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Travel and Transport under Support at Home

The information in this article has been prepared using the official Support at Home Program Manual (v4.1, October 2025) and the latest policy guidance from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
 

Article contents:

Overview
   > What's changing
Dedicated Transport Services
Accompanied Activities and Social Support
    > Why this change has been made
FAQs


Overview

Under the new Support at Home (SAH) program, the way providers handle travel and transport has changed significantly compared to Home Care Packages (HCP). The key shift is that travel is now built into the price of services rather than claimed separately.

What’s Changing

Under HCP, providers could charge a separate line item for staff travel. Under SAH, that is no longer allowed. From 1 November 2025, all travel-related costs must be included in the hourly or unit rate of the service you deliver.

This means:

  • No separate travel fee can be added to an invoice for personal care, domestic assistance, or allied health services.

  • Your unit price must absorb travel time and distance costs as part of doing business.

  • Care management funds cannot be used to cover travel to or from a client.

  • Transport services, where you physically take a client somewhere, are treated differently.

 

Dedicated Transport Services

When a client needs help getting to appointments, community events, or social activities, there are two specific SAH transport options.


1. Direct Transport (Driver and Car Provided)

  • Billed per trip (not by the hour).

  • The price per trip can vary depending on distance, time, or client needs.

  • Each trip must be claimed as a single event.

  • For group trips, costs must be shared proportionally among participants.

 

2. Indirect Transport (Vouchers or Rideshare)

  • Covers vouchers or reimbursements for taxis and rideshares.

  • Charged at the actual cost, based on the receipt.

  • Providers must upload evidence, such as the receipt or invoice, when claiming.

 

Accompanied Activities and Social Support

If a worker accompanies a participant to an outing or appointment, the time spent travelling with the client counts as face-to-face service time. It is billed under Social Support and Community Engagement. Travel, in this case, is part of the service price and is not a separate transport claim.

Why this change has been made

The government has stated that this change aims to make pricing more transparent and fair across the sector. Every service rate now reflects the full cost of delivering care, including staff time, travel, and overheads, so clients know exactly what they are paying for.


 

FAQs

Will Lookout still allow for Helpers to enter or confirm their kilometres for reimbursement?

Yes. You can learn about how to enable this and how it works in our dedicated rates article.

Can we still charge a separate travel line item on invoices?

No. Under SAH, travel to and from appointments must be included in the service unit price.

What if we provide a lift for a client to a doctor’s appointment?

If the worker accompanies the client and stays with them, charge it as Social Support and Community Engagement (time-based, inclusive of travel). If you just drop them off, use the Direct Transport service (trip-based).

Can we charge for mileage or vehicle running costs?

No. Those costs must be absorbed into the price of the service. Only dedicated transport services can include vehicle costs.

How do we bill group transport?

You must split the total cost between participants based on distance or time travelled and submit individual claims for each client.

Can clients be reimbursed if they pay for their own transport?

Yes, but only if the transport service is listed in their approved Support Plan and they provide evidence such as a taxi receipt.