Home care service client contribution fact sheet

Posted July 14th 2008

by DPS

Home care has a standard client contribution scale for all clients entering the Home Care Service of NSW, who receive domestic assistance, personal care or respite services in the Home and Community Care (HACC) Program.

As a HACC funded service provider, costs are subsidised by the Australian and NSW governments, but clients have always been asked to contribute to the cost of their services.

In the past, without a standard state-wide client contribution scale, there was potential for inequity in what clients paid.

Now, a standard client contribution scale ensures that clients entering service, pay the same amount for the same level of services based on their financial position.

Under the scale:

Pension clients pay $10 per hour up to a cap of $100 for 10 hours service or more provided over a four week period.
Private income clients pay $15 per hour, up to a cap of $400 for service of more than 26 hours provided over a four week period. The contribution cap may be reduced if a client’s pre tax income per annum is less than $52,001.
The vast majority of clients are pension clients who receive less than four hours’ services over four weeks. They would therefore pay less than $40 per four-week period for their Home Care services.
Clients experiencing hardship are able to request a review of their contribution amount, and their income and exceptional expenses related to their disability or frailty will be taken into account. A form needs to be completed for a review.
Staff at the Home Care branches are able to provide assistance with the form and information on how to complete the application. An automatic contribution waiver is granted to homeless persons**,clients of licensed boarding houses and children under 16 years receiving personal care.

Home Care contributions will increase in line with indexation, however the increase will only be passed o to clients when the increase reaches 50 cents.

Revenue raised from client contributions is used to help more people in need.