$1,000 or 10% of a quarter, whichever is greater: that's all Joan can now carry into the next quarter, and she'd been banking far more. Joan, 78, from Ballarat, was raised to always put something aside. Under her old Home Care Package she took fewer cleaning visits than she was entitled to, gardened only when the lawn demanded it, and built a pool of unspent funds, her "rainy day money", in case her health took a turn. Then a friend mentioned the rules had changed.

Joan's story is an illustrative scenario, created to show how Support at Home works in practice. It is not a real client testimonial.

The carryover rule

Support at Home budgets are released quarterly. At the end of each quarter, up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget, whichever is greater, carries over to the next quarter. Anything beyond that limit doesn't roll forward.

A modest buffer survives each quarter; a large stockpile doesn't. Funding is meant to be used on the care you were assessed as needing, not banked.

Why hoarding no longer works

Under the old annual packages, underspending quietly accumulated and people like Joan built substantial reserves. Now, deliberate underspending mostly means going without services you're entitled to. Anything above the limit doesn't become an emergency fund; it just doesn't follow you.

Joan was skipping cleaning visits to insure against future frailty, when regular support now is often what keeps frailty at bay.

A plan review, not a piggy bank

What if the rainy day comes: a fall, an illness, a jump in what you need? The answer is reassessment, not savings. Ask for your care plan to be reviewed so your classification and budget reflect your new situation. My Aged Care (1800 200 422) is the entry point, and your provider should help you start early.

Spend your quarter on the care you were assessed as needing. Treat consistent underspending as a prompt to review your plan.

Planning your spending across quarters

  • Book regular services (cleaning, gardening, personal care) as standing appointments.
  • Check your balance around week six, not week twelve.
  • Treat the $1,000-or-10% carryover as a buffer, not a target.
  • If money keeps piling up, book a care plan review.

With Partner with Care's live budget tracking, every claim and payment is visible as it happens, so underspending shows up in week three, not in a statement months later. Joan still puts something aside, in her savings account.