Unused Support at Home Budget: Rollover Rules

You do not automatically get to save the whole balance

If you have opened a Support at Home statement and found money still sitting there, it is reasonable to ask: does it disappear? The short answer is that some unused funding can roll into the next quarter, but it is capped. It is not a savings account that grows from quarter to quarter.

That distinction matters. A family may put off arranging extra care, then find the balance will not all follow them into the next quarter. The useful move is not panic-spending. Check what is left, what is approved in the support plan, and what can realistically be arranged before the quarter closes.

Support at Home budgets run in quarters

For people receiving ongoing Support at Home services, the yearly funding is split into four quarterly budgets. My Aged Care says Services Australia releases those budgets at the start of July, October, January and April. The first budget can be smaller if someone starts part-way through a quarter; after that, it is a full three-month budget.

That quarterly rhythm is why a single large balance needs attention. It is not necessarily available for the rest of the year. It belongs to the current quarter, subject to the rollover rules below.

Short-term funding works differently. The Restorative Care and End-of-Life Pathways are funded for their particular episode, while Assistive Technology and Home Modifications funding generally has a 12-month period. This rollover rule applies to ongoing Support at Home services, not automatically to every pathway.

How much can roll over?

At the end of a quarter, any unused funding for ongoing services is automatically carried into the next one — but only up to a cap. My Aged Care states that the rollover amount is the higher of:

$1,000, or
10% of that quarter’s budget, including supplements.

If 10% of the quarter’s budget is less than $1,000, $1,000 can roll. If it is more, the 10% amount can roll. The next quarter’s maximum is its new budget plus that permitted rollover.

The important practical point: funds above the permitted amount do not keep accumulating across future quarters. Do not assume a large unused balance is safely banked just because it appears on a statement today.

The final rollover may not show up on the last day of the quarter

The calendar end of a quarter is not always the day the balance is finalised. Services Australia calculates the rollover 61 days after the quarter ends, or the day after the provider submits its final claim for that quarter — whichever comes first, according to My Aged Care.

That lag exists because claims for services delivered in the quarter may still need to be submitted and processed. So a statement near quarter-end is a strong signal, not necessarily the final number. A service already delivered but not yet claimed may reduce the balance. Conversely, once the final amount is confirmed, the allowed rollover is added to the next quarter’s Support at Home account.

This is why it helps to ask the provider a direct question: “Are there any services already delivered, booked or awaiting claim that will come from this quarter’s budget?” Ask for the answer in writing if the timing is tight.

What a family can do now

Start with the latest monthly statement. It should show starting funds, services used, costs and funds remaining. Match it to the care plan and ask whether the supports that matter most are approved.

Then focus on useful, assessed needs — not a rushed purchase. Depending on the person’s assessment and plan, that could mean personal care, nursing, allied health, transport, domestic help, respite, meals, gardening or other approved supports. Your provider and care partner should work with the person receiving care to make a plan within the budget. If needs have changed and the allocated funding is no longer enough, My Aged Care says a reassessment can be requested.

It is also worth checking whether there are older government unspent Home Care Package funds. For people who had them on 31 October 2025, My Aged Care says those funds transferred into a separate budget. They can be used for approved Support at Home services if the quarterly budget runs out, or for assistive technology and home modifications. They are not the same thing as the current quarterly rollover.

Use the statement as the source of truth

An online countdown can make the timing easier to see, but it cannot see pending claims, service agreements or the person’s official Support at Home account. Treat the provider statement and Services Australia record as the source of truth. If something looks wrong, contact the provider first, then My Aged Care or an aged care advocate if needed.

Source basis: My Aged Care, Managing your Support at Home budget (accessed 5 October 2026); My Aged Care, Your guide to ongoing Support at Home services.