The Australian Government has announced that it will provide further financial support to aged care providers impacted by COVID-19. This funding will be dedicated to the provision of surge staffing, intensive case management support and further grant opportunities.
This article will focus on the last of these initiatives and summarise the eligibility requirements for each grant, application deadlines and how you can apply.
What Grant Opportunities Will Be Provided?
The Government will be providing two grant opportunities:
- Support for Aged Care Workers in COVID-19 Grant: this grant will reimburse providers for eligible costs related to minimising the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak.
- Aged Care Support Program Extension Grant: this grant will reimburse providers for eligible costs incurred in managing a direct impact of COVID‑19.
Support for Aged Care Workers in COVID-19 (SACWIC) Grant
Am I eligible for the SACWIC grant?
To be eligible for the SACWIC grant, you must:
- be an approved Residential Aged Care, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (NATSIFACP) or Home Care provider; and
- be incurring additional costs as a result of supporting eligible aged-care workers; and
- be located inside a designated hotspot and/or have workers that work in a designated hotspot.
How much will I be reimbursed?
You will be able to apply for the amount of funding you need within the scope of the eligibility criteria.
Importantly, you will only be reimbursed for additional costs incurred in managing the workforce impacts of COVID-19. This includes costs associated with supporting workers:
- to work at a single site
- who do not have sufficient pandemic or personal leave entitlements and who are not to attend work because of COVID-19 symptoms, testing COVID-19 positive, requiring a test or self-isolation or quarantine requirements
- to undertake training in the event that existing workers are not to work due to experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, or self-isolation or quarantine requirements
- by implementing other workforce measures due to new requirements or directions from governments.
You will also only be reimbursed for the costs that you incurred while you or one of your workers was in a designated hotspot.
Additionally, this is a reimbursement grant, so you cannot receive any more than you have spent. You may therefore need to repay any outstanding grant amounts not spent or committed.
What is the deadline for applying for the SACWIC grant?
This grant opportunity is due to close on 31 December 2021 but will be extended to 30 June 2022. Providers will be notified when this occurs.
How can I apply for the SACWIC grant?
You can apply for the SACWIC grant via the online form on the GrantConnect website.
Aged Care Support Program Extension (ACSPE) Grant
Am I eligible for the ACSPE grant?
To be eligible for the ACSPE grant, you must:
- be an approved Residential Aged Care, NATSIFACP or Home Care provider; and
- have one or more COVID-19 infected or isolated residents, clients or staff members; and
- incur a direct cost while managing the direct COVID-19 impacts during the period that the resident, client or staff member gets a COVID-19 test until their isolation ends; and
- have incurred this cost between 28 May 2021 and 31 March 2022.*
*Note: these dates may change when the deadline is extended. See “What is the deadline for applying for the SACWIC grant” below.
How much will I be reimbursed?
The maximum grant value for Residential Aged Care and NATSIFACP providers is a base grant of $20,000, plus an additional $2,000 for each operational place (for example, a home with 50 operational places is entitled to a maximum grant of $120,000 ($20,000 base funding plus $100,000 operational places allocation)).
The maximum grant value for Home Care providers is $650 per client.
Importantly, you will only be reimbursed for costs incurred in managing the direct impacts of COVID-19. This may include costs incurred in respect of such activities as replacing or increasing staff, training staff in infection control or accessing equipment and resources to manage infection control.
Additionally, this is a reimbursement grant, so you cannot receive any more than you have spent.
What is the deadline for applying for the SACWIC grant?
This grant opportunity is due to close on 31 March 2022 but will be extended to 30 June 2022. Providers will be notified when this occurs.
How can I apply for the SACWIC grant?
You can apply for the ACSPE grant via the online form on the GrantConnect website.
