What is my funding & budget?

Your funding classification is decided through an aged care assessment arranged through My Aged Care.

The assessor looks at:

• Your care needs
• Your circumstances
• Your goals
• The assistance you need to remain safe and independent at home

If your needs have changed beyond what your current support plan can reasonably address, you can request a Support Plan Review through My Aged Care.

With your consent, your provider can also request a review on your behalf.

A Support Plan Review may result in:

• Changes to your support plan
• Different approved services
• A new aged care assessment
• Consideration of short-term Support at Home pathways
• Reassessment for a higher ongoing Support at Home classification
• Consideration of residential aged care where your needs can no longer be appropriately supported at home.

Your Support at Home funding is provided through quarterly budgets. For ongoing services, your annual funding is divided into 4 budgets, with each budget covering about 3 months.

The quarterly periods are:

The daily subsidy funding is calculated on a daily basis and accumulated over the course of the month. This means that the longer you are in the home care system, the more funding you will accumulate.

Conversely, if you are only in the system for a short period of time, such as one day, you will only accumulate one day of funding. It’s important to understand that the funding is not paid in a lump sum up front, but rather accumulates daily based on your eligibility and the level of Support at Home Funding you have been approved for.

It’s important to note that you cannot spend more than you have accumulated. If you exceed your agreed upon budget, this is considered a private expense.

If you do not spend all of a quarter, some money rolls over to the next quarter. There is a cap on how much can roll over. You keep whichever of these two amounts is higher:

• $1,000, or
• 10% of your quarterly budget

Anything above that cap goes back to the government at the end of the quarter. Rollover only carries one quarter forward, it does not build up all year. Your Local Guardians care advisor keeps an eye on your budget so you make the most of it and do not lose funds you could have used.

You can stop some or all your Support at Home services if you go into hospital, take a holiday or need a break from services for another reason. To keep your funding you only need to purchase a service once per year.

Your ongoing quarterly funding continues while your services are temporarily stopped. However, the usual quarterly carryover limits still apply to any funding you do not use.

Unspent HCP funds can be used under Support at Home for:

• Approved Support at Home services
• Additional services once the quarterly budget has been used
• Assistive technology
• Home modifications

The supports still need to be reasonable, necessary and linked to your assessed care needs, goals, safety, wellbeing, or independence.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to:

• Review your current services: Local Guardians can review your care plan and budget with you and look at whether services, frequency or timing can be adjusted while still meeting your assessed needs.
• Use retained Home Care Package funds, if available: If you transitioned from the former Home Care Packages Program with Commonwealth unspent HCP funds, these can be used for approved services after your normal quarterly budget has been exhausted.
• Request a Support Plan Review if your needs have changed: If your care needs have increased, a Support Plan Review may lead to changes to your support plan or another aged care assessment. A reassessment may result in a higher Support at Home classification where your assessed needs support it.
• Pay privately for additional services: If you want services beyond the amount covered by your government funded budget, you and your provider may agree to additional privately funded services.