Key Points
- Each home care package comes with an assigned budget that you can choose how to spend on care services (after administration costs). Part of this budget is paid by the government and part is paid by the recipient.
- Home care packages are income-tested. Any income-tested fee you are asked to pay reduces the government subsidy.
- There is no cut-off limit for eligibility to the government subsidies, instead, there is just an annual cap on the amount you might need to pay.
- An income-tested fee is only payable if assessable income exceeds $28,974 per year for a single person, or $22,472 per year combined for a couple living together.
Home Care Subsidies
Did you think you would not qualify for the government home care subsidies? Take another look – you might be surprised.
The cost of full-time private care provided in your own home may look daunting. But financial advice along with a government-subsidised home care package and support from friends and family might make home care achievable and affordable.
Each home care package comes with an assigned budget that you can choose how to spend on care services (after administration costs). Part of this budget is paid by the government and part is paid by the recipient.
But are you too wealthy to qualify for government home care subsidies?
Home care packages are income-tested. Any income-tested fee you are asked to pay reduces the government subsidy. There is no cut-off limit for eligibility to the government subsidies, instead, there is just an annual cap on the amount you might need to pay. This means no one is too wealthy to qualify for government subsidies, except possibly someone with a very high income who receives a Level 1 package.
The table below shows the minimum and maximum fees that you could be asked to pay for each package level as well as the government subsidy range (rounded to the nearest dollar).
An income-tested fee is only payable if assessable income exceeds $28,974 per year for a single person, or $22,472 per year combined for a couple living together. Below this income level, only the basic fee is payable (which is the minimum amount in the table above). Some home care providers waive this fee, but if they do, it also reduces the package budget available for you to spend.
Want to find out more? Want to see what support you might be eligible for? Give us a call today on 1300 550 940 to make an appointment.
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