How do I know which stream a service belongs to?

The statement must show the stream for every line. If it's missing, ask your provider in writing — they're required to disclose it under the Aged Care Rules 2025.

Can unused funds move between streams?

No. Each stream has a ring-fenced quarterly balance. Leftover Independence dollars can't pay for Clinical services or Everyday Living.

Does the No Worse Off principle change the stream contribution rates?

Yes for anyone on HCP as at 12/09/2024 — their contribution can't exceed the HCP equivalent, even if the stream rate says otherwise.

What if my parent's pension status changes mid-year?

Services Australia sends an updated assessment letter; the provider recalculates the contribution from the effective date. Ask the provider to show working if you're not sure the change was applied.

Do all providers charge the same stream percentages?

The percentages are set by the government — they don't vary by provider. What can vary is the hourly rate for the underlying service, which is why Wayly's Provider Price Checker matters.

Where can I see the current sliding-scale rates?

Services Australia publishes them; they update at each indexation event. Wayly's INDEX-1 constants track them.

All ArticlesArticle

The Three Streams, Explained Without Jargon

Clinical, Independence, Everyday Living — what each stream covers, what your parent contributes, and why the split matters when statements land.

By Wayly EditorialReviewed by: Wayly EditorialPublished 3 February 20264 min read

The three-stream model is the single most misunderstood part of Support at Home. If you know how it works, statements make sense; if you don't, every invoice looks like a mystery. This guide walks through what each stream covers, what your parent's contribution rate is, and why it varies so much between full pensioners and self-funded retirees.

Why three streams, not one?

Under Home Care Packages there was one bucket of money. Support at Home splits that bucket into three streams because different types of care have different social returns. Clinical care improves health outcomes for the whole system, so the government funds it fully. Independence and Everyday Living are more about lifestyle and quality of life — the participant contributes a share based on their means.

The streams also stop cross-subsidisation. Unused Independence dollars cannot pay for Clinical services. Unused Everyday Living dollars cannot pay for Independence. That's why your monthly statement shows three separate balances.

Clinical care — the free stream

Clinical care includes registered nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetics, podiatry, wound care and continence support. From 01/10/2026, participant contribution on this stream is $0 for every classification level.

If your parent's monthly statement shows a personal contribution against a clinical line dated after that cutoff, that's a Tier 4 finding in the Wayly Invoice Checker — worth raising with the provider before you pay, and if unresolved, worth escalating to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on 1800 951 822.

Independence — the middle stream

The Independence stream covers personal care (showering, dressing, help with meals), respite in the home, and social support. Contribution rates depend on the participant's pension status:

Pension status	Independence contribution
Full pensioner	5%
Part pensioner	5% – 50% (sliding scale)
Self-funded retiree	50%

Services Australia sets the exact rate based on income and assets. The participant should have received an assessment letter with the exact percentage when they enrolled — Wayly's Contribution Estimator plugs in those figures and shows the monthly cost.

Everyday Living — the highest-contribution stream

Everyday Living covers domestic assistance (cleaning, laundry), meal preparation and delivery, gardening, home maintenance and transport. Contribution rates are much higher:

Pension status	Everyday Living contribution
Full pensioner	17.5%
Part pensioner	17.5% – 80% (sliding scale)
Self-funded retiree	80%

For a self-funded retiree, a $100 gardening service means $80 out of pocket. This is a real change from HCP and is where families see the biggest swing in their monthly costs.

How to check the stream on your statement

Every line item on a Support at Home statement must show which stream it belongs to. If it doesn't, the provider isn't compliant with the Aged Care Rules 2025 and you're within your rights to ask. Wayly's Statement Decoder automatically maps each line to its stream and flags any line that's missing a category.

Common misclassifications we see: personal care billed under Everyday Living (should be Independence), transport billed under Independence (should be Everyday Living). Both cause the wrong contribution rate to fire.