The Federal Government announced two bonus payments in February 2022 of up to $800 for aged care workers, including care and support staff in home care and direct care workers, food preparation and cleaners in residential aged care スキンケア エイジング

However, the ANMF, aged care providers and unions are slamming this move as grossly inadequate, and a cynical pre-election patch up that does nothing to fix the systemic long-term issues facing aged care.
Eligibility

Those working in Government-subsidised home care packages and aged care providers delivering services under the Commonwealth National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program can apply for an $800 bonus payment. This will be paid in two instalments of $400 if you work at least 30 hours per week during the period between 1 February and 28 April 2022.

If you’re not sure if you qualify for the bonus, contact your employer and ask them to complete an application form. They should pass it on to the Department of Health and Ageing as soon as possible.

Registered nurses working for the same residential aged care, home care or Commonwealth Home Support Programme provider for at least 12 months can apply to receive a core payment of $3,700 each year. They can also receive an additional $2,300 if they have a postgraduate qualification, hold leadership responsibilities or work in rural and remote Australia.

Part-time and casual nurses can also apply for a payment on a pro-rata basis, averaging $2700 each year. This is an attempt to encourage more people to take up the role and stay in the workforce.

However, the ANMF has warned that the two-payment bonus will not address the issues facing aged care workers. Its joint statement with aged care peak bodies and unions says it “is grossly inadequate” to address the issue of staff shortages.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has said the $800 payment will do nothing to fix the current problems facing the sector and that the ANMF would continue to campaign for a fair pay rise instead of bonuses. The ANMF is calling for the Government to make a permanent commitment to fixing the problems in aged care before the next election.

It has released a new poll highlighting the issue of aged care worker shortages and the issue of bonus payments to aged care workers. The survey has found that only 2.7% of workers have received both promised bonus payments.

The ANMF has criticised the Government for failing to fix the problem of the shortage of aged care workers and the issue of bonuses, pointing out that the two-payment bonus is “grossly inadequate”. It has released a new poll highlighting that only 2.7% of workers have received bothowed.
Application process

On 1 February 2022, the Government announced a bonus payment of up to $800 for eligible aged care workers in Government-subsidised home care and residential care. The bonus will be paid in two instalments of up to $400 each to care and support workers, direct care workers, food service workers and cleaners.

Aged care providers, including those who deliver services under the Commonwealth National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (NATFAC), may apply on behalf of their staff for the bonus payments. They can apply online on GrantConnect using a single application form.

Eligible employees in residential aged care, home care and NAFTAAC settings are entitled to receive a bonus payment of up to $800 per year for two years from the date of approval of their application. The bonus will be based on the number of hours worked in an approved setting by a worker.

Registered nurses are also eligible for the bonus payment. They must work in a registered nursing role in residential aged care, home care or NAFTAAC setting for the entire period of eligibility to be eligible for the payment.

ANMF SA Branch has consistently campaigned against the bonus for RNs, and continues to call for a fair pay rise for all aged care workers, not bonuses. See our March 2022 OTR article 'Grossly inadequate': ANMF calls for aged care pay rises not bonuses'

The Health Services Union and United Workers Union have also called for a more progressive approach from the Morrison government on the ageing workforce, stating that the scheme is 'grossly inadequate' and a cynical pre-election push. They say a more comprehensive approach to the industry, including greater funding, training and career pathways for all workers, is necessary.

A spokesman for the Department of Ageing and Disability said that in three weeks since the grant round opened, the government had received more than 650 applications from providers. He said the majority of those had been assessed and had a claim on the bonus, with 290 being processed so far.

The Government says it is encouraging all qualified aged care employers to complete the bonus payment application process and submit it by the September 2, 2022, filing deadline. Qualified employers must identify their Eligible Workers, compute the appropriate bonuses, and complete an employer attestation. They must then file their bonus payment through an electronic portal that is established for the HWB program. If a qualified employer fails to comply with this process, they could be prevented from receiving quarterly funds until they meet their reporting requirements.
Deadline

Aged care workers are clamouring for a permanent solution to the aged care sector’s bleak financial picture. That’s why a group of aged care peak bodies and unions have joined forces to call for better wages for the industry’s overwhelmed and overworked workforce.

In February, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced two payments of up to $800 to aged care workers. He said the cash incentives were intended to help retain staff from the COVID-19 pandemic, and stem the flow of employees leaving the aged care sector.

The government’s scheme will be paid in two instalments to care and support workers in government-subsidised home care, as well as to direct care workers, food preparation workers and cleaners working in residential aged care. The bonuses are prorated based on the highest number of hours worked in a week out of the four weeks leading up to 28 February and 28 April.

While the bonus has been a welcome relief for many aged care workers, it’s not enough to fix the systemic issues in the sector, according to unions. United Workers Union (UWU) national aged care director Carolyn Smith says the bonuses won’t be sufficient to address the long-term crisis in the sector.

Another problem with the $800 bonus is that it’s only pro-rata based on the amount of hours worked. This means that many workers won’t receive any of the money at all.

A survey by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation found that only about one in five nurses and aged care workers have received both of the promised bonuses so far. Among the remaining workers, almost half have received just one payment and nearly a third only one of the instalments.

But the government insists that its scheme is on track, and that it has already provided $600 million in bonuses to aged care workers. It also has a workforce plan to boost training, career pathways and staffing in the sector.

However, some unions and aged care peak bodies have called on the Federal Government to support a Fair Work Commission case to increase pay for aged care workers. The unions have been calling for a 25 per cent wage rise. But Labor has pledged to wait until the commission makes its decision before it commits to any increase in aged care workers’ pay.
Requirements

Registered nurses working in residential aged care, Commonwealth Home Support Program and in-home care settings can apply for up to $6,000 per year through the Aged Care Registered Nurses’ Payment 2022. The payment is available to registered nurses who have worked for the same aged care provider over the eligibility period of 1 May 2022 – 31 October 2022 and can be claimed on a full or part-time basis.

The Health Worker Bonus (HWB) is a state-funded initiative aimed at recruiting, retaining and rewarding front-line health care and mental hygiene practitioners, technicians, assistants and aides. These workers must be employed under an Eligible Worker Title and meet a number of requirements to be eligible for the bonus.

Licensed health and social care workers in New York can apply for the HWB through the State’s website, as can home and community care providers in New York. These providers will have to register on the state’s website before they can submit an application for a bonus on behalf of their eligible employees.

As reported by ABC News, the HWB is designed to “recruit, retain and reward” these types of employees. The program will also offer additional incentives to qualified employees, such as paid sick leave, maternity and parental leave and health insurance coverage.

In a press release, Governor Hochul said the program would allow employers to reward their workers for working extra hours and providing quality health services. It is designed to improve staff retention, enhance employee morale and reduce turnover rates.

However, the government has not announced how many workers will be eligible for the bonus. ANMF chief executive officer David Smith told the Australian Financial Review in March that more than 70% of the 30,000 registered nurses in the sector were yet to receive a single bonus payment through the scheme.

Ms Smith added that the bonuses, which are to be paid in two instalments of up to $400 each, will only go so far to address the industry’s problems. ANMF remains concerned that the bonuses will not fix systemic issues in the sector, such as low pay, understaffing and the lack of a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.