Quick answer
Aged care and home care providers borrow to recruit and train care workers, buy vehicles and equipment, update systems for claiming under Support at Home, and expand offices or regions. Lenders focus on client numbers, claiming history, staffing costs and program compliance. Working capital often suits unsecured facilities; bigger expansions use property security.
Key points
- Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages Program.
- Program changes can create temporary cash-flow gaps for providers.
- Care worker wages are the largest cost and are paid before claims land.
- Lenders value clean claiming and stable client numbers.
- Common uses
- Staff, vehicles, systems, expansion
- Lenders focus on
- Clients, claims, staffing, compliance
- Unsecured options
- Typically $5k – $500k
- Property-secured
- $20k – $5m
Home care providers help older Australians stay in their own homes. It’s rewarding, fast-growing work — and it runs on people. Care workers are paid before claims are made, travel between clients adds cost, and program rules shape exactly how and when providers are paid. Lenders who understand the sector look at how a provider manages that cycle and how it handles change.
What do home care providers usually borrow for?
- Recruiting and training care workers as client numbers grow.
- Vehicles for care workers and client transport.
- Systems for rostering, care planning and claiming under current program rules.
- Office expansion or opening in a new region.
- Cash-flow buffers during program transitions or claiming delays.
How do lenders look at a home care provider?
Program settings. The Department of Health’s Support at Home program replaced the Home Care Packages Program and Short-Term Restorative Care, with the Commonwealth Home Support Programme to transition later. The department’s page on provider payment arrangements sets out how providers are paid: providers claim a payment after they have delivered a service, so income arrives in arrears. Lenders want to see that your systems and claiming are working smoothly under the current rules.
Client numbers and mix. Stable or growing client numbers, spread across regions and needs, reassure a lender.
Staffing. Care workers are commonly covered by the SCHADS Award, with travel, broken shifts and weekend work adding complexity. Wages are the biggest cost and the first to be paid.
Compliance. Approval and quality standards underpin the income. Lenders ask about audits and any notices.
Growing or adjusting to program changes? See what your organisation could access — no credit check to enquire.
A closer look: navigating program change
Whenever a care program changes, providers carry some of the transition. New claiming processes, updated pricing, different client contributions and fresh reporting all take time to bed down. During that period, claims may be delayed, rejected for technical reasons or paid differently from before. Meanwhile, care workers still need their pay.
Lenders understand that transitions create temporary gaps, but they want to see that the underlying business is sound: consistent client numbers, a clear record of claiming, and staff costs under control. A line of credit is usually the right tool for a transition, because it can be drawn while claims catch up and repaid as they normalise.
Providers who track days from service to payment, rejected-claim rates and client numbers month by month make it much easier for a lender to see that a gap is temporary rather than structural.
Documents that help
| Document | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Business bank statements | Wages and claims received |
| Claiming records and remittances | Speed and reliability of payments |
| Provider approval details | Confirms eligibility to deliver care |
| Client and staff numbers | Scale and trend |
| Financial statements | Margins and existing debt |
Red flags for home care provider loans
- Cash-flow gaps during program changes with no plan.
- Staff costs rising faster than income.
- Claiming errors or rejected claims building up.
- Concentration in one small region vulnerable to competition.
- Super or PAYG arrears.
Questions a lender will ask
- How many clients do you support, and how has that changed?
- How long does it take from delivering care to being paid?
- What share of costs are wages and travel?
- Have you had any recent audits or compliance notices?
- What will the funds be used for?
Illustrative scenarios
Illustrative: hiring for new clients. A home care provider needs $90k to hire and train care workers as new clients join. A working-capital facility is drawn over three months and repaid from claims.
Illustrative: a new regional office. A provider wants $180k to open a regional office with vehicles. The owners use a second mortgage over investment property to fund it.
When should a home care provider apply?
The best time is before growth or change arrives. If you’re about to take on a block of new clients, open in a new area or migrate to a new claiming system, arrange a facility while your current bank statements show a stable business. Applying during a cash squeeze is possible, but it narrows the options and adds urgency. A line of credit arranged early can sit unused until it’s needed, giving you room to say yes to new clients without worrying about the next payroll.
How to strengthen a home care application
Prepare a monthly summary of client numbers, hours delivered, claims submitted and claims paid for the last year. Show your wage bill and travel costs as a share of income. List any claims currently delayed or disputed and what you’re doing about them. If you’ve recently passed an audit or quality review, say so. These few pages turn a complex care business into a picture a lender can understand in minutes.
Secured or unsecured for home care?
Working capital often fits unsecured options of $5k to $500k, sized on turnover and bank statements. Larger expansions and vehicle fleets may suit property-secured loans from $20k to $5m. Providers also supporting NDIS participants should see the NDIS provider guide, and our guide to government-funded revenue explains how program income is assessed.
Could your care organisation qualify?
Start with a 60-second enquiry. There’s no credit check when you first enquire, and your details aren’t distributed to a long list of lenders. A real person who understands care programs and staffing will call you. Please answer accurately — turnover, the amount and any property — so the first option you hear is one that fits.
Frequently asked questions
Can a home care provider borrow to hire staff?
Yes. Lenders look at client growth, claiming history and banked income. A working-capital line is often the best fit, drawn as new clients start and repaid as claims arrive.
How has Support at Home affected providers?
Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages Program and Short-Term Restorative Care. Changes to programs and claiming processes can create temporary cash-flow gaps while systems adjust, which is a common reason providers look at finance.
Do lenders count government program income?
They count what arrives in your account. Program income is reliable when claiming runs smoothly, so lenders look at claiming history and any disputes or delays.
Can I finance vehicles for care workers?
Yes. Vehicles can be funded through unsecured options for smaller amounts or with property security for fleets.