Is it time for a little summer holiday, or do you need to spend some time away from home for health reasons? What will happen to your Support at Home services while you’re away?
Can I pause my Support at Home Package to take a leave of absence?
Yes! You can take a leave of absence from your Support at Home Package. In order to do this, you must notify your provider with the specific dates of your leave and they will pause your services.
Give your provider as much notice as you possibly can so that they can arrange the changes with your carers, cleaners, gardeners and other support workers. Plenty of notice may not always be possible, especially if you want to pause your Home Care Package because of health or hospitalisation reasons – just do your best, your provider will understand if your circumstances mean that you can only give a short amount of notice.
Reasons for taking leave from your Support at Home Package
You can take leave from your Support at Home Package for any reason.
You may want to join the family on a holiday, or a trip away somewhere, or you may be experiencing some health problems and need to stay in hospital for a while.
Time in transition care or respite care are also good reasons to pause your Support at Home Package services, especially if they are for an extended period of time.
If you’re feeling like you want a break from receiving Home Care, you can also request to pause your services for a while. You might feel like you need some space, and some time without having support workers visit you in your home.
Sometimes it can be overwhelming and frustrating having care workers in your home. If pausing services won’t affect your health and your ability to stay safely in your home, taking a short leave from care and support might be just the thing you need to recharge and reset.
Fees while on leave from your Support at Home Package
You may still be required to pay some fees while you are
taking your leave of absence. If you are paying an income tested fee, this will
continue to be the case.
Income Tested Fee (ITF)
No matter the circumstances of your leave, if you have an income tested fee, you will still be required to pay it. If your leave is less than 28 days, you will be required to pay the full amount of your income tested fee even though you are not receiving any services. If your leave is longer than 28 days, you’ll pay your full ITF for the first 28 days, and then 25% of your ITF after 28 days.
Learn everything you need to know about the Income Tested Fees here.
Each provider is different so you will need to confirm the exact
fees payable with them.
