Key Takeaways
- This page uses clearly labelled illustrative figures to show the idea. They are an example only, not official prices or a quote.
- Self-managing means you choose your own worker, agree a price, and your provider onboards them to meet Commonwealth standards.
- A 10% self-management loading applies to the cost of workers you arrange. It covers workforce assurance (checks) and invoice payment.
- Full-service hourly rates for everyday services typically sit 50% to 100% above the matching self-managed rate, based on Trilogy Care's comparison of published provider price lists.
- A separate care management fee, capped at 10% of your quarterly budget, applies under both approaches.
- Because the hourly rate is lower, the same quarterly budget usually buys more support hours when you self-manage.
How to read this example
Numbers help. So this guide walks through one made-up budget, step by step, to show why self-management can stretch your funding. Read it as a method you can copy, not as a price guide.
The figures here are illustrative, not official prices
Every dollar amount below is invented to show the maths. They are not Support at Home prices, not averages, and not a quote. Your real budget depends on your funding classification, and your real hourly rates depend on the workers and providers near you.
A quick note on who we are. Trilogy Care operates this site, and Trilogy Care is listed and ranked on it by the same method as every other provider. We are not independent of the market we compare.
What stays the same under both approaches
Some things do not change whether you self-manage or choose full-service. You start with the same quarterly budget set by your funding classification. A care management fee, capped at 10% of the quarterly budget, applies under both. Clinical care such as nursing is funded in full within budget.
What changes: the hourly rate you pay
The big difference is the hourly rate for everyday services, such as cleaning, personal care, and social support. When you self-manage, you agree a rate directly with your chosen worker, then a 10% self-management loading is added. Under full-service, you pay the provider's listed rate, which is higher.
A worked example: same budget, two approaches
Here is the method. Follow the five steps and swap in your own numbers at the end.
Step 1: start with one quarterly budget
Say your quarterly budget is $9,000 (illustrative only). Support at Home budgets are quarterly, so this is the pool of funding you have for the three-month period.
Step 2: take out the care management fee
The care management fee is capped at 10% of the quarterly budget. It is a set program deduction, not an amount you negotiate. On a $9,000 budget, that is up to $900. That leaves about $8,100 to spend on care.
Step 3: set a self-managed hourly rate and add the 10% loading
Imagine you find a support worker in your community who charges $40 an hour (illustrative only). Because you arranged this worker, a 10% self-management loading applies. The loading covers workforce assurance and invoice payment, so the effective cost is $44 an hour.
Step 4: set a full-service hourly rate for the same service
For the same everyday service, a full-service price list might charge $70 an hour (illustrative only). That sits inside the typical 50% to 100% gap. Full-service hourly rates for everyday services usually sit higher because the provider employs the workers and carries the overheads.
Step 5: convert the spendable budget into hours of care
Now divide the spendable budget by each hourly rate.
| Approach | Spendable budget | Effective hourly rate | Hours for the quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-managed | $8,100 | $44 ($40 + 10% loading) | about 184 hours |
| Full-service | $8,100 | $70 | about 115 hours |
In this example, self-managing buys roughly 69 more hours of support over the quarter, from the very same funding. That is the core idea. A lower hourly rate means more hours. To keep the maths simple, these figures set aside any participant contribution, which can apply to some everyday services under both models.
Why the same service can cost more under full-service
The gap is not magic. It comes from how each model is built.
Who employs the worker and who sets the price
Under self-management, you choose your own worker from the local community and agree a price with them. Your provider then onboards that worker to meet Commonwealth standards. Under full-service, the provider employs the worker and sets the price on its list.
The 50% to 100% gap and where it comes from
The full-service rate usually bundles in things the self-managed rate does not, such as the provider's staffing and back-office costs. That is why, across published provider price lists Trilogy Care has compared, full-service everyday rates typically sit 50% to 100% above the matching self-managed rate.
When full-service can still be the better fit
Cheaper per hour is not the only thing that matters. Full-service can suit you if you do not want to find and direct workers, if you prefer one provider to handle rostering and cover when a worker is away, or if your needs are complex and changing.
Fees, contributions and carryover to keep in mind
A few other rules shape your real numbers.
The care management fee applies either way
The care management fee, capped at 10% of your quarterly budget, can apply whether you self-manage or go full-service. So it does not change the comparison between the two. It is worth knowing it comes out of the budget before you buy care.
Participant contributions on some everyday services
Clinical services such as nursing are fully government funded inside your budget, with no participant contribution. Independence and everyday-living services may carry a means-tested participant contribution, worked out from your income and assets.
How unspent budget carries over
If you do not use all of your budget, some carries over. Carryover is capped at the greater of $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget per quarter. Funds that transitioned from an old Home Care Package are treated differently and are not capped in the same way.
Run the numbers for your own situation
The example above is a template. Here is how to make it real.
Swap in your classification and quarterly budget
Start with your own quarterly budget, set by your funding classification (1 is the lowest, 8 is the highest). Take off up to 10% for the care management fee. That gives you the spendable amount.
Get current self-managed and full-service rates before you decide
Then plug in real rates. Ask a self-managed worker their hourly price and add the 10% loading. Ask full-service providers for their published price list. Divide your spendable budget by each rate to see the hours each approach buys.
A simple next step
You can see real prices for services in your area on this site and run the maths with your own budget. If you would rather talk it through, call Trilogy Care on 1300 318 723.
Questions about this topic
Is self-managed home care really cheaper than full-service?
For the same everyday service, the self-managed hourly rate is usually lower, even after the 10% loading. Full-service hourly rates for everyday services typically sit 50% to 100% higher, based on Trilogy Care's comparison of published provider price lists.
What is the 10% self-management loading and what does it cover?
It is a loading added to the cost of workers you arrange yourself. It covers workforce assurance (the checks that keep care safe and compliant) and invoice payment. In the example, a $40 worker becomes $44 an hour once the loading is added.
Does the care management fee still apply if I self-manage?
Yes. The care management fee, capped at 10% of your quarterly budget, can apply under both self-management and full-service. It is a set program deduction, not an amount you negotiate.
How many more hours can self-managing buy me?
It depends on the rates near you. In the worked example, $8,100 of spendable budget bought about 184 self-managed hours versus about 115 full-service hours over a quarter. That is roughly 69 more hours from the same funding.
Are these example dollar figures the official Support at Home prices?
No. Every figure here is illustrative and made up to show the method. They are not official prices, not averages, and not a quote. The government has deferred price caps and published indicative prices as a guide.
A simple next step
You can see real prices for services in your area on this site and run the maths with your own budget. If you would rather talk it through, call Trilogy Care on 1300 318 723.
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