Your funding
Support at Home funding is quarterly. That means budgets reset each period, services are costed across three categories, and your contribution varies depending on what you receive. There is more to track than before, and it matters more than ever to stay across it.
The Five Good Friends app gives you two views to help you do exactly that. Together they answer the two questions that matter most about your care funding:
Q. “Where does my funding stand right now?”
A. Projected Balances gives you a real-time estimate of your remaining funds, so you can see how your budget is tracking before the period ends.
Q. “What has been agreed for my care?”
A. Budgets (Service Plans) show the formal agreement setting out how your funding will be used to deliver your services.
Who can access this feature
Projected balances and budgets are available to:
Support at Home Members
Approved representatives or nominees who have been granted app access
How to find your projected balances and budgets
Follow these steps to open the feature in your app:
1. Tap your avatar icon
Top-left on iPhone or Android. Top-right on a computer.
2. Scroll to ‘Care funding & finances’
Under the 'Account' section, keep scrolling down until you see the 'Care funding & finances' section heading, you should see the 'Projected spend & budgets' in this section.
3. Tap ‘Projected spend & budgets’
This opens your budgets views.
💡 If no information appears: your service plan may not yet be approved and live, or your funding may not have synced yet. See 'Common questions' at the end of this guide.
The two views in the app
Once you’re inside the feature, you’ll see two distinct sections. Here is what each one is and what it tells you.
VIEW 1: Projected balances
The projected balances tab is a real-time picture of how your spending compares to the funding allocated for the period. Your projected balance is calculated using three things:
The funding allocated by Services Australia
Services already delivered and invoiced (actual spend)
Services that are scheduled but not yet invoiced (forecasted spend)
Together, these give you an estimate of what you’ll have remaining at the end of the period.
VIEW 2: Budgets
Your budget is your service plan agreement — the formal document that sets out how your funding will be used to deliver your care. It shows your agreed services, their costs, and how your funding is allocated. Think of it as the plan your projected balance is tracking against. These two views are separate and it is normal for them to show different figures.
💡 Important: projected balances and budgets are not the same thing
Your projected balance shows actual and forecast spending based on what has been delivered and what is scheduled. Your budget (service plan) is the agreed plan for how funding is intended to be used. It is normal for these to show different figures.
Understanding your projected balance
Your projected balance brings together three sources of information:
Funding allocated by Services Australia for the current period
Services already delivered and invoiced (actual spend)
Services that are scheduled but not yet invoiced (forecasted spend)
The result is an estimate of your remaining balance if your services continue as currently planned.
How balances update: the monthly claims cycle
Once your monthly claim has been finalised by Services Australia, it is updated in the app. When your monthly statement is issued, you will be able to see your actual spending and confirmed remaining balance from the previous month. Before this happens, the balance shown is projected and includes services that are scheduled but not yet billed. This is expected — the figure will update once the claim is processed.
You can tap into any funding source to see a detailed breakdown, including:
Total funding for the period
Projected total spend
Remaining balance
Estimated client contributions for services drawing from this funding source (if applicable)
Select the 'Tracked expenses' tab within a funding source to see a full list of activity, which works like a banking statement:
Spent expenses | Services already delivered and invoiced. These are confirmed charges against your funding. |
Forecasted expenses | Services scheduled but not yet invoiced. These appear in a lighter style to show they are not yet finalised. |
This view helps you understand not just what has been spent, but what is expected, so there are no surprises at the end of the period.
Understanding your budget (service plan)
Your budget is the formal service plan agreement for the period. It sets out the services you will receive, what each costs, and how your funding will be allocated across them. It is a planning document — not a bill.
You will see three types of plans:
Active service plans | Your current agreements, showing services and supports you are receiving right now. You can download a copy for your records. |
Future service plans | Plans that will start in an upcoming period. |
Expired service plans | Previous plans that are no longer active, kept for reference. |
For your budget to appear in the app, it must be approved by the Five Good Friends team, shared with you, and signed. Signing confirms it as a planning document, it does not trigger any payment.
Your funding sources
You may see one or more of the following funding sources in your projected balances. In the app each one is displayed as its own bar chart so you can see your position at a glance.
Funding source | Description |
Home support ongoing | Your main quarterly Support at Home funding, covering day-to-day supports such as personal care, domestic assistance and social support. |
Restorative care
| Short-term funding to help you recover or maintain independence after illness, injury or a change in health. |
End-of-life funding
| Additional support for members who wish to remain at home towards the end of life. |
Assistive technology
| Funding for equipment or devices that support your independence, such as mobility aids or communication tools. |
Home modifications
| Funding to make your home safer and easier to navigate, such as installing handrails or ramps. |
Provider-held unspent funds
| Unused funds from a previous Home Care Package, held by your provider. Generally used after your current funding is exhausted, or upfront for assistive technology and home modifications. |
Home Care Account
| Government-held unused funds from your previous Home Care Package. Used after provider-held funds have been exhausted. |
💡 Why some funding sources are grouped together
Some services can be funded from more than one stream, for example, ongoing quarterly support and restorative care. Because the system cannot always determine in advance which source will apply, related funding types may be grouped together to ensure your total available funds are shown accurately. We are working to show each source individually in a future update.
Your client contributions are also shown in your projected balances and service plans as an estimated amount. Your provider will invoice you separately for the actual contribution based on services delivered and processed with Services Australia.
Key terms you may see in the app
These are the terms used in the Projected Balances and Budgets feature, with plain-language definitions:
Projected balance | An estimate of your remaining funding at the end of the period, based on actual and forecasted services. |
Service plan agreement | The formal agreement outlining the planned use of your funding. Also called your budget. |
Actual spend | Services already delivered and invoiced against your funding. |
Forecasted expenses | Scheduled services that have not yet been invoiced. |
Spent expenses | Scheduled services that have been invoiced and charged. |
Funding period | The date range shown on each funding source card. |
Home support ongoing | Quarterly Support at Home funding, your main funding source. |
Home Care Account | Government-held unspent funds from a previous Home Care Package. |
Provider-held Commonwealth funds | Unspent Home Care Package funds held by your provider. |
Common questions
Q. What is the difference between my projected balance and my budget?
Q. What is the difference between my projected balance and my budget?
Your projected balance (VIEW 1) is a live estimate of your remaining funds based on what has actually been received, delivered and scheduled. Your budget (VIEW 2) is the agreed plan for how your funding will be used. These are separate views and it is normal for them to show different figures. Both are correct, they are answering different questions.
Q. I can see a projected balance but no budget. Is that normal?
Q. I can see a projected balance but no budget. Is that normal?
Yes. Your projected balance can appear even before your service plan has been approved and signed. Your budget only becomes visible in the app once it has been approved by the Five Good Friends team, shared with you, and signed. Signing is a planning step only, it does not trigger any payment.
Q. My projected balance shows I might be over budget. Should I be worried?
Q. My projected balance shows I might be over budget. Should I be worried?
Not necessarily. Projected balances are indicative, not final. They include forecasted services that are scheduled but not yet delivered, and those services may change. Being shown as over budget does not automatically mean your funding has been exhausted. It is a prompt to check in with your Care Team, who can review your schedule and discuss your options.
Q. Why does my balance change after my monthly statement is issued?
Q. Why does my balance change after my monthly statement is issued?
Before your monthly claim is finalised by Services Australia, the balance you see is a projection that includes scheduled but unbilled services. Once your claim is processed and your monthly statement is issued, the app updates to reflect your actual spending and confirmed remaining balance from the previous month. This is expected behaviour.
My funding sources are shown as a combined total. Why?
My funding sources are shown as a combined total. Why?
Some services can be funded from more than one source, for example, ongoing quarterly support and restorative care. Because the app cannot always determine in advance which source will apply to a service, related funding types are grouped together to show your total available funds accurately. We are working to show each source individually in a future update.
Why can’t I see any information in the feature at all?
Why can’t I see any information in the feature at all?
There are a few reasons this might happen: your government funding may not yet have synced from Services Australia; the funding period may not have started yet; or you may not be on Support at Home funding. If no information appears and none of these apply to you, contact your care coordinator so the issue can be investigated.
My needs have changed. Can I get more support?
My needs have changed. Can I get more support?
Yes. You can request a reassessment — a review of your situation to determine whether you are eligible for a higher level of funding. Your support can grow as your needs change. Speak with your care coordinator or call us on 1300 787 581.
Need help?
Contact us via phone or email below:
Call: 1300 787 581 (option 1)
Email: [email protected]