Household help services policy
Information about the provision of household help services to workers who have an accepted claim under the Victorian Workers' Compensation Scheme.
This policy contains guidelines for the purposes of the Accident Compensation Act 1985 (Vic) and the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 (Vic).
Household help services
Household help services are essential household cleaning and gardening tasks:
- provided in the worker's primary residential home
- the worker performed pre-injury
- the worker can no longer perform because of their work-related illness or injury
Household help services are services that assist with the domestic chores that must be attended to regularly, such as cleaning and lawn mowing. 'Household help' is to be distinguished from 'maintenance' such as painting or the repair of broken items in and around the home.
Helping workers maximise their independence is an important part of the recovery process. WorkSafe can pay for the reasonable costs of household help services that are needed because of a work-related injury or illness.
WorkSafe expects the type and frequency of household help services provided to a worker will reduce as the worker recovers and should be considered an interim or short term arrangement, unless the worker has long term needs due to the nature of their injury or illness.
Who can provide these services?
Providers of household help services must be registered and approved by WorkSafe. To register, the Provider will need evidence of:
- current Australian Business Number (ABN) or a Victorian business registration
- current public liability insurance, minimum $5 million
Delivery expectations
WorkSafe expects all household help service providers to follow these principles when delivering the service:
- provide culturally safe and respectful services. You may need to use an interpreter
- protect the injured worker's human rights by reporting any concerns of abuse, neglect or discrimination to WorkSafe
- support the injured worker to maximise their independence by only working within the scope of approved household help services
Request, review and approval of household help services
An initial request for household help services is made by sending a worker's declaration form and a treating health practitioner request form to the Agent for approval. Treating Health Practitioners who can complete the request form include medical practitioners, physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors.
An initial request for household help services may be for up to 12 weeks. An additional 12 weeks of household help services may be requested, if during the initial 12 week period it has been identified that further support is necessary. Additional requests can be made by sending a treating health practitioner request form to the Agent for consideration. A workers declaration form is not required for additional requests.
An initial request for longer term household help services (approx. 6 months+) can be made where a worker’s work-related injury requires a longer term need for household help services. This may be applicable to injured workers with more severe and permanent injuries such as those eligible for the Community Integration Program (CIP). Appropriate supporting clinical information and rationale must be provided to the Agent via the THP request form to consider the need for longer term household help services.
It is a requirement to submit the Request Form and Worker Declaration prior to Agents assessing funding requests for household help services.
Within 28 days of receipt of the Worker's Declaration and Request Form the Agent will make a decision about the request and notify the worker of the outcome.
Where the worker's work - related injury impacts their ability to perform their household tasks for longer than 12 weeks, the Agent may ask for an Occupational Therapist (OT) to conduct an assessment. The assessment will help to identify the level of support the worker needs and assist in the development of self-management strategies including use of aids and equipment to assist the worker towards independence.
The Agent will consider the opinions of the treating health practitioner and occupational therapist (together with other relevant opinions) alongside the worker's individual circumstances, including their living arrangements, progress and capacity to maintain activities of daily living, when determining an entitlement to household help services.
Once a worker has received approval from the Agent, they can choose a registered and approved service provider to commence the provision of household help services.
If the worker continues to need household help services after a three-year period from the date of injury, clinical justification from a treating health practitioner, supported by an OT assessment will be required. The Agent will consider the justification alongside the worker’s individual circumstances, including living arrangements, their progress and capacity to maintain activities of daily living, in deciding if services can continue.
Related forms
Approval considerations
When deciding to approve household help services, and the period for which those services will be approved, WorkSafe will consider the worker's circumstances such as:
- any recent surgery for the work related injury
- the home environment
- the worker and family or household member's contributions to tasks
- information such as the OT assessment and plan for self-management strategies/availability and utility of adaptive equipment
- the worker's capacity to remain at work or maintain activities of daily living if the services are not provided
- the presence of any dependent child living in the home
If the worker's living circumstances change, such as their primary residential home, service requirements may need to be re-assessed.
If the worker passes away while receiving household help services and if it appears that their death results from their work-related injury, then family members residing at the worker's home may be able to continue to receive the reasonable costs of household help as received by the worker for a period of six months from the time of their death. For such costs to be received, it is necessary that the Agent is notified of the worker’s death within three months of it occurring.
What WorkSafe can pay for
WorkSafe can pay for the reasonable costs of household help services a worker needs as a direct result of their work-related injury or illness. Household services may be provided to assist with the following tasks:
Housework tasks
- Kitchen
- clean benches/sink
- clean stove top
- clean microwave
- wipe cupboards
- clean wipe/appliances
- sweep floor
- wash floor
- wipe table
- dust/wipe window sills and skirting boards
- dust furniture
- Living
- dust furniture
- dust/wipe window sills and skirting boards
- vacuum/sweep floor/rugs
- wash floor
- Bedroom
- change bed linen
- make bed
- dust furniture
- dust/wipe window sills and skirting boards
- vacuum/sweep floor/rugs
- wash floor
- Bathroom
- clean shower
- clean bath
- vacuum/sweep floor
- wash floor
- clean basin
- clean mirror
- dust/wipe window sills and skirting boards
- Toilet
- clean toilet
- sweep floor
- wash floor
- clean basin
- clean mirror
- Laundry (room)
- wipe appliances
- clean bench surfaces
- dust/wipe window sills and skirting boards
- vacuum/sweep floor
- wash floor
- clean trough
- Laundry (clothes care)
Laundry and ironing tasks must be for the worker or their dependents only.
- load washing machine
- hand washing
- hang washing on line/place in dryer
- take in washing/empty dryer
- sort/fold clothes
- essential ironing
- Exceptional once yearly housework tasks
WorkSafe may consider paying for heavier tasks such as 'spring cleaning' (for example, cleaning an exhaust fan, oven, light fixtures, windows and thorough floor cleaning) where reasonable, once a year.
Lawn mowing and gardening
- Lawn mowing
The maximum frequency for lawn mowing tasks is once per fortnight during the summer period (1 October – 31 March) and monthly during the winter period (1 April – 30 September).
The worker will need to provide a detailed quote for lawn mowing, covering:
- lawn mowing tasks e.g. mow lawn, tidy edges
- type of grass
- size of lawn
- estimated required frequency of lawn mowing and edging
- Gardening tasks - Primary
- clean up paved areas
- weed garden beds
WorkSafe will not pay for watering or applying pesticide or fertiliser to gardens.
- Exceptional gardening tasks
WorkSafe may consider paying for exceptional gardening tasks, where reasonable, as a once off service. Generally, this includes annual tasks such as:
- clearing gutters
- light pruning of trees
- in fire prone or regional areas, general clearing of garden debris around the immediate vicinity of the house
Equipment to increase a worker's independence
WorkSafe will consider paying for equipment for a worker to increase their independence with household tasks. WorkSafe can consider reasonable equipment recommendations as part of a WorkSafe registered OT assessment.
What WorkSafe will not pay for
WorkSafe will not pay Household Help services for:
- services that the worker did not themselves perform prior to their injury or illness. (for example, where other members of the household performed the services or where the services were performed by contracted labour)
- services provided at a home other than the worker’s primary place of residence
- services delivered by a provider (including a sub-contracted provider) that is not registered and approved by WorkSafe to provide that service
- fees associated with cancellation or not being at home when the provider attends
- telephone calls and telephone consultations with the worker or other providers
- travel time for the service provider
- services provided above the level and amount approved by WorkSafe
- services provided by friends or by family members
- services that were provided by purchased labour prior to the injury or illness
- services that address the injury/ies or physical restrictions of occupants other than the worker
- services provided outside of Australia unless prior approval from the Agent is received
- more than one of the same service type per day for the same worker
- the costs of any housework consumables or equipment, for example, cleaning cloths, cleaning liquids, brooms, mops and vacuum cleaners
- watering or applying fertilisers or pesticides
- the costs of any lawn mowing or gardening consumables or equipment, for example, mowers, weeders and fertilisers
- the cost of home maintenance products, for example, gutter guards and synthetic turf
- raw garden materials, for example, plants or mulch
- food preparation
- self-care tasks including bathing, dressing or personal grooming
- pet care
- support of hobbies or personal lifestyle interests, for example, hobby farm, animal breeding or showing
- car care
- home or furniture maintenance including cleaning of drapes, blinds or carpets
- home modifications including painting, renovation or modification
- property maintenance or repair including painting, watering, fertilising, applying pesticides to gardens, or maintaining paving
- pool and spa cleaning
- rubbish or grass removal or disposal
- heating materials such as wood
- provision or chopping of firewood
- cost of utilities associated with the heating or cooling of a residence
- other services which would require a professional to complete, for example, decluttering, solar panel cleaning, vacate cleans, chimney cleaning, arborists, etc
- relocation costs to move to a new primary residential home
How much WorkSafe will pay
Please note that payment of the reasonable costs of services does not necessarily mean payment of the full costs. In some cases, there may be a gap between what the provider charges and what WorkSafe will pay. Check the fee schedule for the treatment or service that you are seeking and ensure you have prior approval where needed.
You can find current and past household help services fees here:
Compliance and suspension of services
WorkSafe expects household help providers to comply with the requirements set out in these guidelines and in the Application for registration to provide services to workers. If a household help provider does not meet these requirements or WorkSafe has concerns about their conduct or services, action in accordance with the legislation may be taken.
Further information
This policy contains guidelines for the purposes of the Accident Compensation Act 1985 (Vic) and the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 (Vic).
Except where an Agent is specifically mentioned, a reference to WorkSafe is a reference to WorkSafe and its authorised Agents.
WorkSafe Advisory Service
WorkSafe's advisory service is available between 7:30am and 6:30pm Monday to Friday. If you need more support, you can also contact WorkSafe using the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) or the National Relay Service.
