The “No Worse Off” Rule: What It Means If You Had a Home Care Package

The no worse off rule protects three things:

• Your contributions. The same or less than before, or nothing at all if you paid no income-tested care fee.
• Your lifetime cap. $88,934.57 under the no worse off cohort, instead of the standard cap of $140,652.80 (both figures read live from Wayly's reference data and are indexed on 20/03 and 20/09).
• Your saved funds. Home Care Package money held at the changeover stays available to you.

You keep a transitioned budget matched to your old Home Care Package level until your next reassessment. The exact amount depends on your former level. You can see how your budget compares to the standard Support at Home classifications on the Support at Home levels pages, and read Home Care Package vs Support at Home for what else changed.

Find your rate on your Services Australia letter and check every invoice line uses it, or shows $0 if you paid no income-tested care fee before. Remember that since 01/10/2026 personal care is fully government funded for everyone, so those lines should be $0 regardless of your cohort.

The Invoice Checker flags lines that do not match your rate or category, and Letters & Follow-ups drafts the message to your provider if something needs correcting.

Wayly explains statements in plain English. This article is general information, not financial, legal or clinical advice. Check anything important with your provider, My Aged Care on 1800 200 422, or a qualified professional.