Reading a Support at Home statement and invoice

Many families get two kinds of paperwork from a Support at Home provider: a monthly statement and an invoice. They look alike, but they do different jobs. Knowing which is which makes it much easier to spot a mistake.

The monthly statement: keeping track of the budget

Your parent's Support at Home funding comes as a budget for each quarter. The provider must send a statement every month, by the end of the following month. It should show:

• the services delivered, and when;
• the price charged for each one;
• the contributions your parent paid;
• how much of the quarter's budget is left;
• any corrections to earlier months, such as changes to contributions or refunds.

The statement is a record. It usually isn't a bill in itself. Its job is to let you follow where the budget is going.

If your parent doesn't use the whole quarterly budget for ongoing services, some of it carries over to the next quarter, up to a limit of the greater of $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly amount. Anything above that is lost. The statement is the easiest place to see whether money is going unused.

The invoice: asking for your parent's contribution

The government pays its share straight to the provider. Your parent's share, the contribution, is billed separately on an invoice. The invoice may also include extra services your parent agreed to pay for privately.

A provider can only charge a contribution after the service has been delivered. How often it bills, weekly, fortnightly or monthly, is something it must agree with your parent.

What to check

Set the latest statement and invoice side by side and work through these:

1. Were the services delivered? Check the dates and hours against what actually happened.
2. Is the price the one agreed? Compare it with the price list the provider gave you.
3. Is each service in the right group? Clinical care, including personal care from 1 October 2026, has no contribution. Our guide to what you pay by type of service explains the groups.
4. Is the contribution rate right? It should match the rates in your parent's letter from Services Australia.
5. Are there separate admin or travel fees? Providers can't charge these as separate items. The costs can be built into the price of each service instead.
6. Does the invoice match the statement? The contributions billed should line up with the services and contributions shown on the statement.

If your parent paid at a temporary rate before their income and assets assessment came back, and the final rate is lower, the provider must refund the difference. If the final rate is higher, the provider can ask for the difference.

Late invoices

Some families have received several bills close together, or bills for services delivered some time earlier. Early system and statement delays are part of the reason.

We couldn't find a set time limit on how late a provider can bill your parent for a contribution. Here's what is clear:

• Providers claim the government's share from Services Australia after delivering services. They choose how often to claim, but must do so within 60 days after the quarter ends. The contribution bill usually follows that claim. Late claims are allowed if the provider gives a reason.
• The provider must still show clearly what was delivered and what was charged.

If a late bill arrives, ask the provider for the monthly statements that cover the same period. Check them against what was delivered before paying.

Missing statements

Providers must send monthly statements. If they've fallen behind, they're still expected to tell your parent clearly what was delivered and what it cost. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission can act against providers who don't send statements, and it can require refunds where a provider has overcharged.

If your parent can't pay

A provider can't simply stop services because a contribution hasn't been paid. It must first talk with your parent, or their registered supporter, about other ways to pay, and keep a record of those talks. If it then decides to stop services, it must give at least two weeks' written notice.

If paying is genuinely hard, your parent can apply for financial hardship assistance, which can cover some or all of the contributions.

Where to get help

• Start with the provider. Ask them to explain any line you don't understand. It's always fine to ask.
• OPAN. The Older Persons Advocacy Network has free advocates who can help you raise a problem with the provider.
• The Commission. If it isn't resolved, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission takes complaints.

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