aged care bonus

Aged care nurses’ bonus payments to hit workers’ bank accounts by the end of August 2023

June 22, 2023 by Rayan Calimlim Leave a Comment

The federal government has confirmed that all grant applications for the first round of the Aged Care Registered Nurses’ Payment to reward clinical skills and leadership have been approved. The payment, which will be worth up to $6,000 per round, was designed to attract and retain registered nurses in the aged care sector. It consists of two rounds, the first for 2021 – 2022 and the second for 2022 – 2023.

The federal government has advised that all grant agreements will be sent to aged care employers in the coming weeks. Following this, employers are required to return their signed grant agreements to receive funding under this scheme. Employers are then required to pass on these payments to workers as soon as possible but no later than within eight weeks of receiving funds.

To be eligible for the full $3,700 payment, registered nurses must work for the same aged care provider for at least 12 months during the eligibility period. Registered nurses employed for the same aged care provider for at least 6 months during the eligibility period will be entitled to a half payment of $1750. Registered nurses who meet certain additional criteria, such as working in a rural or remote area, holding a relevant postgraduate qualification, or taking on specific additional leadership or training responsibilities, may be eligible for an additional payment of up to $2,300 per year.

Aged care employers were responsible for applying for the payment on behalf of eligible registered nurses.

Grants to aged care providers began in March 2023, however could be made as late as this month, which means registered nurses working in aged care can expect to receive their first-round payments by the end of August 2023.

For more information please see the eligibility criteria on the Department of Health website and the Association’s Frequently Asked Questions.

For further information on the status of your payment, it is best to ask your employer in the first instance.

If you believe you are entitled to a payment but haven’t received one by the end of August 2023, or if you believe you have received the wrong amount, please contact the Department of Health at grant.atm@health.gov.au.

NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association members can also reach out for further assistance in regards to this payment.

Registered nurses in aged care eligible for bonus under Federal Government scheme

December 1, 2022 by Madeline Lucre 4 Comments

The federal government has announced an Aged Care Registered Nurses’ Payment for registered nurses working in residential aged care, in-home care and Commonwealth Home Support Programme settings.

The government initiative aims to recognise the integral role registered nurses play in the delivery of high-quality care for older Australians.

How much is the payment?

The payments are offered over two years.

12 month payment:

Registered nurses who have worked between 1 November 2021- 31 October 2022, or 1 November 2022- 31 October 2023, will be eligible for a 12 month payment and will receive $3,700. Those who meet the eligibility criteria for an additional payment of $2,300 per year.

6 month payment:

Registered nurses who have worked between 1 May 2022- 31 October 2022 and 1 May 2023- 31 October 2023 will be eligible for a 6 month payment and receive a half payment of $1,850.

Additional payment:

Registered nurses who meet the below criteria are eligible for an additional payment of $2,300 per year for a full year of employment or $1,150 per for 6 months of employment.

Additional payment criteria:

Work in a rural town or community or in a remote or very remote community (Modified Monash Model classification 3-7)

hold a relevant formal postgraduate qualification (Graduate Certificate or higher) in nursing or gerontology; business, leadership or management; or other relevant health field
take on at least one of the following additional leadership or training responsibilities in your workplace:

infection prevention and control (IPC) lead
workplace/clinical supervision of undergraduate nurses
clinical supervision/mentoring/educating or facilitating in an Aged Care Transition to Practice Program
an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who takes the lead on cultural safety training in their organisation You can only receive one additional payment per year for meeting at least one of these three criteria.

Who is eligible for the payment?

To be eligible for the payment you must be a registered nurse working in residential aged care, home care or Commonwealth Home Support Program settings.

You must be employed by any of the following:

an approved age care provider funded by the Australian Government
a multi-purpose service that provides aged care services
a state or local government approved Residential Aged Care or Home Care Provider

a provider that offers aged care services under the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program
an agency employing aged care registered nurses to work in one or more of the above organisation types
self-employed nurse practitioners

How to apply

Aged care employers must submit an application of behalf of their staff for the payment by 14 December 2022 in order for you to receive it. Registered nurses must have worked with the same aged care provider over the eligibility period, and your employer will need to apply on your behalf by 14 December 2022.

Download this template letter to ask your employer if they have applied on your behalf.

Applications for the payments are currently open for work undertaken in 2022, with an additional round of payment applications due this time next year for work done in 2023. Read our FAQ guide for further details.

NSW Health has advised the Association it intends to make applications on behalf of registered nurses working in:

Commonwealth Home Support Programme;
Transitional Aged Care Program;

Multi-Purpose Services; and
State Government Funded Residential Aged Care Facilities.

The Association is currently lobbying the Federal Government to expand the eligibility criteria to include Enrolled Nurses and Assistants in Nursing.

Further details about the payments are available on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

Three Months On, Aged Care Workers Still Waiting for COVID Payments

May 17, 2022 by Rayan Calimlim Leave a Comment

More than 70% of aged care workers still haven’t received their $400 bonus, as promised by Prime Minister Scott Morrison back in February, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) revealed today.

Results of a national poll of nurses and aged care workers conducted by the ANMF has found:

71% have not received any of the two promised bonuses;
26% have received one bonus;
Only 2.7% have received both.

Federal Secretary Annie Butler said the ANMF and its members were ‘angry and disappointed, but unfortunately, not surprised’.

“When the Morrison Government first announced this bonus payment, meant to recognise the extraordinary efforts of aged care nurses and workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our members were not impressed. Aged care unions and providers called for much more for overwhelmed aged care workers – genuine measures to fix the crisis in aged care,” Ms Butler said.

“But the Government failed to take action – it did not address the staffing crisis and it refused to participate in the Fair Work Commission’s process to increases wages for aged care workers, opting instead for two pro-rata payments of up to $400 aimed at preventing an exodus of staff from the frontline. While acknowledging this small offering, unions warned that the payments remained grossly inadequate. Now we discover that not only has the Morrison Government failed to take real action to fix the crisis in aged care, it hasn’t even delivered on its promised bonus payment for workers.

“Our members have had enough of this complete lack of regard from the Government. It’s simply disgraceful that during these toughest of times, some of our lowest-paid workers have been abandoned. They are sick of being undervalued and ignored by Government, and they’ll be looking for real solutions this election,” Ms Butler said.

Entitlement to the aged care bonus

April 7, 2022 by Madeline Lucre Leave a Comment

I am an EN and recently got a new job in aged care. I started at my job on 21 February 2022. Will I still be eligible for the new aged care bonus even though I have not been working in the industry for very long?

Yes. The new Aged Care Workforce Bonus Payment will be payable to workers employed in residential or home aged care on 28 February and 28 April 2022. Employers (aged care providers and agencies that provide aged care staff) will be able to apply from 1 March 2022 on behalf of eligible workers and will then pay the bonus to those workers.