How many hours a week does Classification 3 buy?
Last updated 21 August 2026
Budget figures current as at the 1 July 2026 indexation (2026-27); median hourly prices from the mid-2026 National Summary of Support at Home Prices.
The short version
- Classification 3 buys about three to three and a half hours a week at national median prices, once care management is paid.
- The quarterly budget of $5,634.20 is $433.40 a week - about $390.06 for services after the 10% care management cap.
- The same $387 of services can be 3.5 hours or 2.5 hours, depending on whether an occupational therapist is in the mix.
- Provider pricing swings the answer hardest: an identical shopping list can be four hours at a lower-priced provider and two and a half at a dearer one.
By Classification 3 there’s enough budget for a proper weekly rhythm - help more than one day a week - but not enough to stop noticing prices. This page runs the arithmetic honestly, including the comparisons providers rarely put side by side.
The maths first
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Quarterly budget (2026-27) | $5,634.20 |
| ÷ 13 weeks in a quarter | ≈ $433.40 a week |
| − care management (capped at 10%) | − $43.34 |
| = left for services each week | ≈ $390.06 |
| ÷ $115 - the median personal care hour | ≈ 3.4 hours a week |
Same spend, different weeks
Here’s the comparison worth staring at. Both of these weeks cost exactly $387 in services - but one delivers an hour more time.
| Service | Rate | Hours / week | Cost / week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social support (outings, shopping, appointments) | $111/hr | 2 hrs | $222.00 |
| Cleaning & laundry | $110/hr | 1.5 hrs | $165.00 |
| Care management (10%) | - | - | $43.34 |
| Total | 3.5 hrs | $430.34 of $433.40 weekly budget |
| Service | Rate | Hours / week | Cost / week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Occupational therapy (home safety, equipment advice) | $222/hr | 1 hr | $222.00 |
| Cleaning & laundry | $110/hr | 1.5 hrs | $165.00 |
| Care management (10%) | - | - | $43.34 |
| Total | 2.5 hrs | $430.34 of $433.40 weekly budget |
An OT hour at the $222 median costs exactly two hours of social support at $111. That’s not an argument against allied health - a good OT visit can prevent the fall that changes everything - but it is a reason to book it purposefully (a block of sessions, then reassess) rather than leaving it on the roster indefinitely.
What provider pricing does to the same list
Providers set their own prices, and since hourly price caps were deferred indefinitely in May 2026, the spread is wide. Here’s a personal-care-plus-cleaning week priced 15% either side of the medians - illustrative rates, real arithmetic:
| Service | Rate | Hours / week | Cost / week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower-priced: personal care $97.75/hr (2 hrs) + cleaning $93.50/hr (2 hrs) | −15% of median | 4 hrs | $382.50 |
| Higher-priced: personal care $132.25/hr (2 hrs) + cleaning $126.50/hr (0.5 hr) | +15% of median | 2.5 hrs | $327.75 |
| Care management (10%) | - | - | $43.34 |
| Total | 4 hrs vs 2.5 hrs | $425.84 / $371.09 of $433.40 weekly budget |
Indicative only. The ±15% rates are illustrations either side of the published medians - real price lists vary provider to provider, and evening or weekend visits usually cost more. Compare typical hourly rates.
An hour and a half a week between a well-priced and a dearly-priced provider is roughly 78 hours a year - from the same government budget. Before you sign a service agreement, get at least two full price lists and compare them line by line. The regulator can order refunds for overcharging, but the better move is not to overpay in the first place.
How to get more hours from the same budget
- Compare full price lists, not headline rates. A provider cheap on cleaning can be dear on personal care. Typical rates by service.
- Ask the care management question. The cap is 10% - about $563 a quarter here - but some providers charge less, and the difference goes straight back into hours. The fee, explained.
- Weight the mix toward $110-$115 services for routine weeks, and book dearer allied health in defined blocks with a goal attached.
- Self-management gives you more control over who delivers care and often lowers the fee load - see how it works.
Turn 3 hours into 4
Tell us your postcode and what help you need. We’ll show you which providers near you price below the medians - and who can actually start.
Common questions
Can I use these hours for lawn mowing and gardening?
Safety gardening - lawn mowing, pruning, clearing paths - is a covered service (median around $118 an hour). Ornamental gardening and landscaping aren’t. Many people book it fortnightly or monthly so it doesn’t crowd out the weekly help. The full service list.
Is the allied health trade-off ever worth it?
Often, yes - especially as a short block. A run of physio or OT sessions that leaves you steadier on your feet can reduce the ongoing help you need. The trap is paying $194-$222 an hour indefinitely without a goal. Ask what the sessions are working toward and when they’ll be reviewed.
Does unused budget carry over if I have a light week?
Within the quarter, yes - the budget is quarterly, so light and heavy weeks can balance out. Between quarters, unspent funds roll over only up to the greater of $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget. The rollover rules.
Three and a half hours isn’t enough. What now?
A free reassessment through My Aged Care (1800 200 422) is the right path - Classification 4 is about $7,617 a quarter, a meaningful jump. See what Classification 4 adds before you call, so you can describe the gap clearly.
Sources
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing - Support at Home program classifications and budgets, 1 July 2026 indexation.
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing - National Summary of Support at Home Prices (median service prices), 2026.
- Support at Home Program Manual - quarterly budgets, care management cap and the defined service list.
- My Aged Care, myagedcare.gov.au - Support at Home program guidance, accessed 21 August 2026.