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. Your approval sets how many hours of help you get.
DVA household services hourly rate for 2026
The $79.90 hourly rate is the standard maximum for the 2026 calendar year. Your provider can charge up to it for the whole of your approved service period without asking DVA for further approval. The same rate applies to DVA cleaning, gardening, lawn mowing and the other household 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 |
All new Household Services claims from 1 July 2026 are assessed under the MRCA. Existing DRCA approvals continue until the renewal date in your determination letter.
What your approval sets
The hourly rate doesn't tell you how much help you'll get. Your approval 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 work can start and when the approval 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.
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.
Rates for Veterans' Home Care 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 plan.
Compare Veterans' Home Care and Household Services
How DVA pays for household services
Your provider invoices DVA through the Provider Upload Page (PUP). If you paid for approved services yourself, you can ask DVA to reimburse you through the PUP, or email your invoices to [email protected]. For questions, call 1800 VETERAN and ask for Invoicing.
Read DVA's Household Services rates
Household services with AusVeterans
AusVeterans invoices DVA directly within your approval, so there's nothing for you to pay. We provide cleaning, lawn mowing, gardening, window cleaning and gutter cleaning across Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast.
Checked against DVA's website on 25 September 2026.