Lowest contributions, explained: what it means for your budget

When people talk about Support at Home contributions, it can sound technical very quickly. In reality, it comes down to two simple questions: how much do you pay from your own pocket, and how many real care hours do you get in return.

Government funding sets the starting point. What really changes your out-of-pocket costs is the provider you choose, the hourly rates they charge and how they help you manage your budget. That is where Trilogy Care’s self-managed model can keep your contributions lower and your support higher.

How Support at Home contributions actually work

Support at Home combines:

• Government funding, paid into a quarterly budget

• Your Support at Home contributions, based on your income and the services you use

• The prices and fees each provider sets

You cannot control the government rules for Support at Home contributions. You can control which provider you choose and how they use your budget. Two clients on the same funding level can pay very similar contributions but receive very different amounts of care, simply because one provider charges higher hourly rates and heavier fees.

Why hourly rates matter more than you think

Every time you book a service, your provider:

• Charges an hourly rate for the worker

• Takes any care management or administration fees

• Deducts it all from your quarterly budget

If a provider charges high hourly rates, your budget disappears faster. You then face two choices. You can accept fewer hours of support, or you can agree to pay extra on top of your usual contributions to cover the gap. In both cases, you lose value.

Lower hourly rates, combined with lean fees, mean that more of your Support at Home contributions turn into real services in your home. That is the core of Trilogy Care’s approach.

How self-management keeps your contributions lower

Trilogy Care uses a self-managed model within the Support at Home program. This gives you and your family more control over who supports you and what they charge, while our team handles the complex parts in the background.

With self-management through Trilogy Care, you can:

• Work with trusted local support workers at fair local rates

• Avoid paying one-size-fits-all provider rates that sit at the top of the price range

• See clearly what each hour of support costs and how it affects your budget

Because those hourly rates are usually lower than standard provider rates, the same level of government funding and Support at Home contributions buys more care hours. You do not lose quality. You gain flexibility, transparency and value.

Fewer layers of fees, more room in your budget

Many providers add several layers of fees on top of service prices. This can include care management, administration and charges for coordinating third-party workers. All of these fees come out of your quarterly budget before you see a single hour of care.

Trilogy Care keeps fees lean and transparent. We focus on:

• Clear pricing so you can see exactly where your money goes

• Simple, fair fees for the work our team does in the background

• Direct links between what you pay and the care you receive

This structure means that more of your combined funding and contributions remains available for support in your home, rather than internal overheads.

What this means for your Support at Home contributions with Trilogy Care

When you put it all together, Trilogy Care helps your Support at Home contributions work harder in three main ways:

• More care hours from the same funding: Lower hourly rates and lean fees mean your budget stretches further, so your usual contributions deliver more hours of practical support.

• Your care, your call: You choose who comes into your home and how they support you, which lets you balance value and comfort without paying extra for workers who do not suit you.

• Full quarterly budget activation: We help you plan your services across the quarter so less of your funding sits unused and more of your contributions turn into real care.

The result is simple. You keep contributing what is fair under Support at Home rules, but you receive better value from every dollar. Instead of paying more for the same support, you keep hourly rates sensible, reduce unnecessary fees and see exactly how your contributions support your care at home. Call Trilogy Care now on 1300 459 190 to get started!