DVA Home Support: Where to Start and How to Find Support

This guide is for veterans and families exploring DVA-funded home support who aren't yet sure where to start. DVA decides who qualifies and what's covered, based on individual circumstances rather than a single rule, so the fastest path forward is knowing who to contact and what to ask. This guide covers where to start, what to have ready, and what happens once your funding is confirmed.

What DVA Home Support is

"DVA Home Support" is used here as a general term for home-based support funded through the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA), separate from mainstream aged-care programs like Support at Home. One of DVA's main in-home support programs is Veterans' Home Care (VHC). CareVicinity supports care seekers under two separate DVA-approved categories: Veterans' Home Care (VHC), and Household Services such as domestic assistance and home maintenance. Exactly who qualifies and what's covered depends on your individual circumstances, covered next.

How eligibility actually works

DVA determines eligibility, not CareVicinity or any other provider.

If you're looking for DVA support at home, Veterans' Home Care (VHC) is one program that may help with practical support at home. To be assessed for VHC, DVA requires that you hold a DVA Veteran Gold Card (covering all conditions, within Australia) or a DVA Veteran White Card (covering specific conditions, or non-liability health care), and that you're living at home with some difficulty managing everyday tasks.

Eligibility depends on factors specific to your circumstances, so there isn't a single rule that applies to everyone. The only reliable way to find out where you stand is to check directly with:

• DVA: for eligibility and entitlements tied to your service history and circumstances.

• My Aged Care: relevant if your situation also involves mainstream aged-care programs alongside DVA support.

This guide is a starting point, not a substitute for that confirmation.

What to have ready before contacting DVA

None of this determines your eligibility. It just makes the conversation with DVA or My Aged Care more efficient. Before you call, it helps to have:

• Your DVA or Veteran Card details, if you have them.

• A clear description of the support you need (for example, help around the house, personal care, or transport).

• How often you expect to need that support.

• Details of any aged-care services or funding you already receive.

• Any questions you have about choosing your own provider or support worker once funding is confirmed.

This is preparation, not an eligibility checklist. DVA is still the only source that can confirm what you actually qualify for.

How DVA Home Support relates to other funding

DVA-funded support and Support at Home are different government funding pathways. Support at Home is the Australian Government's current mainstream aged-care program, which replaced the former Home Care Packages Program from 1 November 2025. Which pathway applies to you, and whether they interact in your circumstances, should be confirmed with DVA or My Aged Care. For coordinators managing clients across both pathways plus private-pay clients, managing Support at Home, DVA and private-care clients side by side covers how that works in practice.

DVA home care services like VHC are designed for everyday tasks, not complex or high-level care needs. For more complex nursing needs, DVA's separate Community Nursing Program is the relevant pathway, not something CareVicinity provides. VHC and Support at Home can also be used alongside each other, as long as the services don't duplicate one another. If VHC only partly covers what you need, an aged care assessment through My Aged Care can help determine whether you may be eligible for additional mainstream aged care support.

What to do next

1. Confirm your eligibility and the relevant type of support with DVA (or My Aged Care, if mainstream aged-care programs are also involved).

2. Confirm exactly what's been approved and how it needs to be arranged.

3. Ask whether you can choose your own provider or support worker, or whether that's restricted.

4. Once funding is confirmed, compare suitable providers or workers. CareVicinity makes that easy: browse, compare, and connect directly with independent support workers for aged care and DVA-funded home support, including Veterans' Home Care and Household Services.

5. Keep a record of what DVA approved and any service agreements you make, for future reference.

CareVicinity's FAQs cover the practical next steps for using the platform, including how fees and hiring work.

If you're a support worker interested in providing independent support through CareVicinity, see how to become an independent support worker with CareVicinity.

FAQ

What is DVA?

DVA stands for the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the Australian Government department responsible for supporting current and former Australian Defence Force members and their families. Alongside health, financial and mental health support, DVA runs several in-home care programs. One of the main ones is Veterans' Home Care (VHC), which helps eligible veterans get practical support to keep living independently at home.

Am I eligible for DVA Home Support?

Only DVA can confirm this. Check directly with DVA or My Aged Care.

What's the difference between DVA Home Support and Support at Home?

They're different government funding pathways: Support at Home is the current mainstream aged-care program; DVA-funded home support is arranged through DVA. Which applies to you is worth confirming with DVA or My Aged Care.

Can I choose my own support worker under DVA Home Support?

That depends on how your specific support is arranged; confirm with DVA. Once funding is confirmed, if you're arranging your own independent support worker, CareVicinity lets you browse and choose directly.

Find home support

Once your DVA eligibility and funding are confirmed, find home support