Help if you cannot pay for home care services

What is a waiver of co-payments for Veterans' Home Care services

If you are receiving Veterans' Home Care (VHC) services you may be able to get a waiver of the co-payments.

Who can receive it

If we approve you for VHC services you may eligible for a co-payment waiver if you:

• have one or more dependent children as defined by the Social Security Act 1991
• get the full rate of Service Pension or Centrelink pension or allowance and do not earn an income of more than $40 a fortnight
• get a pension under the DVA pension hardship provisions; or
• would suffer severe financial hardship if you made the co-payment

What you can receive

You may receive a waiver of the co-payment for your VHC services.

The co-payment for: 

• domestic assistance is $5 per hour, capped at $5 per week
• personal care is $5 per hour, capped at $10 per week
• home and garden maintenance is $5 per hour, capped at $75 per 12 month period

How you access a waiver

1. Complete the application form.
2. Submit the completed form to us via mail or email
3. We assess your application. If required we may look at information previously provided to us about your income and assets.
4. If you get a Centrelink income support payment, we will contact them for your income and assets details. This information is required in considering a request for co-payments to be waived.
5. If you may be eligible for a Centrelink income support payment, but you have not applied, we will ask you to complete an application.
6. We will send you a letter to let you know our decision and the reasons for the decision.
7. If we approve a waiver of the co-payment, we will inform your VHC assessment agency and your VHC service provider/s.

Things you should know

• If you do not agree with our decision not to waive your co-payment, please contact us. While a decision can be reviewed, the grounds for waivers are not discretionary and are not subject to an appeal process.
• If we waive your co-payment we will not tell your VHC Assessment Agency or VHC Service Provider any details on why the co-payment has been waived.
• We may provide information to Centrelink to confirm your financial circumstances. 
• If you have made a co-payment for a period that now has a waiver, your VHC Service Provider will refund you that amount.

What to tell us

If your financial circumstances change, call our Health Approvals and Home Care team on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).

Legislation

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004

Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence‑related Claims) Act 1988