Support worker payments & expenses: everything you need to know

Now that you've become a support worker (Social Carer), you may be wondering how and when you get paid. Are you paid to travel to and from your shift? Who pays for transport and additional expenses during the Activity? How do you receive your first payment?

In this article, you'll find answers to these questions and more.

To kick things off...how do I get paid?

In order to be paid for your time, you will need to hit complete on your bookings ASAP. We will ask you to confirm and update your hours (if you went over time) and add in the kilometres you travelled in your car during the Activity (if discussed and agreed with the member beforehand). This is extremely important, as you will not be paid until you do these steps.

The best way to complete your booking is via the Like Family app, straight after the Activity has taken place. Having the Like Family app installed on your phone will help you remember to complete your bookings, so that you can be paid on time (the 1st and 15th of the month). It will also allow you to confirm working hours with your Member on the spot, to avoid misunderstandings.

How much are Social Carers paid?

All payments are processed through your dashboard on our website. In order to get paid for your time, you will need to log in to your account, and make and complete bookings. As a Social Carer, working as an independent contractor you will be paid the following from 1 September 2024:

The above net rates take into account our administration fee, which covers invoicing, payment processing and insurance.

When will I be paid?

Social Carers are paid on the 1st and the 15th of each month*.

• Bookings completed from the 1st to the 15th of the month are paid on the 1st of the following month
• Bookings completed from the 16th to the 31st of the month are paid on the 15th of the following month

Please note that without exception, we are unable to pay for bookings that were not completed by the payment period. For example, for any booking completed between the 16th and 30th of June, you will be paid on the 15th of July.

*If the Social Carer pay run falls on a weekend or public holiday, you will get paid on the following business day. Payments can take 1-3 business days to appear in your account, depending on your bank.

How do I access a summary of payments?

You will receive a remittance advice in your inbox on the 1st and 15th of each month, outlining the bookings you have been paid for. A summary is available via your dashboard (once logged in > profile > bookings > payment summary).

Do I need to invoice Members myself?

Ordinarily, you would send the invoice directly to the Member. However, since our members may have complicated government funding requirements, we take care of all this for you. We do this on your behalf as part of the platform services and include this in our admin fee.

We also collect the money from the Member on your behalf and deposit the fees less our platform fees directly into your bank account. You can view your invoices on the Social Carer Dashboard when you log into your account.

Will I be paid for time and kilometres spent travelling to and from my bookings?

Social Carers are not paid for the time they spend travelling to and from a booking. Much like travelling to and from work for any other contract role, the cost is to be paid by the contractor (Social Carer). Please only accept and apply for Activities that are in a location you feel comfortable travelling to.

Who pays for expenses during the bookings (i.e. petrol, tickets, public transport and outings)?

Any expenses that occur during the booking need to be discussed and agreed upon before it takes place.

It is completely up to the Member and Social Carer to decide on additional expenses based on what they are comfortable with, including things like food, ticket costs and parking. Like Family does not organise the payment or invoicing for additional expenses.

Petrol

• Please make sure to verify if your Member has funding for transportation, as NDIS participants are now able to flexibly use their plan’s core support funding to claim service provider costs associated with transporting participants to and from NDIS funded community-based activities.
• Social Carers can claim $0.90 per kilometre when providing transport to Members. This can be done when you create and complete bookings but must be discussed and agreed by the Member in question.
• If the Member is not happy to cover transport costs, you need to discuss with how much they'd like to pay and decide if you choose to accept the Activity or not.
• Petrol costs can be added upon completion of the booking. You will be able to create an invoice line for transportation by adding the kilometres to your booking!

Other transport costs (like road tolls, parking, and public transport fares)

• By agreement, your Member can cover the cost of any transport provided on the booking. We recommend that you confirm at the time of the booking if the Member receives funding for transportation and is happy to reimburse you for the transport costs like road tolls, parking, and public transport fares.
• If the Member does not have funding, they will need to pay separately.

Ticket costs

• Communication is key. Some of our Members have a tight budget and for this reason, even if they would like to, they may not be able to cover your entry or ticket. If you are not comfortable in paying for yourself, just politely let them know this and suggest some similar events that are lower in cost or free.
• You can also ask if they have a Companion Card, which some of our Members own that allows you, as a carer, entry into many locations for free. More info here.

How do I track travel that happens on a booking?

All kilometres travelled as part of a booking (not to and from) must first be agreed with a Member. Once you have agreed on the cost of travel, you need to make a log of all travel if you are claiming via Like Family. You can use the following methods:

• Written logbook
• Online journey
• SMS or email confirmation between you and the Member
• Use an online app like https://www.life360.com/ (we recommend as this is free and can track all travel history)

We hope that all of the above answers your questions. Stay tuned for more articles!