Support at home
The home support services the TAC can pay for
You need TAC approval before we can pay for home support services.
We can pay for:
- house cleaning
- gardening
- childcare.
We can pay for home support services when:
- there’s no one else at home who can help,
- your treating health provider recommends them, and
- you were responsible for these tasks before your transport accident
- you need them within 5 years of your transport accident.
We can consider paying for your cleaning and gardening after 5 years if you have a 'severe injury' or 'permanent disability'.
How to get home support services
Please call us on 1300 654 329 if your treating health provider recommends home support services for you.
If we approve your home support services we can:
- pay your service provider, when you provide them with your TAC claim number, or
- repay you, when you use myTAC to send your receipts to us.
We pay for treatment and services according to our fee schedule. If your provider charges more than the TAC rate you will need to pay the difference.
How much home support you can get
There are limits to the amount of home support services the TAC can pay for.
We will keep in touch with you and your service providers to work out how long you need these services for. We may also contact your health professional to check on your progress or ask for an assessment.
How to choose a home services provider
Child Care
Under Victorian and Commonwealth law, the TAC can only pay for childcare provided by providers approved by the Department of Education. You can use the Australian government’s Child Care Finder to find a child care provider in your area.
House cleaning and gardening
Before you engage a provider to perform cleaning or gardening, exercise due diligence by asking them questions about quality and safety. These could include:
Do you have public liability insurance and what does it cover?
Check that the provider has public liability insurance. This covers businesses for property damage and personal injury to a third party (such as a customer) due to negligence in performing their business activities. For example, if a cleaner spills bleach on your carpet, their public liability insurance could cover the cost to repair or replace it.
Who will be carrying out the work?
Verify who will be visiting your home. Sometimes the business representative you speak with to arrange services is not the person who will carry out the work.
Can I see your police check certificate?
Confirm that the person carrying out the work has a current police check certificate. This ensures they have undergone a background check against a national criminal history database.
Can I see your Working with Children Check card?
If children will be present while services are delivered, confirm that the person carrying out the work has a current Working with Children Check card. This ensures they have undergone a screening process for assessing people who work with children, including a review of criminal history and relevant professional conduct.
What’s your hourly rate?
Confirm the provider’s hourly rate. If the provider’s rate is higher than the TAC rate, and you engage them for their services, you are responsible for the payment of any difference, not the TAC.
Do you service the area I live in?
Ask the provider if they deliver services to your area. Sometimes a provider’s contact details do not reflect their actual service area.
Do you have references I can contact?
Check the provider’s references to help decide if the provider is suitable for you. Before you contact a reference, list the questions you might ask, such as how responsive the provider is to communication, how easy it is to reach them, if there are any issues with being timely or absent or if there are any issues with theft.
Do you provide your own equipment and supplies?
Some providers use their own equipment and supplies; others only bring their equipment and ask you to provide supplies. If you’re unhappy with a provider’s supplies, you should be able to substitute your own. If you provide your own supplies, make sure this is accounted for when the provider sets their hourly rate.
What is your complaints process?
Find out if the provider has a process if you need to lodge a complaint. If you’re unhappy with the way a service has been delivered, or with how you’ve been treated, you have a right to complain and have your concerns addressed.
If something goes wrong
Complaints
If you have complaint, raise it with the service provider first, as your agreement is between you as the purchaser of the service and them as the provider.
If needed, you can also exercise your rights as a consumer under the Australian Consumer Law. These rights apply when you buy goods or services for your own use, including general goods and services, disability related goods and services and items and services bought with TAC funding. Access information from consumer protection agencies to understand your rights.
If you have a complaint about a child care provider contact The Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) who regulate providers Australia wide.
Criminal matters
For a criminal matter, always contact the police.
Quality and safe services
To raise concerns about the quality or safety of services provided by a TAC funded service, call the TAC Safer Services Support line at 1800 931 233 (your call can be anonymous) 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, or send an email to saferservices@tac.vic.gov.au.
The TAC takes a zero tolerance approach to the abuse or neglect of our clients. Access our quality and safeguards information to learn more.
Effective 1 July 2024
2024/25 rates
| Service Description | TAC Item Number | Maximum Payment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care (per hour - for TAC registered providers) | DS0010* | $33.07 |
| Garden Maintenance (per hour) | DS0020* | $42.06 |
| House Maintenance (per hour) | DS0021* | $37.85 |
| Domestic Services/Home Services (per hour) (Does not include House Maintenance or Garden Maintenance) | DS0023* | $37.85 |
| Housekeeping (per hour) | H601* | $37.85 |
| Housekeeping - for MAB claimants (per hour) (Claims prior to 1987) | DS0036* | $37.85 |
Invoice must state duration of service provided for each item in hours.
2023/24 rates
| Service Description | TAC Item Number | Maximum Payment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care (per hour - for TAC registered providers) | DS0010* | $31.86 |
| Garden Maintenance (per hour) | DS0020* | $40.52 |
| House Maintenance (per hour) | DS0021* | $36.46 |
| Domestic Services/Home Services (per hour) (Does not include House Maintenance or Garden Maintenance) | DS0023* | $36.46 |
| Housekeeping (per hour) | H601* | $36.46 |
| Housekeeping - for MAB claimants (per hour) (Claims prior to 1987) | DS0036* | $36.46 |
Invoice must state duration of service provided for each item in hours.
2024/25 rates
| Service Description | TAC Item Number | Maximum Payment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care (per hour - for TAC registered providers) | DS0010* | $33.07 |
| Garden Maintenance (per hour) | DS0020* | $42.06 |
| House Maintenance (per hour) | DS0021* | $37.85 |
| Domestic Services/Home Services (per hour) (Does not include House Maintenance or Garden Maintenance) | DS0023* | $37.85 |
| Housekeeping (per hour) | H601* | $37.85 |
| Housekeeping - for MAB claimants (per hour) (Claims prior to 1987) | DS0036* | $37.85 |
Invoice must state duration of service provided for each item in hours.
2023/24 rates
| Service Description | TAC Item Number | Maximum Payment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care (per hour - for TAC registered providers) | DS0010* | $31.86 |
| Garden Maintenance (per hour) | DS0020* | $40.52 |
| House Maintenance (per hour) | DS0021* | $36.46 |
| Domestic Services/Home Services (per hour) (Does not include House Maintenance or Garden Maintenance) | DS0023* | $36.46 |
| Housekeeping (per hour) | H601* | $36.46 |
| Housekeeping - for MAB claimants (per hour) (Claims prior to 1987) | DS0036* | $36.46 |
Invoice must state duration of service provided for each item in hours.
| The TAC is not taking new applications for preferred providers while we review the registration requirements for this program. New providers can still provide home services to TAC clients and bill us using the Home Services Fee Schedule. |
2024/25 fees for preferred providers
Registered TAC preferred providers for Home services can request a copy of the 2024/25 fees through our online form.
Summary
This form can be used to claim payment or reimbursement for household support services (required as a result of your accident injuries). Details that need to be completed include dates when services were provided, start/finish times, hourly rate and total cost.
How to send documents to the TAC
myTAC
myTAC is the quickest way to:
- Submit receipts and claim reimbursements
- Send documents and forms
- Update your personal and banking details
- Find out about treatments and services the TAC may pay for
If you can't use myTAC to send your receipts or documents, please take a photo and email it to us at info@tac.vic.gov.au. Include your claim number in the subject line of your email so we can process your request.
Summary
If you need treatment in hospital as an inpatient or for day surgery more than three years after your accident, the TAC can support you for a short time while you recover.
Summary
This booklet contains information and suggestions for families of children who've been injured in a transport accident and are about to leave hospital and return home. Topics include: how the TAC can help; adjusting to life at home and overcoming challenges that may arise; community organisations that offer support and counselling; and looking after the welfare of family members.
We’re here to help you get your life back on track after your transport accident. To help you manage your tasks at your home, we can pay for home support services in Australia.
The home support services we can pay for
The support at home services we can approve and pay include:
- Household cleaning
- Gardening
- Childcare. (If you were caring for your child in the 30 days before your accident, or you or your domestic partner were pregnant at the time of your accident).
We can also pay for occasional or seasonal tasks you would normally do. For example, cleaning windows and clearing guttering.
You can ask the TAC to pay for these supports when they are:
- recommended by your treating health provider
- to help you with the tasks that you normally did before you were injured.
We’ll work with you and your health professionals to make sure you receive appropriate support services at home to help with your injuries. We may contact your doctor or another provider to check on your progress or ask for an assessment.
We do this to make sure that:
- You have access to the appropriate treatment and supports you need for your transport accident injuries
- You get evidence-based treatment and do not receive unnecessary interventions
- You continue to get your life back on track and have functional independence.
When a family member dies in a transport accident
If a member of your family died in a transport accident, or because of their injuries, we will pay for home services for the tasks they did. This includes child care.
We will pay for these services for 5 years after the date of their death.
Who can provide home services
Your home services provider must be registered with the TAC before they can provide home services.
Under Victorian and Commonwealth law, the TAC can only pay for childcare by providers approved by the Federal Government.
You can provide child care services for TAC clients if you are approved by the Department of Education and appear in the Australian Government’s Child Care Finder.
How we pay for home services
We pay your home services provider when you have given them your TAC claim number and a copy of our approval.
If you have to pay, use myTAC to send a copy of your receipt to us and we will repay you.
We pay for your services in line with our responsibilities under the Transport Accident Act 1986.
How much we can pay
We can pay for a mix of home support services for up to 40 hours per week total.
There is a limit on how many hours of child care we can pay if you were employed at the time of your accident.
| Hours per week in paid employment | Child care we can pay |
|---|---|
| 5 or less | Up to 40 hours |
| 15 hours | Up to 30 hours |
| 25 hours | Up to 20 hours |
| 35 hours or more | Up to 10 hours |
We will pay for your treatment and services according to our fee schedule. If your provider charges more than the TAC rate, you may need to pay the difference. For a list of TAC rates, see Home services payment limits.
How long we can pay
Services are available for up to 5 years after your accident. If you were severely injured or suffered a permanent disability because of your accident, you need our approval to receive support at home after this period.
Childcare services cannot be extended beyond 5 years.
What we won’t pay for
We can’t pay for services that:
- Exceed 40 hours per week
- Are performed by family and friends (except for registered childcare)
- Occur after 5 years from the date of accident or death of your loved one, except if you have suffered a severe injury or permanent disability
- Were not done by the injured person before the transport accident, unless the person was pregnant at the time of their accident
- Are not related to the transport accident injuries
- Are carried out at more than one home.
For providers
If you are a provider of home services, click below on the relevant TAC Provider Guideline for more information.
The home support services the TAC can pay for
You need TAC approval before we can pay for home support services.
We can pay for:
- house cleaning
- gardening
- childcare.
We can pay for home support services when:
- there’s no one else at home who can help,
- your treating health provider recommends them, and
- you were responsible for these tasks before your transport accident
- you need them within 5 years of your transport accident.
We can consider paying for your cleaning and gardening after 5 years if you have a 'severe injury' or 'permanent disability'.
How to get home support services
Please call us on 1300 654 329 if your treating health provider recommends home support services for you.
If we approve your home support services we can:
- pay your service provider, when you provide them with your TAC claim number, or
- repay you, when you use myTAC to send your receipts to us.
We pay for treatment and services according to our fee schedule. If your provider charges more than the TAC rate you will need to pay the difference.
How much home support you can get
There are limits to the amount of home support services the TAC can pay for.
We will keep in touch with you and your service providers to work out how long you need these services for. We may also contact your health professional to check on your progress or ask for an assessment.
How to choose a home services provider
Child Care
Under Victorian and Commonwealth law, the TAC can only pay for childcare provided by providers approved by the Department of Education. You can use the Australian government’s Child Care Finder to find a child care provider in your area.
House cleaning and gardening
Before you engage a provider to perform cleaning or gardening, exercise due diligence by asking them questions about quality and safety. These could include:
Do you have public liability insurance and what does it cover?
Check that the provider has public liability insurance. This covers businesses for property damage and personal injury to a third party (such as a customer) due to negligence in performing their business activities. For example, if a cleaner spills bleach on your carpet, their public liability insurance could cover the cost to repair or replace it.
Who will be carrying out the work?
Verify who will be visiting your home. Sometimes the business representative you speak with to arrange services is not the person who will carry out the work.
Can I see your police check certificate?
Confirm that the person carrying out the work has a current police check certificate. This ensures they have undergone a background check against a national criminal history database.
Can I see your Working with Children Check card?
If children will be present while services are delivered, confirm that the person carrying out the work has a current Working with Children Check card. This ensures they have undergone a screening process for assessing people who work with children, including a review of criminal history and relevant professional conduct.
What’s your hourly rate?
Confirm the provider’s hourly rate. If the provider’s rate is higher than the TAC rate, and you engage them for their services, you are responsible for the payment of any difference, not the TAC.
Do you service the area I live in?
Ask the provider if they deliver services to your area. Sometimes a provider’s contact details do not reflect their actual service area.
Do you have references I can contact?
Check the provider’s references to help decide if the provider is suitable for you. Before you contact a reference, list the questions you might ask, such as how responsive the provider is to communication, how easy it is to reach them, if there are any issues with being timely or absent or if there are any issues with theft.
Do you provide your own equipment and supplies?
Some providers use their own equipment and supplies; others only bring their equipment and ask you to provide supplies. If you’re unhappy with a provider’s supplies, you should be able to substitute your own. If you provide your own supplies, make sure this is accounted for when the provider sets their hourly rate.
What is your complaints process?
Find out if the provider has a process if you need to lodge a complaint. If you’re unhappy with the way a service has been delivered, or with how you’ve been treated, you have a right to complain and have your concerns addressed.
If something goes wrong
Complaints
If you have complaint, raise it with the service provider first, as your agreement is between you as the purchaser of the service and them as the provider.
If needed, you can also exercise your rights as a consumer under the Australian Consumer Law. These rights apply when you buy goods or services for your own use, including general goods and services, disability related goods and services and items and services bought with TAC funding. Access information from consumer protection agencies to understand your rights.
If you have a complaint about a child care provider contact The Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) who regulate providers Australia wide.
Criminal matters
For a criminal matter, always contact the police.
Quality and safe services
To raise concerns about the quality or safety of services provided by a TAC funded service, call the TAC Safer Services Support line at 1800 931 233 (your call can be anonymous) 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, or send an email to saferservices@tac.vic.gov.au.
The TAC takes a zero tolerance approach to the abuse or neglect of our clients. Access our quality and safeguards information to learn more.
Effective 1 July 2024
2024/25 rates
| Service Description | TAC Item Number | Maximum Payment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care (per hour - for TAC registered providers) | DS0010* | $33.07 |
| Garden Maintenance (per hour) | DS0020* | $42.06 |
| House Maintenance (per hour) | DS0021* | $37.85 |
| Domestic Services/Home Services (per hour) (Does not include House Maintenance or Garden Maintenance) | DS0023* | $37.85 |
| Housekeeping (per hour) | H601* | $37.85 |
| Housekeeping - for MAB claimants (per hour) (Claims prior to 1987) | DS0036* | $37.85 |
Invoice must state duration of service provided for each item in hours.
2023/24 rates
| Service Description | TAC Item Number | Maximum Payment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care (per hour - for TAC registered providers) | DS0010* | $31.86 |
| Garden Maintenance (per hour) | DS0020* | $40.52 |
| House Maintenance (per hour) | DS0021* | $36.46 |
| Domestic Services/Home Services (per hour) (Does not include House Maintenance or Garden Maintenance) | DS0023* | $36.46 |
| Housekeeping (per hour) | H601* | $36.46 |
| Housekeeping - for MAB claimants (per hour) (Claims prior to 1987) | DS0036* | $36.46 |
Invoice must state duration of service provided for each item in hours.
2024/25 rates
| Service Description | TAC Item Number | Maximum Payment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care (per hour - for TAC registered providers) | DS0010* | $33.07 |
| Garden Maintenance (per hour) | DS0020* | $42.06 |
| House Maintenance (per hour) | DS0021* | $37.85 |
| Domestic Services/Home Services (per hour) (Does not include House Maintenance or Garden Maintenance) | DS0023* | $37.85 |
| Housekeeping (per hour) | H601* | $37.85 |
| Housekeeping - for MAB claimants (per hour) (Claims prior to 1987) | DS0036* | $37.85 |
Invoice must state duration of service provided for each item in hours.
2023/24 rates
| Service Description | TAC Item Number | Maximum Payment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care (per hour - for TAC registered providers) | DS0010* | $31.86 |
| Garden Maintenance (per hour) | DS0020* | $40.52 |
| House Maintenance (per hour) | DS0021* | $36.46 |
| Domestic Services/Home Services (per hour) (Does not include House Maintenance or Garden Maintenance) | DS0023* | $36.46 |
| Housekeeping (per hour) | H601* | $36.46 |
| Housekeeping - for MAB claimants (per hour) (Claims prior to 1987) | DS0036* | $36.46 |
Invoice must state duration of service provided for each item in hours.
| The TAC is not taking new applications for preferred providers while we review the registration requirements for this program. New providers can still provide home services to TAC clients and bill us using the Home Services Fee Schedule. |
2024/25 fees for preferred providers
Registered TAC preferred providers for Home services can request a copy of the 2024/25 fees through our online form.
Summary
This form can be used to claim payment or reimbursement for household support services (required as a result of your accident injuries). Details that need to be completed include dates when services were provided, start/finish times, hourly rate and total cost.
How to send documents to the TAC
myTAC
myTAC is the quickest way to:
- Submit receipts and claim reimbursements
- Send documents and forms
- Update your personal and banking details
- Find out about treatments and services the TAC may pay for
If you can't use myTAC to send your receipts or documents, please take a photo and email it to us at info@tac.vic.gov.au. Include your claim number in the subject line of your email so we can process your request.
Summary
If you need treatment in hospital as an inpatient or for day surgery more than three years after your accident, the TAC can support you for a short time while you recover.
Summary
This booklet contains information and suggestions for families of children who've been injured in a transport accident and are about to leave hospital and return home. Topics include: how the TAC can help; adjusting to life at home and overcoming challenges that may arise; community organisations that offer support and counselling; and looking after the welfare of family members.
We’re here to help you get your life back on track after your transport accident. To help you manage your tasks at your home, we can pay for home support services in Australia.
The home support services we can pay for
The support at home services we can approve and pay include:
- Household cleaning
- Gardening
- Childcare. (If you were caring for your child in the 30 days before your accident, or you or your domestic partner were pregnant at the time of your accident).
We can also pay for occasional or seasonal tasks you would normally do. For example, cleaning windows and clearing guttering.
You can ask the TAC to pay for these supports when they are:
- recommended by your treating health provider
- to help you with the tasks that you normally did before you were injured.
We’ll work with you and your health professionals to make sure you receive appropriate support services at home to help with your injuries. We may contact your doctor or another provider to check on your progress or ask for an assessment.
We do this to make sure that:
- You have access to the appropriate treatment and supports you need for your transport accident injuries
- You get evidence-based treatment and do not receive unnecessary interventions
- You continue to get your life back on track and have functional independence.
When a family member dies in a transport accident
If a member of your family died in a transport accident, or because of their injuries, we will pay for home services for the tasks they did. This includes child care.
We will pay for these services for 5 years after the date of their death.
Who can provide home services
Your home services provider must be registered with the TAC before they can provide home services.
Under Victorian and Commonwealth law, the TAC can only pay for childcare by providers approved by the Federal Government.
You can provide child care services for TAC clients if you are approved by the Department of Education and appear in the Australian Government’s Child Care Finder.
How we pay for home services
We pay your home services provider when you have given them your TAC claim number and a copy of our approval.
If you have to pay, use myTAC to send a copy of your receipt to us and we will repay you.
We pay for your services in line with our responsibilities under the Transport Accident Act 1986.
How much we can pay
We can pay for a mix of home support services for up to 40 hours per week total.
There is a limit on how many hours of child care we can pay if you were employed at the time of your accident.
| Hours per week in paid employment | Child care we can pay |
|---|---|
| 5 or less | Up to 40 hours |
| 15 hours | Up to 30 hours |
| 25 hours | Up to 20 hours |
| 35 hours or more | Up to 10 hours |
We will pay for your treatment and services according to our fee schedule. If your provider charges more than the TAC rate, you may need to pay the difference. For a list of TAC rates, see Home services payment limits.
How long we can pay
Services are available for up to 5 years after your accident. If you were severely injured or suffered a permanent disability because of your accident, you need our approval to receive support at home after this period.
Childcare services cannot be extended beyond 5 years.
What we won’t pay for
We can’t pay for services that:
- Exceed 40 hours per week
- Are performed by family and friends (except for registered childcare)
- Occur after 5 years from the date of accident or death of your loved one, except if you have suffered a severe injury or permanent disability
- Were not done by the injured person before the transport accident, unless the person was pregnant at the time of their accident
- Are not related to the transport accident injuries
- Are carried out at more than one home.
For providers
If you are a provider of home services, click below on the relevant TAC Provider Guideline for more information.
