In 2026, the standard maximum a provider can charge for DVA Household Services is $79.90 an hour, including GST. DVA also caps what it pays each week: $633.47 under the MRCA and $609.74 under the DRCA from 1 July 2026. Neither figure tells you how much help you'll get. Your approval sets the tasks and hours.
DVA household services hourly rate for 2026
The $79.90 hourly rate is the standard maximum for the 2026 calendar year. DVA publishes a new rate each calendar year. Your provider can charge up to it for the whole of your approved service period without asking DVA for further approval. It's one rate for all household services, so the same maximum applies to cleaning, gardening, lawn mowing, window and gutter cleaning and the other tasks in your approval.
DVA household services weekly maximum
| Act your Household Services were approved under | 2025–26 | From 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| MRCA | $611.46 a week | $633.47 a week |
| DRCA | $588.55 a week | $609.74 a week |
The weekly limit is set in law and indexed each 1 July in line with the Consumer Price Index. DVA can't approve more than the limit unless it has decided you have a catastrophic injury or disease, in which case services can meet your assessed needs without the cap. Household Services and Attendant Care each have their own weekly limit.
All new Household Services claims from 1 July 2026 are assessed under the MRCA, including for conditions accepted under the VEA. Existing DRCA approvals continue until the renewal date in your determination letter, when DVA reviews them under the MRCA. If your DRCA services are already at the DRCA limit, you can ask DVA to move you to the MRCA earlier to get the higher limit.
Who can get Household Services
You may be eligible if you can't manage household tasks because of an accepted service-related condition and DVA assesses that you reasonably need help. DVA looks at the tasks you did before your injury or illness, what you can still do, who else lives with you, and what they can reasonably be expected to do. Claim with form D9319. Read how to claim DVA Household Services.
What your approval sets
The hourly rate doesn't tell you how much help you'll get. Your approval, or determination, does. Check four things in it:
- the task, such as cleaning or gardening
- the amount, as hours, visits or a money limit
- how often, such as each week, each fortnight or a total for the year
- the dates the approval starts and ends
"Two hours per fortnight" means two service hours every two weeks, not two visits. "28 hours per year" is 28 service hours in total, which is 14 two-hour visits, not two hours every fortnight for a whole year. Keep separate limits separate: unused gardening hours can't move to cleaning unless your approval allows it.
Occasional tasks, such as pool cleaning, are listed with how many times a year they're approved and the cost of each service. DVA's policy is to approve new claims and renewals for five years, unless your needs are likely to change sooner, for example after surgery. DVA contacts you before the end date to talk about renewing.
How the rate affects the bill
Two approved hours at $79.90 an hour cost $159.80. The rate alone doesn't confirm DVA will pay: the task, hours and date also have to fit your approval. If two workers attend for an hour each, that's two service hours. Without a current approval, DVA can't legally pay the invoice.
Rates for other DVA programs are different
These rates apply to Household Services only. Veterans' Home Care works on a co-payment of $5.00 an hour with weekly and yearly caps, and an Acute Support Package follows its own support plan and budget.
Compare Veterans' Home Care and Household Services
How DVA pays for household services
DVA can pay your provider directly or reimburse you. Providers invoice DVA through the Provider Upload Page (PUP), using your Transaction Reference Number (TRN). DVA only processes provider invoices uploaded through the PUP, not invoices sent by email.
If you paid for approved services yourself, ask DVA to reimburse you through the PUP, or email your invoices to [email protected]. Keep your receipts. As a general rule, DVA can't pay family members to provide household services. For questions, call 1800 VETERAN and ask for Invoicing.
Read DVA's Household Services rates
Household services with AusVeterans
AusVeterans provides cleaning, lawn mowing, gardening, window cleaning and gutter cleaning for veterans with DVA Household Services approval, in areas including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast. AusVeterans invoices DVA directly through the PUP within your approval, so you don't pay. To book, you'll need your DVA file number, claim reference, TRN and current approval letter.
Rules that are easy to miss
The exception is a relative or friend who runs a proper business. If they have the right insurance, handle tax and super correctly, have backup when they're sick and hold any checks the work needs, DVA's policy lets it pay them at normal industry rates.
Common questions
Are DVA cleaning rates different from gardening rates?
No. DVA publishes one standard maximum hourly rate for household services, $79.90 in 2026, which covers cleaning, gardening and other approved tasks.
When do the rates change?
The standard maximum hourly rate is published for each calendar year. The weekly limits are indexed on 1 July each year.
Does the hourly rate include GST?
Yes. The $79.90 standard maximum includes GST.
Checked against DVA's website on 25 September 2026.