Grandfathered savings
HCP unspent funds
If you were on a Home Care Package before the move to Support at Home and had savings left over, those funds came across with you. They explain a lot about the funding order.
What they are
When Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages, no one lost their approved unspent funding. Any eligible unspent Home Care Package funds were carried forward and stay available to you under Support at Home. They're sometimes called grandfathered funds or Commonwealth unspent funds, and depending on your situation they can include:
- Commonwealth-funded unspent amounts
- Home Care Account balances held by Services Australia
- Some provider-held unspent balances
Good to know
If you didn't have a Home Care Package before Support at Home, you won't have any HCP unspent funds — and that's completely normal.
Why they matter
HCP unspent funds are an extra source of money that sits alongside your current Support at Home funding. They can help you access additional services once your quarterly budget is used up, buy approved equipment, fund approved home modifications, and meet future care needs without relying only on your current budget.
They don't expire
Unlike your quarterly budget, HCP unspent funds don't expire. They stay available until they've been fully used — and they're not lost if your Support at Home classification changes after a reassessment.
What they can be used for
Generally, approved ageing-related supports in your care plan that meet program rules — for example:
- Care services — personal care, domestic assistance, cleaning, gardening, nursing, allied health, social support, transport
- Assistive technology — walking frames, rollators, wheelchairs, hospital beds, personal alarms, shower chairs
- Home modifications — grab rails, ramps, bathroom modifications, handrails, accessibility improvements
Where they fit in the funding order
The order depends on the type of service.
Care services
Ongoing, restorative or end-of-life: your relevant budget is used first, then HCP unspent funds, then any voluntary contributions.
- Your relevant budgetOngoing, Restorative Care or End-of-Life
- HCP unspent funds
- Voluntary contribution
Equipment and home modifications
The order is flipped — HCP unspent funds are used first.
- HCP unspent funds
- Assistive Technology or Home Modifications funding
- Voluntary contribution
Good to know
For equipment and home modifications, HCP unspent funds are always used before any new AT-HM funding — so your older savings are used up first.
Why might I still have them?
Many people built up savings under their Home Care Package — for example by using fewer services than their package allowed, saving for future equipment, planning for future care, or because services were paused for a while. When Support at Home began, those savings moved across with them.
What you'll see in the Trilogy App
If you have HCP unspent funds, you may see your current Support at Home budget, your HCP unspent funds balance, services delivered, equipment purchases, and remaining available funds — so you can see which source has been used and how much is left.
Working example
John's $8,000 of unspent funds
John moved across from a Level 4 Home Care Package with $8,000 of HCP unspent funds, plus his usual quarterly Support at Home budget.
He buys a wheelchair for $3,000
Because it's equipment, his HCP unspent funds are used first — the $3,000 comes out of that balance (leaving $5,000), and his quarterly care budget is untouched.
Later, his quarterly budget runs out
After several months of regular services his quarterly budget reaches zero, so his HCP unspent funds begin covering approved services — and his support continues without interruption while funds remain.
Common questions
- Does everyone have HCP unspent funds?
- No — only people who moved from a Home Care Package with eligible unspent funding will have a balance.
- Do they expire?
- No. They stay available until they're fully used.
- Can I use them for equipment?
- Yes — for approved assistive technology and home modifications.
- Are they used before AT-HM funding?
- Yes. For equipment and home modifications, HCP unspent funds are used before any new AT or HM funding allocation.
- Will I lose them if I'm reassessed?
- No. They remain available even if your Support at Home classification changes.
