Understanding Support at Home and personal contributions
If you’re receiving Support at Home (from 1 November 2025), you get a government budget to help you live safely and well at home.
Most people will also pay a personal contribution, a percentage of the cost of some services. This is not a penalty it is how the program is designed so that people who can afford to contribute, do so fairly.
Your Support at Home budget works like “buckets of support”, into three broad buckets:
- Clinical supports (health and professional care)
- Independence supports (help to stay independent)
- Everyday supports (help around the home and daily living)Each bucket works a little differently when it comes to your contribution.
Type of support What it is What Will I pay?
| Category | Services Included | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical (Health) | Nurses, physio, care management | Nothing |
| Independence | Personal care, social support, transport, equipment | 5–50% |
| Everyday | Cleaning, gardening, meals | 17.5–80% |
Your exact percentage depends on your income and assets. Use our interactive Support at Home budget planner as a simple guide to understand how the costs may work for you.
Clinical Supports
These are services that protect your health, safety, and wellbeing. They are often delivered by qualified professionals.
Examples from your list include:
| Care management | Physiotherapy | Exercise physiology |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing care | Occupational therapy | Counselling |
| Nursing assistants | Podiatry | Social work |
| Nursing consumables (dressings, medical supplies) | Psychology | Music therapy |
| Dietitian/nutrition | Speech pathology | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health supports |
Because these supports are about health and safety, the government generally protects them.
Independance Supports
These services help you stay independent, connected, and able to manage day-to-day life.
This includes things like:
| Personal care (non-clinical) | Help managing personal affairs (paperwork, bills, appointments) | Special cushions or continence products |
| Help with showering, dressing, toileting | Therapies that support wellbeing (not strictly medical) | Trips to shops or activities |
| Help taking medication | Acupuncture | Equipment and aids |
| Continence support | Chiropractic | Walking frames, shower chairs, grab rails |
| Social and community support | Massage | Assistive technology |
| Group social activities | Art therapy | Home modifications |
| One-on-one social support | Osteopathy | Ramps |
| Help going out to activities | Diversional therapy | Grab rails |
| Cultural support | Respite | Bathroom changes |
| Digital help (learning to use phones, tablets, email) | Transport | Safer access to your home |
| Rides to appointments | Nutrition supports | |
| Mobility aids | Diet advice, meal planning, or specialist nutrition help | |
| Communication devices |
Everyday supports, help around the house (larger contributions apply)
These are the services many people recognise as “home help”.
- House cleaning
- Laundry
- Shopping help
- Home maintenance minor repairs
- Gardening
- Meals
Most people do pay a contribution toward everyday services because these are things many people would normally pay for privately if they didn’t have Support at Home.
What does “percentage contribution” really mean?
Let’s say a service costs $100.
Depending on your income assessment, you might pay:
0% → you pay $0
5% → you pay $5
17.5% → you pay $17.50
50%+ → you pay $50
In summary, Support at Home is designed to balance government funding with fair personal contributions, so people who can afford to contribute do so, while essential health care remains protected. How much you pay depends on the type of support you use and your income and assets, not a one-size-fits-all fee. Understanding these differences can help you plan with confidence and make informed choices about your care. Our interactive Support at Home budget planner is a simple guide to help you see how your funding and contributions may work in practice.
