How many hours a week does Classification 5 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 5 buys about six hours of help a week at national median prices, after the care management fee.
- The quarterly budget of $10,182.38 works out to $783.26 a week - about $704.93 for services after the 10% care management cap.
- Swapping one occupational therapy hour for social support adds a full hour to the same week, at the same cost.
- Provider pricing moves the answer between roughly five and seven hours for an identical shopping list.
If you’ve read our Classification 5 overview, you’ve seen what a typical week looks like. This page goes a layer deeper: the swaps, surcharges and pricing differences that decide whether “about six hours” lands nearer five or seven.
Where the six-hour figure comes from
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Quarterly budget (2026-27) | $10,182.38 |
| ÷ 13 weeks in a quarter | ≈ $783.26 a week |
| − care management (capped at 10%) | − $78.33 |
| = left for services each week | ≈ $704.93 |
| ÷ $115 - the median personal care hour | ≈ 6.1 hours a week |
The trade-offs that move the number
Swap one dear hour, gain one whole hour
| Service | Rate | Hours / week | Cost / week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Occupational therapy | $222/hr | 1 hr | $222.00 |
| Personal care | $115/hr | 3 hrs | $345.00 |
| Cleaning | $110/hr | 1 hr | $110.00 |
| Care management (10%) | - | - | $78.33 |
| Total | 5 hrs | $755.33 of $783.26 weekly budget |
| Service | Rate | Hours / week | Cost / week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social support (outings, appointments) | $111/hr | 2 hrs | $222.00 |
| Personal care | $115/hr | 3 hrs | $345.00 |
| Cleaning | $110/hr | 1 hr | $110.00 |
| Care management (10%) | - | - | $78.33 |
| Total | 6 hrs | $755.33 of $783.26 weekly budget |
Both weeks cost $755.33 including care management. The lesson isn’t “never book OT” - it’s that at $222 an hour, allied health belongs in purposeful blocks with a review date, not permanently on the roster out of habit.
What your provider’s price list does to a six-hour week
Take a standard list - 3 hours personal care, 2 hours cleaning, 1 hour social support ($676 at the medians) - and price it 15% either side. Illustrative rates, real effect:
| Provider pricing | Cost of the list | Against $704.93 for services | Hours you actually get |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15% under the medians | $574.60 | $130.33 spare | ≈ 7 hrs - room for another hour |
| At the medians | $676.00 | $28.93 spare | 6 hrs |
| 15% over the medians | $777.40 | $72.47 short | ≈ 5 hrs - an hour has to go |
Evening and weekend loadings
| Service | Rate | Hours / week | Cost / week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal care - weekday daytime | $115/hr | 2 hrs | $230.00 |
| Personal care - evening/weekend at $143.75/hr | $143.75/hr | 2 hrs | $287.50 |
| Cleaning | $110/hr | 1 hr | $110.00 |
| Care management (10%) | - | - | $78.33 |
| Total | 5 hrs | $705.83 of $783.26 weekly budget |
All indicative. Providers set their own prices and loadings; the ±15% and 25% figures are illustrations around the published medians, not published rates. Compare typical hourly rates.
Between the dearest and cheapest realistic versions of the same week above sits a gap of about two hours - over a hundred hours a year, from the same government budget. At Classification 5 and above, comparing price lists before signing is the single highest-value hour you’ll spend.
How to get more hours from the same budget
- Get two or three full price lists and compare the services you’ll actually use, standard hours and loadings both. Typical rates.
- Ask what care management costs, in dollars. The cap is about $1,018 a quarter here; anything a provider charges below that is hours returned. The fee explained.
- Book allied health in blocks with a goal and an end date, then bank the freed hours into everyday help.
- Weigh up self-management - lower coordination fees and your choice of workers can noticeably lift the weekly hours. Self-management explained.
Somewhere between five and seven hours - let’s make it seven
Tell us your postcode and your current price list. We’ll show you how local providers compare on the services you actually use.
Common questions
My provider quoted me fewer hours than this page suggests. Why?
Usually one of three reasons: their hourly rates sit above the medians, they charge the full 10% care management cap, or the quote includes evening/weekend loadings. Ask for the price list and the care management figure in writing - then the arithmetic on this page will show you exactly where the hours went.
Personal care becomes free in October 2026 - does that add hours?
It lowers what you pay out of pocket - from 1 October 2026 personal care carries no contribution for anyone - but the hours still draw down your budget at the provider’s rate. Hours and contributions are two separate ledgers. The October change explained.
Can I switch providers just to get better prices?
Yes - any time, with no new assessment, no exit fees, and your unspent funds follow you. At this budget size, a cheaper price list is one of the strongest reasons to move. How switching works, step by step.
What does the next level up look like?
Classification 6 is about $12,341 a quarter - roughly seven to seven and a half hours a week at median prices, with more room for nursing. Compare Classifications 5 and 6.
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.