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7.1 Household Services

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Last amended 
5 May 2023

Household services are provided for in Division 3 of Part 7 of Chapter 4 of the MRCA and section 29 of the DRCA.  A client's need for household services may be identified through a Needs Assessment, an ADFRP assessment if the client is still serving, a Rehabilitation Assessment or a request directly from the client.

The provision of household services of a short-term nature may be relatively common for clients recovering from surgery or other treatment of an accepted service injury or disease. However, long-term approvals should only be for seriously incapacitated clients whose needs will be ongoing, due to the nature of their accepted conditions.

Given that the primary aim of rehabilitation is to maximise the potential to restore a client and to promote independence, where a person is experiencing difficulties in managing their normal activities of daily living, consideration must be given to the purchase of other supporting aids and or appliances. This empowers the client and improves their overall ability to function more independently within their family, household and community.

Section 214 of MRCA, and or subsection 29(1) of DRCA, provide that the Commonwealth will meet the cost (to a statutory upper limit) of household services provided that they are reasonably required by the person as a result of a service injury or disease for which liability has been accepted. A formal determination letter must always be sent to a client when a decision is made to approve, extend, or reject provision of household services.

The statutory limit for household services is indexed as at 1 July each year by reference to the Consumer Price Index.  Current rates are published in the CLIK Compensation and Support Reference Library under Payment Rates, Current Payment Rates. The MRCA limit is listed on the MRCA Rates and Allowances page.  The DRCA limit is listed on the SRCA and Defence Act payments page.

Rehabilitation Coordinators must not approve household services in excess of this statutory limit. Further information about the approval and review of household services can be found in section 7.4 of this library.

Ideally, for most clients, household services will be delivered as part of a “package of support” that may also include rehabilitation services being provided under a whole-of-person rehabilitation plan. This is in keeping with the department's whole of person approach to rehabilitation and allows the client's various needs to be considered and reviewed on a regular basis. However, the provision of household services is not dependent on participation in rehabilitation where the delegate is satisfied that there are no other needs that must be considered and addressed at a particular time. For example, where a client is still serving and their rehabilitation or treatment needs are being provided through the ADFRP.

From 29 May 2017, all new household services claims will need to be managed through a specific services plan using R&C ISH processing. Further information about household services claims can be found in section 7.3 of this library.

Household services may be available to current and former ADF members, including part time Reservists, ADF Cadets, Officers of Cadets and Instructors of Cadets who have suffered a service injury or disease for which liability has been accepted by the MRCC. To be eligible, the person must first make a claim for compensation for household services.

Further information about household services for serving members can be found in section 7.1.3 of this library.