What can you spend Support at Home funding on (inclusions and exclusions)

It is a common and reasonable question: now that you have a Support at Home budget, what can you actually spend it on? Can it pay for a holiday? A new TV? The answer is no to both, but plenty else is covered. This guide gives you the plain-English version of the inclusions and exclusions.

The governing principle is simple. Your funding pays for services that directly support your health, safety, independence or daily living at home. If a service or item passes that test, it is usually in. If it is a general living cost you would have anyway, it is out.

What you can spend it on

Your budget is spread across three categories. Here is the kind of thing each covers.

Clinical care (fully government funded)

• Nursing, including wound care and medication management
• Physiotherapy and exercise programs
• Occupational therapy
• Podiatry, dietetics and other allied health
• Continence support
• Palliative and end-of-life care at home

This category costs you nothing. The government funds it in full.

Independence

• Help with showering, dressing, grooming and toileting
• Help getting in and out of bed and moving around
• Transport to appointments, shopping and activities
• Support to take part in your community

Everyday living

• Domestic help such as cleaning and laundry
• Gardening and yard maintenance that keeps your home safe and accessible
• Meal preparation and help with shopping
• Home maintenance that addresses a safety risk

The official, detailed list of services is published on health.gov.au. If you are unsure whether something specific is covered, that page and your care manager are the places to check.

Equipment and home modifications: the separate AT-HM scheme

Here is a point that trips people up. Equipment and home modifications are not paid from your ongoing budget. They are funded through a separate scheme called Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM).

This covers things like:

• A shower chair, grab rails, a walker or a wheelchair
• A hospital-style bed or pressure-relieving mattress
• Ramps, handrails and bathroom modifications
• Other equipment that helps you live safely and independently

You are assessed for a low, medium or high tier of AT-HM funding for a 12-month period (the high tier can be extended where the work justifies it), with higher tiers funding more substantial items and modifications, per the AT-HM scheme page on health.gov.au. Because it sits outside your service budget, spending on equipment does not eat into the funds you use for care. Check the current AT-HM details through My Aged Care.

What you cannot spend it on

Now the exclusions. Support at Home is not a cash fund for general expenses. It will not pay for:

Excluded	Why
Rent, mortgage, rates and utility bills	General living costs, not care
Groceries and everyday food	The cost of food itself, separate from meal prep help
Medications, vitamins and supplements	Covered by the PBS or your own pocket
GP, specialist and hospital fees	Covered by Medicare or private health insurance
Holidays and travel for leisure	Not a care or safety need
Entertainment, gambling, alcohol and tobacco	Not care
Cash payments to family members	Not permitted
Cosmetic home renovations	Must address a genuine safety or access need
Club memberships and lifestyle subscriptions	General living, not care

The shorthand: if you would be paying for it anyway whether or not you needed care, your budget will not cover it. The exclusions are confirmed on the official services under Support at Home page.

The grey areas

Some things sit on the line and depend on the detail.

• Gardening. Covered if it keeps your property safe and accessible, not for landscaping a show garden.
• Meals. Help to prepare meals is covered; the raw cost of the food is not.
• Home maintenance. Fixing a hazard is in; a cosmetic renovation is out.
• Social support. Help to get to your community centre, Men's Shed or bowls club can be covered as part of staying connected and independent.

When in doubt, ask your care manager before you spend. They can tell you whether a particular service fits your plan.

Spending your budget well

A few habits help you get value from your funding:

• Plan with your care manager. Map your budget to your real needs each quarter.
• Use the AT-HM scheme for equipment so you do not waste service funding on items.
• Do not let funds sit idle. Budgets are quarterly now and you cannot bank them indefinitely.
• Review when your needs change. A new health issue may justify a different mix or a reassessment.
• Keep your goals in view. The point is to keep living the life you want at home.

For how the budget is sized in the first place, see Support at Home funding levels. For what it costs you, see how much aged care at home costs.

Frequently asked questions

Can my funding pay a family member to care for me? No. Cash payments to family are not allowed. A family member could potentially work for an approved provider, but that is a different arrangement.

Can I buy a wheelchair with it? Equipment like a wheelchair comes through the separate AT-HM scheme, not your service budget. You may need an assessment for it.

Can it pay for a holiday or a respite stay? Not a holiday. Short-term care to give your carer a break comes under respite care, which is funded differently.

Who decides if something is covered? Your provider and care manager apply the official service list. If you disagree, you can query it with My Aged Care.

Ready to find a provider to deliver your services? Browse our home care directory or use search.