If you receive services through Support at Home, and don’t use all your allocated funding, you may see a balance in your account. This is called unspent funds. Unspent funds are simply the part of your funding that has not yet been used for your approved services and supports within the current quarter.
Support at Home is designed to help you live safely and independently at home, it is important that your funding level is working for you.
If you have unspent funds at the end of the quarter, it can be a sign that your services are not fully matching your day-to-day assessed needs.
What are unspent funds?
Support at Home provides funding based on your assessed needs and linked to your classification level, with a set quarterly budget.
At the end of each quarter:
- A limited amount of unspent funding is carried over (rolled over)
- From 1 November 2025, Support at Home rollover funding is capped at $1,000 or 10% of your unspent quarterly budget
- Any funds above this cap are returned to the government and cannot be used for future services.
If you are a transitioned Home Care Package client
- Existing Home Care Account unpent funds can continue to roll over under Support at Home until the funds are expended.
- However, your Support at Home unspent funds will be capped at $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget.
Any home care account unspent funds must be used first to pay for eligible services assistive technology and home modifications before accessing government-funded supports under the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme, or ongoing support where all Support at Home funds are expended.
Support at Home unspent funds will continue to be used for your ongoing Support at Home services.
What unused funding may mean
If you are regularly not using all your funding it may indicate that:
- You are not using all the services available in your plan
- Services have paused or reduced for a period
- You are unsure what you can use the budget for
- Your needs have changed or waiting to organise supports.
Why you shouldn’t let your funds sit unused
If too much funding remains unused:
- You may miss out on supports that could make daily life easier
- Any unspent funds above the Support at Home rollover cap at the end of each quarter are returned to the government and cannot be used for your future care
Using your funding regularly helps ensure your care plan is working for you now, rather than sitting unused or being lost under rollover limits.
How to check your unspent funds balance
Start with your monthly statement. If you require assistance reading your statement, you can watch our video explainer, here.
Who to speak to
If you’re unsure about your unspent funds’ status, please speak with your Care partner team. They can explain:
- What your balance includes
- Which supports you are approved for
- What your Support at Home classifications mean in practice
- Whether your current plan still reflects your needs.
Smart ways to use your unspent funds
What you can use your funding for depends on your assessed needs and approvals. Your provider can confirm what is suitable for you. Here are some examples of common, practical supports that many people find helpful.
- Personal care to help with parts of daily life that you may find harder such as showering, dressing and grooming.
- Allied health services to help you stay steady and independent, particularly if mobility, balance, pain, or recovery have become concerns.
- Light housekeeping such as grocery shopping and meal preparation to continue your independence at home.
- Social Outings enjoy a great day among friends to exciting places like national parks, art galleries and cafes.
How Catholic Healthcare can help
At Catholic Healthcare, we work with you to make sure your services feel purposeful and tailored. That includes helping you understand your monthly statement, clarifying your fees and charges, and planning services so your Support at Home funding is used in ways that genuinely support your life at home.
We can help you:
- check your unspent balance and understand what is driving it
- adjust your services if your needs have changed
- plan ahead across the quarter so support stays steady and predictable – consider planned holidays, expected medical visits or family visits that you may need assistance with
- align your services to your Support at Home classifications and goals.