Treasurer Jim Chalmers today has announced that the government will fund the 15% pay rise in full from July, as previously stated by Aged Care Minister, Anika Wells at the DCM Group’s LEADERS SUMMIT.
The Government lost a bid to stagger it across two financial years and it will cost the taxpayer $11.3 billion over four years to cover the 15% wage rise decided by the Fair Work Commission last year.
It means:
- A registered nurse on a level 2.3 award wage will be paid an additional $196.08 a week (more than $10,000 a year)
- An enrolled nurse on a level 2 award wage will be paid an additional $145.54 a week (more than $7,500 a year)
- An assistant in nursing on a level 3 award wage will be paid an additional $136.68 a week (more than $7,100 a year)
- A personal care worker on a level 4 (aged care award) or a home care worker on a level 3.1 (SCHADS award) will be paid an additional $141.10 a week (more than $7,300 a year)
- A recreational activity officer on a level 3 (aged care award) will be paid an additional $139.54 a week (more than $7200 a year)
- A head chef/cook on a level 4 (aged care award) will be paid an additional $141.12 a week (more than $7,300 a year)
- A staff member with a Certificate III qualification moves from earning only $940 per week to $1,082
- A registered nurse on level 2.3 of their industry award will have their pay packets increased by more than $10,000 to $78,165.36.
For residential aged care, the AN-ACC price will be increased from 1 July 2023 to $243.10 based on advice from the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA) to cover the wage rises for direct care staff including lifestyle workers.
A new hotelling supplement of $10.80 per resident per day will be established, which includes funding to cover the pay rise for head chefs and cooks.
Peak body Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) has welcomed today’s announcement.
“Without a much needed pay increase, and support for providers to make sure it is paid to their staff on time and in full, we won’t be able to stem the exodus from our workforce,” ACCPA CEO Tom Symondson (pictured) said.
“We know that the demand for workers in aged care will double by 2050, so we are grateful the government has recognised that we need to do all we can now to reward aged care staff for the important work they do every day.”
UnitingCare Queensland CEO, Craig Barke, said the announcement would go some way to addressing the chronic staff shortages in the sector, particularly in regional and rural areas.
