Government’s $11.3bn Funding Boost for Aged Care Workers

Introduction: The Australian federal government has announced a historic funding increase of $11.3 billion to fund a 15% pay rise for aged care workers. This announcement has been welcomed by aged care workers, unions, and advocates, who have long been calling for a pay rise to address the sector’s chronic staff shortages and underpayment of workers. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at what the funding boost means for aged care workers and the wider community.

Background: The Fair Work Commission ordered a 15% pay rise for aged care workers in November after the Aged Care Royal Commission found that low pay was contributing to staff shortages in the sector. The government had initially proposed to split the pay rise over two years but was heavily criticised by unions and opposition parties. In February, the Fair Work Commission ruled that the pay rise must be delivered in one hit from July. The $11.3 billion funding boost will cover the cost of the pay rise over the next four years.

What the funding boost means for aged care workers: The pay rise will benefit around 250,000 aged care workers, including nurses, personal care workers, cooks, recreational officers, and home care workers. The government says that a registered nurse will receive up to $200 extra a week, an assistant in nursing will get $137 extra a week, and a personal or home care worker will get $141 more a week. The pay bump is expected to attract potentially 8,000 workers to join or rejoin the aged care sector. This will help address the sector’s chronic staff shortages, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What the funding boost means for the wider community: The funding boost is a welcome development for older Australians and their families, who rely on aged care workers for around-the-clock care. The pay rise will help ensure that aged care workers are fairly compensated for the important work they do, and will help attract and retain high-quality workers in the sector. This, in turn, will improve the quality of care provided to older Australians and help restore confidence in the aged care system.

Conclusion: The government’s $11.3 billion funding boost for aged care worker pay rises is a historic and welcome development for the aged care sector and the wider community. The pay rise will help address the chronic staff shortages in the sector and ensure that aged care workers are fairly compensated for the important work they do. It will also improve the quality of care provided to older Australians and help restore confidence in the aged care system. If you’re interested in a career in aged care, now is a great time to consider joining this rewarding and important profession.