if you overpaid, it must be refunded. To avoid a large back-charge, you can agree with the provider to pay at an interim rate in the meantime. p.115 · §9.5.1 · p.120 · §9.6.2
Where financial hardship makes contributions unaffordable, you can apply to Services Australia on form SA462. While the application is being assessed the provider may not invoice your contribution. If approved, government meets all or part of the cost, backdated to the date of application; if refused, the provider will recover the amount.
One of the tests: after paying all essential expenses (contributions included), what remains is less than 15% of the basic single pension. If you have nobody to help with the form, call the aged care advocacy line on 1800 700 600. p.108 · §9.3.4
Manual chapters 8 and 11
For ongoing classified participants, 10% of the quarterly budget is deducted into the provider's care management account and pooled with the same allocation from other participants. The design intent is flexibility: when one person's situation changes suddenly, the provider can put substantially more in immediately, rather than everyone receiving a fixed few hours a month. The manual is explicit that care management time should not be determined by classification alone, but by assessed need, emerging risk and individual complexity. p.89 · §8.8 · p.93–94 · §8.9–8.9.1
Rostering, building staff schedules and swapping workers; submitting government claims; staff travel to and from service locations; staff training and education (including mandatory training); program governance and compliance activity (including SIRS incident reporting and complaints handling); financial and operational reporting; record-keeping unrelated to care management (including general support workers' care notes) and record auditing; human resources activity (recruitment, performance management); AT-HM related services and activities.
These must be met from the provider's own operating costs or built into the service price. p.77–78 · §8.4.2
You may choose to select and coordinate services yourself, manage the budget, arrange times and workers, deal directly with workers, choose your own suppliers or workers, pay first and be reimbursed, and handle aged care system matters yourself — and you can self-manage a single service while the provider manages the rest. It must be agreed by both parties and recorded in writing; where agreement cannot be reached, or you do not meet the agreed obligations, the provider must resume full responsibility. The 10% care management fee is deducted regardless. p.148–151 · §11.2–11.4
Where you source a third-party worker yourself and self-manage that service, the provider's management overhead is capped at 10% of the actual cost of that third-party service, and must be included in the final unit price, not claimed separately.
Support at Home services are GST-free to participants, and GST may not be charged to your budget. p.152–153 · §11.5.1–11.5.2
Receiving treatment or surgery.
Rehabilitation after discharge through the Transition Care Programme.
Planned or unplanned.
Social absence, holidays or personal circumstances — including visiting family overseas.
In some circumstances Support at Home can run alongside other aged care programs, under specific rules. p.160–161 · §12.2
Cancelling with less than 2 business days notice is a late cancellation; a worker attending and finding you not at the agreed location is a no show. In both cases, where the provider is not at fault, it may claim in full and charge the contribution.
If you believe there was a legitimate reason — hospital admission, an acute health event, a sudden change in informal care arrangements — provide evidence in writing. The provider must consider each case on its merits and may adjust the claim where satisfied. The provider's cancellation policy must be set out in the service agreement. p.142–143 · §10.8
You may change provider or leave at any time, for any reason — dissatisfaction, moving house, needing a service your current provider cannot deliver. Your service approvals and budget move with you. Tell your current provider early, agree a cessation date, and tell them who the new provider is so records can be handed over and care is not interrupted. The cessation date should not overlap with the new provider or with residential care, and should not disadvantage you unnecessarily. p.161–162 · §12.3
p.162–165 · §12.3.1 / §12.3.3
Entering permanent residential aged care: the day of entry is the Support at Home cessation date and the system exits you automatically; the provider has 60 days to claim. Support at Home services may only be delivered on the day of entry or return home, to assist the transition.
If the person dies, the date of death is the cessation date. The provider must update My Aged Care records, notify by phone, and complete claims within 60 days. p.160 · §12.1 · p.165–166 · §12.4.1
Under Rules section 149-35(2), only where:
These circumstances must be set out in your service agreement in advance.
Your protections: the provider must give at least 14 days written notice before ceasing, stating the reasons, the cessation date and your rights — how to complain to the provider, what other complaint channels exist, and information about independent aged care advocacy. The provider must ensure appropriate continuity-of-care arrangements. If the reason was conduct-related and the matter is resolved, the provider must confirm in writing that services will not cease. p.166–167 · §12.4.2
Manual chapter 17
Providers must issue a statement every month, plus a final statement when services end. The deadline is no later than the last day of the following month (August's statement by 30 September). A statement must be issued even if there were no services that month, or only part of a period. Other than for the final statement, the provider must also help you understand what the statement says. p.230 · §17.1 · p.66 · §7.3.2
Providers must keep proof of delivery for all participants, including third-party delivered and self-managed services: care notes, progress records, clinical notes or reports (which for gardening and home repairs may include photographs); staff sign-in and sign-out records (including electronic timesheets and attendance systems, which may include geolocation data recording time and place); and sign-in books or QR scans in the home.
Only allied health, nursing, nutrition consumables and meal delivery may use an invoice as the evidence. p.138–139 · §10.5
Providers must have a complaints and feedback system available to the older person, their registered supporter, family, carers and others. Strengthened Quality Standards 2.6a and 2.6b require that you feel safe, encouraged and supported to complain, without any reprisal, that you are involved in how it is handled, and that you know appropriate action was taken. On receiving a complaint the provider must use its complaints resolution process, apply open disclosure, and proactively tell you what other avenues exist, including complaining to the Commission. p.143 · §10.9
| State / territory | Organisation | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | NSW Ageing and Disability Abuse Helpline | 1800 628 221 |
| VIC | Seniors Rights Victoria | 1300 368 821 |
| QLD | Elder Abuse Prevention Unit | 1300 651 192 |
| WA | Advocare Elder Abuse Helpline | 1300 724 679 |
| SA | Adult Safeguarding Unit | 1800 372 310 |
| ACT | Older Persons ACT Legal Service (OPALS) | 1800 353 374 |
| TAS | Elder Abuse Tasmania | 1800 441 169 |
| NT | Older Person Abuse Prevention | 1800 037 072 |
Source: p.144–145 · §10.10 (the manual's own table). Need an interpreter? Call TIS National on 131 450, free. In an emergency call 000.
Direct answers, each with the manual reference.
Yes, but only essential light cleaning. The government service list says "Essential light cleaning (e.g., mopping, vacuuming, washing dishes)". The stated purpose of the category is to help older people "keep their home in a liveable state", not to make it immaculate.
Routine, low-intensity cleaning that needs no specialist equipment or chemicals: mopping, sweeping, vacuuming, washing dishes, wiping surfaces, cleaning the bathroom, changing linen, taking out rubbish. Deep cleaning — steam-cleaning carpets, degreasing ovens, spring cleans, exterior windows — is "professional cleaning that would usually be paid for" and is expressly out of scope.
Not with government funding. A spring clean falls under "professional cleaning services that would usually be paid for" in the service list's out-of-scope column. You can buy one privately, outside the budget, under a separate self-funded agreement (permitted at p.122 §9.7). We quote at market rate in writing and draw nothing from your aged care funds.
It depends which. The inside of windows reachable from the floor without a ladder is ordinarily light cleaning and can be done. Anything requiring a ladder, or the outside or upstairs windows, cannot — working at height is a work health and safety prohibition, and it is beyond "light" cleaning.
No. The service list names all three in its out-of-scope column: carpet cleaning, pest control and dry cleaning, as professional services that would usually be paid for.
No — pet care is expressly out of scope. The one exception is an approved assistance dog, which has its own $2,000 per year upkeep allocation (p.181 §13.5.1).
You do. The service list excludes "cost of groceries and other purchased items" — the funding pays for the worker's time doing accompanied or unaccompanied shopping, not for the goods.
No. Shifting heavy furniture carries injury risk, and cleaning behind it is not light cleaning. If dust in that space is genuinely affecting health, tell your care partner — that may warrant a different route.
No — it belongs to a separate category, home maintenance and repairs, but follows the same logic and is limited to essential light gardening: "lawn mowing, pruning and yard clearance for safe access". Tree removal, landscaping, and gardening for visual appeal rather than safety are expressly excluded.
Because domestic assistance sits in Everyday living, the highest-contribution category: 17.5% for a full pensioner, up to 80% for a self-funded retiree. Clinical supports — nursing, physio, OT, psychology, dietetics — carry a 0% contribution. Spending the budget on clinical care is usually better value.
No. It is held in a government account managed by Services Australia, and the provider can only claim after delivering a service (p.99–100 §9.2). It buys services, not cash.
Only partly: $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget, whichever is higher, carries over; the rest is lost. The 10% is calculated after the care management deduction (p.122 §9.7.1). Saving up over time is not possible by design.
No. 10% of every ongoing classified participant's quarterly budget goes to the provider's care management account (p.89 §8.8), and it is deducted even if you self-manage (p.148–151 §11.2–11.4).
Services Australia decides, on your income and assets. Providers have no say and cannot change it. Full pensioner: 0% clinical, 5% independence, 17.5% everyday living. Self-funded retiree without a CSHC: 0% / 50% / 80% (p.109 §9.4).
Yes — the means assessment is not compulsory. But you are then treated as "means not disclosed" and charged at the top rate: 50% independence, 80% everyday living (p.113–114 §9.5). For most people the assessment is worth doing.
Apply to Services Australia for the fee reduction supplement using form SA462. While it is assessed the provider may not invoice your contribution. If approved, government covers all or part, backdated to the application date. For help with the form, call 1800 700 600 (p.108 §9.3.4).
No. The manual is explicit: the service price is the provider's entire revenue, and no administration fee or travel fee may be charged separately, nor charged to the care management account (p.134–136 §10.3). Providers must also publish prices on My Aged Care and their own website.
Before the means assessment is finalised government pays at 100% subsidy. Once settled, the rate is backdated to your entry date, so an underpayment is recovered (p.115 §9.5.1). To avoid a large back-charge you can agree to pay an interim rate in the meantime.
Probably not. Four conditions must be met before purchase: on the service list, approved for you, written into the care plan and individualised budget, and the reimbursement arrangement recorded in writing. The manual says twice that providers can refuse to reimburse otherwise (p.140–141 §10.7). Always get approval first.
There is no "supplements" category in the manual. The closest is prescribed nutrition, which requires a prescription and must address an assessed impairment or functional decline. Ordinary over-the-counter vitamins do not qualify (p.133 §10.2 note 4).
Because the manual requires that every home modification be prescribed by a qualified professional — OT, physiotherapist, registered nurse, GP and others (p.175 §13.4.1). It cannot be skipped; without it government will not pay. The good news: the prescription and assessment are charged as clinical supports at 0%, so they cost you nothing (p.183 §13.8).
No. Assistive technology and home modifications (AT-HM) have separate funding and a separate account from the quarterly service budget, in three tiers — $500, $2,000 and $15,000 — set by your assessment (p.171–173 §13.1–13.2).
No. The manual expressly excludes "ordinary household appliances, such as a dishwasher" (p.171 §13.1.1). Assistive technology means equipment addressing a functional impairment, not general appliances.
You can pause, and should tell the provider in advance. Two cautions: budgets keep arriving and the carryover cap still applies, so funds are lost each quarter; and after four consecutive quarters (one year) with no service, counted from the end of the quarter of your last service, the funding is withdrawn and reallocated (p.160 §12.1). For absences beyond about six months, plan it with your care partner first.
Less than 2 business days notice is a late cancellation, and a worker arriving to find nobody there is a no-show; the provider may claim in full (p.142 §10.8). But where there is a legitimate reason — hospital admission, an acute health event, a sudden change in informal care — provide evidence in writing, and the provider must consider it case by case and may adjust the claim.
You can change at any time, for any reason, and your approvals and budget move with you. The outgoing provider must by law notify Services Australia within 28 days, share your records and balances with the new provider within 28 days, complete claims within 60 days, and issue a final statement and contribution invoice (p.161–165 §12.3). Note that the new provider must submit an entry notification, or the funding is terminated.
The law protects you. Strengthened Quality Standards 2.6a and 2.6b require that you feel safe, encouraged and supported to complain, without reprisal (p.143 §10.9). The grounds on which a provider may cease services are an exhaustive statutory list (Rules s.149-35(2)) and complaining is not among them; any cessation requires at least 14 days written notice setting out your complaint options (p.166–167 §12.4.2).
The complete guide, written for Chinese-speaking clients and their families. Print it for a parent, or take it to an assessment or another provider.
Compiled from Support at Home program manual — A guide for registered providers, Version 4.3, July 2026. Thirteen sections, each citing the manual page and section.
Download PDF · 3.5MBWe keep every Simplified Chinese document My Aged Care publishes on one page, sorted by topic — applying, service agreements, changing providers, the Statement of Rights, privacy. Seventeen documents, all linked to the government's own site.
That is entirely reasonable — this is a 254-page manual written for registered providers, not for the families living with the rules. Call us and a bilingual care partner will work out which two or three points actually matter for your circumstances. No charge, and you do not need to be a client.
📋 Applications line 0426 523 259 📞 0485 835 655 Enquire online
Need an interpreter? Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and ask for Mandarin or Cantonese, or TIS National on 131 450. Both are free.
This page does not ask you to take our word for it. Every p.xxx · §x.x marker above is a link — click it and the official PDF opens at that page, so you can read the original wording yourself. Both source documents are below.
A guide for registered providers · Version 4.3 · July 2026 · 254 pages · approx. 5.0MB
Published by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, and written for registered providers. Every p.xxx marker in sections 1 to 14 of this page refers to this document.
9 pages · approx. 0.2MB
The separately published list of fundable services, setting out In scope and Out of scope for each. The wording quoted in the cleaning section — Essential light cleaning — comes from page 7 of this document.
Which manual chapter each section of this page draws on, and where it starts. Click a page number to open the original.
| Section on this page | Manual chapter | Open the source |
|---|---|---|
| 2. Your rights | Ch. 2 · Aged Care Act 2024, Statement of Rights, registered supporters | p.22 · §2.3.1 |
| 2. Documents you must be given | Ch. 7 · Entry and service agreements | p.64 · §7.3.1 |
| 9. The 10% care management fee | Ch. 8 · Care management | p.77 · §8.4.2 |
| 7. Budgets and carryover / 8. Contributions | Ch. 9 · Classification, budgets and contributions | p.99 · §9.2 |
| 3. Service list / 4. Reimbursement / 13. Complaints | Ch. 10 · Delivering services | p.130 · §10.2 |
| 9. Self-management and third-party workers | Ch. 11 · Self-management | p.148 · §11.1 |
| 10. Pausing / 11. Changing providers | Ch. 12 · Pausing, changing and ceasing | p.160 · §12.1 |
| 6. Equipment and home modifications | Ch. 13 · AT-HM scheme | p.171 · §13.1 |
| 12. Monthly statements | Ch. 17 · Statements | p.230 · §17.1 |
This page was compiled by CareU from the Support at Home program manual — A guide for registered providers, Version 4.3, July 2026 (Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) and that department's published Support at Home service list, to help clients and families understand the rules.
The manual itself states that it is "a general guide to policy intent and does not constitute legal or professional advice"; the same applies here. This page is not legal advice and does not replace the source documents. Where wording differs, the English originals and the current Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Rules 2025 prevail. Some provisions noted in the manual — such as the personal care category change on 1 October 2026 — had not commenced when this was written. The manual's own disclaimer is at p.3.
Last updated 25 August 2026 · CareU Home and Health Care Pty Ltd · ABN 40 674 208 327 · A registered Support at Home provider serving Chinese-Australian families in Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane.