Under the Support at Home program, your ongoing aged care funding is provided through a quarterly budget rather than as one annual amount that can be used at any time. 

Understanding how your Support at Home quarterly budget works is especially important if you self-manage some of your services. It can help you decide which supports to prioritise, compare service costs and avoid using too much funding early in the quarter. 

Following your aged care assessment, you will receive a Support at Home classification based on your assessed needs. 

There are eight ongoing funding classifications. Each classification has an annual funding amount, which is divided into four quarterly budgets. Your assessment outcome letter and support plan will show your classification, approved services and ongoing quarterly budget. 

You will normally have access to the full quarterly amount at the beginning of each quarter. If you enter the Support at Home program partway through a quarter, your first budget will be adjusted based on the number of days remaining. 

Your funding is held by Services Australia. Your registered Support at Home provider claims payment after approved services have been delivered. 

For participants receiving ongoing Support at Home services, 10% of the quarterly budget is allocated to care management. 

Care management includes activities such as care planning, service planning, reviewing your care and helping you understand your options. It continues to apply even when you self-manage some or most of your services. 

The remaining funding can be planned across the approved services in your support plan. Depending on your assessed needs, this could include personal care, domestic assistance, gardening, transport, nursing or allied health services. 

Participant contributions may also apply to certain independence and everyday living services. Your individualised budget should show the government funding available, service prices and any contribution you may need to pay. 

Self-managing aged care does not change your Support at Home classification or increase the amount of government funding you receive. 

It changes how involved you are in arranging and monitoring your services. 

For example, you may choose to: 

Your registered provider will work with you to prepare an individualised budget showing how your available funding will be used. The budget should align with your care plan and be reviewed when your services, prices, funding or contribution rate change. 

A limited amount of unused funding can carry over automatically into the next quarter. 

The maximum carryover is whichever is higher: 

For example, if 10% of your quarterly budget is less than $1,000, you may carry over up to $1,000. Any amount above the permitted carryover does not remain available for future ongoing services. 

This makes regular budget planning important. The goal is not to spend funding unnecessarily, but to make sure approved services are scheduled when they can genuinely support your needs. 

Your provider must give you a monthly statement showing the funding available, services delivered, prices charged, participant contributions, unused funding and your closing balance. 

If you self-manage, review your statement alongside your planned services for the rest of the quarter. Ask your care partner about any charge you do not understand or if your spending is moving faster or slower than expected. 

At Leora Healthcare, we help you understand where your funding goes and plan services around your priorities. You can have greater involvement in managing your Support at Home budget, with guidance available when you need it. 

Talk to Leora about making informed choices with your self-managed aged care funding.