Household Services, Attendant Care and Veteran Home Care

Veterans can be provided with extra support if they need help at home because of an injury or medical condition. 

What personal care and domestic assistance services are available?

Attendant Care and Household Services (HHS) provide compensation for personal care and domestic assistance to allow veterans to manage their essential home and personal care needs. Currently this assistance is available under the DRCA and the MRCA and is available for veterans in relation to any service-related condition(s).

Attendant care may be provided on a short-term basis while a veteran is recovering from surgery or over a long-term for chronic health conditions. It may include assistance with bathing, toileting, grooming, dressing and feeding.

Household services provide extra support if needed at home because of a service-related injury or condition. It is available for short-term periods to assist while recovering from surgery or on an ongoing basis if a veteran has complex health issues.

Common services may include cleaning, shopping, childcare (in some short-term and crisis care circumstances), laundry, ironing, lawn mowing, gardening and meal preparation.

DVA can reimburse the veteran (or pay the service provider directly) for approved services up to a maximum rate. If the services are being provided under the DRCA, the maximum amount is $574.76 per week. If the services are being provided under the MRCA the maximum rate is $597.13 per week. Note that this maximum amount is available for both household and attendant care services. 

The Veterans Home Care (VHC) program is available under the VEA and provides a small amount of practical help to support entitled veterans to continue living independently in their homes for longer. Access is based on assessed needs and is not limited to services required due to accepted conditions (like HHS and Attendant Care are under the MRCA and the DRCA).

Am I eligible?

You may be eligible if you:

• need this service due to a condition that has been accepted as service-related; and
• have an assessed need for this service.

How do I apply?

You can complete a HHS or Attendant care claim form and send it to us:

• by email to hhs@dva.gov.au; or
• by post to GPO Box 9998, Brisbane QLD 4001

What will happen from 1 July 2026?

All veterans will have access to the higher rate for HHS and Attendant Care under the MRCA for service related conditions. However, access to services provided via the VHC will also remain for those with current eligibility if preferred.

Current MRCA veterans

If you are currently receiving benefits under the MRCA, these will continue unchanged.  

Alternatively, you can check your eligibility by submitting a claim form, detailed above. 

Current DRCA veterans

From 1 July 2026, DRCA veterans claiming Household and Attendant Care services will be eligible for the more beneficial MRCA rate per week.

Current VEA veterans

VEA veterans will become eligible for Household and Attendant Care services under the MRCA for service related conditions, or can continue to receive services through the VHC if preferred.

Additional Resources

There is a range of additional resources available on the Legislation Reform website covering a variety of topics. These include: Aids, Appliances and Modifications and Travel for Treatment.

Household Services and Veterans Home Care – benefit comparison 

There are individual pages for different veteran cohorts including VEA veterans, DRCA veterans, MRCA veterans and family members of veterans.