What you’ll pay on Classification 7

Last updated 21 August 2026

Figures current as at 21 August 2026: quarterly budgets indexed 1 July 2026; lifetime caps indexed 20 March 2026; median prices from the mid-2026 National Summary of Support at Home Prices.

The short version

Classification 7 carries $14,915.00 a quarter ($59,660.00 a year) - daily care, above the old Home Care Package ceiling.
Clinical care - nursing, allied health and care management - is free for everyone, and personal care becomes free for everyone from 1 October 2026.
Contributions apply only to independence services (5-50% of the price) and everyday living services (17.5-80%).
The budget itself is not means-tested - everyone on this classification gets the same amount. Only your share of each service’s price depends on your means.

Daily care without daily bill shock

With about $1,147 a week to spend, Classification 7 plans usually mean a carer at the door every day. The reassuring part: the services that make daily care daily - nursing and, from 1 October 2026, personal care - are the free ones. Until October, personal care is still an independence service, so it carries a contribution of 5% (full pensioner) up to around 50% (self-funded). Care management is capped at 10% of the budget and, being clinical, costs you nothing.

Three worked examples

All three assume the mid-2026 median prices - personal care around $115 an hour, cleaning $110, social support $111, community respite $130, enrolled nurse $145 - across a 13-week quarter, without surcharges. Col’s rates are an illustrative mid-range for a part pensioner; Services Australia’s means assessment decides the actual percentage. Real providers’ prices will differ, so read these as worked illustrations.

Betty, full pensioner

Classification 7 · $14,915.00/qtr: Weekly: 1 hr personal care every day, plus 2 hrs cleaning
Her contribution: ≈ $79/week
Why: 5% across seven personal care hours ($40.25) and 17.5% on the cleaning ($38.50). From 1 October 2026: ≈ $39/week.

Col, part pensioner

Classification 7 · $14,915.00/qtr: Weekly: 1 hr personal care daily, 1 hr social support, 1 hr cleaning
His contribution: ≈ $227/week
Why: Illustrative mid-range rates: 20% on independence ($183.20) and 40% on the clean ($44). From 1 October 2026: ≈ $66/week.

Ruth, self-funded

Classification 7 · $14,915.00/qtr: Weekly: 6 hrs personal care, 1 hr cleaning, a nurse visit; respite each fortnight
Her contribution: ≈ $466/week
Why: Around 50% of the independence lines ($377.50) and around 80% of the clean ($88); nursing free. From 1 October 2026: ≈ $121/week.

These examples after 1 October 2026

Daily personal care is exactly what the 1 October 2026 change was designed around. Betty’s week halves, from about $79 to about $39. Col’s falls from about $227 to about $66, and Ruth’s from about $466 to about $121 - a saving in the region of $18,000 a year for a self-funded participant with her routine. The change is automatic; no application needed.

Already had a package or an approval on 12 September 2024?

The “no worse off” grandfathering arrangements protect people who, at 12 September 2024, had a Home Care Package, were on the National Priority System, or had been assessed or approved. If that’s you, you keep HCP-era fee arrangements for life - full pensioners who paid no income-tested care fee keep paying $0 - and a lower lifetime cap applies. Read how grandfathering works.

Whatever your rates, contributions don’t run forever. Once your non-clinical contributions reach $137,917.01 over your lifetime, you stop contributing altogether - and the cap is $86,185.23 for grandfathered participants. If contributions are genuinely unaffordable, financial hardship provisions exist through Services Australia; nobody should go without care because they can’t contribute.

Setting up a daily roster?

At this level the provider’s prices, rostering reliability and surcharge policy matter more than anything. Tell us your area and routine - we’ll match you with a provider who can actually staff it.

Get matched - it’s free How contributions work

Common questions

After October, what will a full pensioner on Classification 7 actually pay for?

Only the everyday living and remaining independence services in their mix - cleaning, gardening, meals, transport, social support, respite. In Betty’s example that’s just her cleaning: about $39 a week on a nearly $60,000-a-year package.

Seven days of care - will weekend visits cost more?

Often yes. Weekend and evening surcharges are common, your contribution percentage applies to the surcharged price, and the higher price also draws the budget down faster. Ask every provider for their full surcharge schedule in writing before you sign.

How do I check I’m being charged the right amounts?

Your provider must send a monthly statement showing each service, its price, the budget’s share and yours. Check the percentage matches your means assessment letter. Errors happen - the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission can order refunds. See reading your statements.

What if even Classification 7 isn’t keeping up with my needs?

Reassessment is free and there’s one level above - Classification 8, at $20,034.28 a quarter. Our 7 vs 8 comparison explains where the line falls. Short-term needs after illness or hospital may also suit the Restorative Care Pathway.

Sources

Support at Home Program Manual - service categories, individual contributions and classification budgets.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, health.gov.au - Support at Home classifications and quarterly budgets (indexed 1 July 2026).
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing - National Summary of Support at Home Prices (median service prices), 2026.
Services Australia, servicesaustralia.gov.au - aged care means assessment; lifetime cap on non-clinical contributions (indexed 20 March 2026).