Part pensioner home care costs: why your rate is a range
If you (or your parent) receive a part Age Pension, nobody can tell you an exact Support at Home cost until Services Australia sets your personal rate from income and assets. What the rules do fix is the band your rate must land in: 5%–50% on independence supports and 17.5%–80% on everyday-living supports. Clinical care is $0.00 regardless.
Any estimate that gives a part pensioner one tidy number is guessing. The honest answer is a range — so that’s what we show.
What the band means in dollars
For a typical weekly plan (personal care, domestic assistance and nursing at median prices), a part pensioner’s weekly share lands somewhere between $48.25 to $302.00:
| If your assessed position is… | Independence rate | Everyday living rate | This plan, weekly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom of the band | 5% | 17.5% | $48.25 |
| Middle of the band | 27.5% | 48.75% | $175.13 |
| Top of the band | 50% | 80% | $302.00 |
One date to note: from 1 October 2026, the personal care portion of this plan drops to $0.00 for everyone — here’s what changes.
How Services Australia decides where you land
- Pensioners are auto-matched. Your pension data flows through — there’s no separate means assessment form for part pensioners.
- Financial assets are deemed, not measured. Deeming assumes 1.25% earnings up to $66,800.00 (single) / $110,600.00 (couple combined), and 3.25% above — whatever your money actually earns.
- Your rate letter is valid for 120 days before signing a provider agreement — and final rates are backdated to your entry record date, so interim payments true-up later.
- Tell Services Australia about financial changes within 28 days — your rate moves with your circumstances.
See your own range — and once your letter arrives, enter the exact rate for a single-figure answer.
Estimate the costsRelated: what Support at Home costs in 2026 · personal care becomes free in October