Budgets: FAQs
Answers to the most common questions about budgets in Lookout. For step-by-step guidance, see Budgets: an overview and Creating and managing budgets.
Looking for help with a specific task? Many of our budget articles have their own troubleshooting section for common issues relating to the topic. If your question isn't answered here, check the troubleshooting section in the related article before reaching out to our Support team.
Understanding your budget figures
Where do I find budget information for a Member?
A Member's budget is organised into three tabs:
- Live & projected balance tracking: What's been spent and where each funding source is heading.
- Budget plan vs spend: How actual spending compares with the approved plan.
- Budget planning: Where you create and manage the plan itself.
What does the opening balance show?
The opening balance is the Services Australia opening amount before any rollovers or adjustments. Rollovers and adjustments are shown in their own tile, so for Members with rollovers the Opening balance will be lower than their total available funds.
Why is home support shown as three cards?
Home support is split into ongoing, restorative care and end-of-life. Each card draws down separately, so you can see exactly how each type of funding is being used.
Why are Assistive Technology and Home Modifications shown separately?
Live and projected balances show each funding source on its own: ongoing/quarterly, restorative care, Assistive Technology and Home Modifications. That way you can see exactly which pool of funding is being used.
Why doesn't "Remaining in budget" match the projected balance?
They measure different things:
- Remaining in budget is the approved budget plan minus what's been spent so far.
- The projected balance is based on the funds Services Australia reports as available.
If the plan and the available funds differ, these two figures will differ too.
Why isn't care management included in the service budget?
Care management is funded from 10% of the ongoing subsidy, separately from the service budget.
Creating and planning budgets
Does a budget plan update itself when the roster changes?
No. A budget plan is a snapshot at a point in time. Review it and update it as the Member's services change.
Can I build a budget from a Member's roster?
Yes. You can choose which roster items to include before generating it. Each rate variant, such as weekend rates, appears as its own line.
Can I generate budgets for lots of Members at once?
Yes. With bulk generation you can:
- choose the budget type (for Support at Home Members)
- generate budgets for a future period
What are the warnings on a generated budget?
Lookout flags budgets that may need a second look:
- Empty service plan: no services have been planned.
- Exceeds available funding: planned services cost more than the funding available.
- Low funds utilisation: less than 80% of the available funding has been allocated to planned services.
I got a warning, but the budget is deliberate. What do I do?
You can dismiss the warning. For example, you might dismiss an over-allocation warning if the Member is privately funding the difference. A dismissed warning stays dismissed for that budget, even if you edit the budget later.
Why can't I approve a budget?
A budget showing an error can't be approved until the error is fixed or dismissed with a note.
Overspend and underspend alerts
When does Lookout warn about overspending?
When a Member is on track to spend more than a funding source's available funds this quarter. Alerts are graded by how far over the projected spend is:
| Level | Projected spend |
|---|---|
| Low | Up to 10% over available funds |
| Medium | 10–25% over |
| High | More than 25% over |
When does Lookout warn about underspending?
When a Member is projected to use less than 80% of a funding source's funds this quarter, based on current service activity:
| Level | Projected use of available funds |
|---|---|
| Low | 70–80% |
| Medium | 50–70% |
| High | Below 50% |
Can we change these thresholds?
No. The thresholds are the same for every organisation.
Why aren't Assistive Technology or Home Modifications flagged for underspend?
These funds are usually spent in larger amounts over longer periods, so slow spending isn't treated as a concern.
What does "No funding source" mean?
The Member has services this quarter under a funding source with no funds, for example one that has ended or was never allocated. Live tracking counts this as an overspend. Check the Member's funding sources with Services Australia, or move the services to another funding source.
What can I do with an alert?
You can:
- view live tracking
- create a ticket to follow it up
- dismiss it for the current quarter
Rostering and funding sources
Why is Lookout asking me which funding to use?
The visit, purchase order or ad hoc item falls in a period when ongoing and restorative care funding overlap. Lookout can't assume which one you want, so it asks.
I got a "No funding available" warning when rostering. What does it mean?
The Member has no active funding source that can pay for that type of service on that date. If you go ahead, the service is charged to the Member's client contribution account. You can then invoice the Member privately or write the cost off, since it can't be claimed. If you expected funding to be there:
- Check that the ACER has been activated in the Aged Care Provider Portal, which it must be before the funding appears in Lookout.
- Remember that funding for a future period may not have come through from Services Australia yet.
Why did a service move to unspent funds?
Lookout can only confirm which funding pool a service was drawn from once the claim has been reconciled with Services Australia. Until then, some invoiced and forecast items may move to unspent funds when claiming confirms where they were drawn from.
Bulk actions, billing and claiming
What bulk actions are available? In the expense tracking view, the Actions menu includes:
- Edit services
- Change service date
- Switch funding source
- Switch funder
- Exclude from claiming
- Include in claiming
- Cancel services
Do bulk actions affect claiming and billing?
Yes, all of them. They change the service records themselves, so they flow straight through to what gets claimed and billed. After running one, check the completion notification for any rows that failed.
What's the difference between "Switch funding source" and "Switch funder"?
- Switch funding source moves services between funding sources within the Member's current funding, for example onto unspent funds.
- Switch funder moves a visit to another funding arrangement the Member has, such as private. It applies to the whole visit, including travel and visit fees, and Lookout applies a suitable rate under the new funder. If the visit has already been invoiced, let finance know.
Why were some of my selected services skipped?
Not every action works on every type of service:
- Change service date, Switch funder and Edit services only work on projected visit services.
- Switch funding source works on projected visits, group events and purchase order lines.
Lookout tells you before you confirm which selected services will be left unchanged.
Who can use bulk actions?
Anyone with the bulk-actions permission. It's separate from finance edit access, so people outside finance, such as rosterers, may have it.
Funding Analyser (Lookout Assist)
What is the Funding Analyser?
A Lookout Assist feature that reviews a Member's Support at Home budget one funding source at a time. It explains in plain English why spending is running over or under and suggests actions to review.
Where do I find it?
On the Live & projected balance tracking tab of a Member's budget. Click Generate AI insights on the funding source you want reviewed.
Will it change the budget on its own?
No. It only runs when you ask, and a person must review and confirm any change. Past reviews are kept, so you can see how a budget has changed over time.
What do I need to use it?
Lookout Assist, with the Funding analyser turned on in the Lookout Assist settings. It's included with the a new MSA contract.
To learn more, see Budgets with Lookout Assist: Funding analyser.
Still need help?
If you can't find the answer here or in the troubleshooting section of the related article, please contact our Support Team or your account contact.