Decoding Your Support at Home Fees: What Each Charge Actually Means

You’ve finally been allocated your Support at Home funding. Then the first statement arrives – and it’s full of terms that nobody bothered to explain. Contribution rates. Independence services. Quarterly budgets. Unspent funds. The list goes on…

You’re not alone in feeling confused. Since the Support at Home (SAH) program launched on 1 November 2025, one of the most common questions families ask us is: “What am I actually paying for, and does this bill look right?”

This guide breaks down every charge you might see on your Support at Home statement, in plain English.

First: How Support at Home Funding Works

Before we get to individual charges, it helps to understand the overall structure.

Support at Home replaced the old Home Care Package system on 1 November 2025. Instead of four levels of funding, there are now eight classifications based on your assessed needs. The government allocates a budget to you each quarter (three months), and that budget is used to pay your provider for services delivered.

Here’s the key shift: The government pays providers directly for your care. You contribute a portion of costs based on your individual income and assets assessment – this is called your participant contribution.

Quick Tip:

Your Support at Home budget is divided into four equal quarterly amounts. You can carry forward unspent funds of up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget, whichever is greater, into the next quarter.

The Two Types of Support at Home Services

This is critical, because not all services are treated the same way when it comes to what you pay.

1. Clinical Supports – Fully Government Funded

Clinical services such as nursing care and allied health (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, etc.) are paid for entirely by the government. You do not contribute anything to these services.

2. Independence and Everyday Living Services – You May Contribute

These are the non-clinical services that help you live independently at home. They include things like:

• Personal care (showering, dressing, grooming)
• Domestic assistance (cleaning, laundry)
• Meal preparation
• Transport
• Social support
• Home maintenance and gardening

For these services, you pay a percentage of the cost based on your income and assets. The government pays the remainder as a subsidy to your provider.

What Determines How Much You Pay?

Services Australia conducts an income and assets assessment, similar to the Age Pension means test, to work out your individual contribution rate.

Here’s how the three main groups are treated:

Important: The ‘Means Not Disclosed’ Status:

If you have not provided your income and assets information to Services Australia, you will automatically be placed on the maximum contribution rate. It’s integral to make sure your information is up to date.

What Happened to Package Management Fees?

One of the biggest sources of confusion since the switchover is the change in how provider fees are structured.

Under the old Home Care Package system, providers charged a separate “package management fee” (often 10–15% of your package) on top of the cost of individual services. Many people also saw separate “care management fees” and “service fees” on their bills – adding up to much more than they expected.

Under Support at Home, this has changed – you can explore the full guide to what’s changed from Support at Home here.

The new rule from 1 November 2025 is as follows:

Providers can no longer charge separate package management. The price for a service must reflect the entire cost of delivering that service – all bundled into one rate. This means you may notice higher hourly rates for individual services compared to what you were used to. This is not necessarily more expensive – it’s the same costs, just displayed differently.

Government price caps will apply from 1 July 2026. Until then, providers set their own prices, but these must be reasonable, transparent, and published on the My Aged Care portal.

The Charges You Might See on Your Bill

Participant Contribution

This is your personal share of the cost of independence and everyday living services. It is calculated as a percentage of the service price – your specific rate is determined by your income and assets assessment.

You only pay this on services actually delivered – not as a flat fee, and not in advance.

Service Price (Hourly or Unit Rate)

This is what your provider charges for each service. Unlike under the old system, this rate now includes administration costs, travel time, and any other overheads. Providers must publish their prices on the My Aged Care portal, so you can compare.

Government Subsidy

This is the portion the government pays on your behalf, directly to your provider. You won’t always see this on your statement, but it represents the gap between the service price and your contribution.

Unspent Funds / Carry Forward

At the end of each quarter, any unspent funds of up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget (whichever is greater) can roll over to the next quarter. Anything above that threshold does not carry over, so it is worth planning your services to make the most of your budget.

Supplements (Transition Participants Only)

If you transitioned from the Home Care Package program and were receiving a dementia and cognition supplement or the EACH-D top-up supplement as at 31 October 2025, these will continue to be available to you. These appear as additional funding, not as a charge.

The Lifetime Cap: Your Safety Net

There is a lifetime cap on how much you can ever be asked to contribute to Support at Home services. Once you reach this cap, the government covers all your remaining costs.

This is a combined cap – it includes contributions from both home care (Support at Home) and residential aged care. Services Australia tracks your progress toward this cap and will notify you and your provider when you reach it.

The cap is indexed on 20 March and 20 September each year.

The ‘No Worse Off’ Guarantee: What It Means for Existing Clients

If you were receiving or approved for a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024, you are protected by the ‘No Worse Off’ guarantee. This means:

• If you were previously assessed as having to pay an income-tested care fee, you will pay the same or less under Support at Home.
• If you were assessed as not having to pay any fees, you will never be asked to pay contributions under Support at Home – even if you are later reassessed and moved to a higher classification.

If you were approved for a Home Care Package between 12 September 2024 and 31 October 2025, different transitional contribution rates apply. Your provider should be able to confirm which category you fall under.

Red Flags to Watch For on Your Bill

Now that you understand the structure, here are some things to question if you see them:

• Separate ‘package management fee’ charged on top of service rates – this is no longer permitted under Support at Home.
• Being charged for services not delivered – contributions only apply to services actually received.
• Confusion about your contribution rate – if you have not completed an income and assets assessment, contact Services Australia to ensure you are not sitting on the maximum rate unnecessarily.
• Unexplained ‘service fees’ – ask your provider to break down exactly what each charge relates to.

What to Do If Something Doesn’t Look Right

Step 1: Ask your provider for an itemised statement that lists each service delivered, the date, the price, and your contribution.

Step 2: Use the My Aged Care fee estimator to check whether your contribution rate looks correct for your circumstances.

Step 3: Contact Services Australia if you believe your income and assets assessment may be incorrect, or if you haven’t completed one.

Step 4: If you believe you are being charged incorrectly, raise a formal concern with your provider first. If unresolved, contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

Still not sure about what a charge on your bill means?

That’s what we’re here for. Our dedicated team here at CareAbout helps families and older Australians decode aged care statements every day. Simply contact us at the link below, and we’ll be here to help you understand exactly what you’re paying and why.