Healthdirect homepage
Free Australian health advice you can count on

Financial support during long-term illness

Key facts

  • Long-term illness can affect your finances, especially if you cannot work or need ongoing care.
  • You may be able to get financial support from government payments or community services.
  • The cost of treatment varies depending on where you receive care and your personal situation.
  • Financial help may be available if your condition affects your ability to work.
  • You may also be able to get help with healthcare, medicines, travel and daily living costs.

What is financial support during long-term illness?

Financial support during long-term illness refers to payments, services or subsidies that can help you manage your living and healthcare costs if you or your child are unwell for a long time.

This support can come from a range of government programs or community organisations.

How can I manage my finances with a long-term illness?

Long-term illnesses, both physical and mental, can affect many parts of your life, including your finances. You may face extra costs if you are unwell, or if you are caring for someone with an illness.

Depending on where you live, you may be able to get support with childcare, meals and general help at home.

If you have a long-term illness, you may have access to assistance with living expenses, such as:

You can find more on the Services Australia (Opens in new tab) website.

How do I manage my finances with a long-term illness?

If you have a long-term illness, it is a good idea to plan your budget early.

You can talk to a trained financial adviser about your options for managing treatment costs. Depending on your situation, these may include:

  • accessing your superannuation early
  • some private insurance payments

You can find more at Moneysmart (Opens in new tab).

What is the cost of treatment?

If you have a chronic illness, as part of your treatment you may need to:

  • buy medicines
  • use medical equipment
  • attend allied health appointments or different types of therapy
  • attend specialist appointments

The cost of your treatment will depend on many things, including if you:

You should ask your doctor about their fees before your appointment.

Speak with your nurse or another member of your healthcare team about access to support services and assistance programs. A social worker can give you information about what financial and practical support services are available for you.

Check if there are other support services available to help you.

Am I eligible for financial support?

You may be able to get financial support if your long-term illness significantly affects your ability to work and meet daily living needs. The main payment is called the Disability Support Pension. This is based on how your condition impacts your functioning, not just your diagnosis.

You may be able to get the Disability Support Pension if you:

  • have a diagnosed medical condition that is likely to last more than 2 years
  • cannot work, or can only work a limited number of hours
  • meet residency requirements
  • · meet income and assets limits
  • You will usually need medical evidence from your doctor or specialist to support your application.

What financial support services are available to help me manage a long-term illness?

Some healthcare services may be subsidised, for example:

Contact Services Australia (Opens in new tab) for more information.

You may also be eligible to apply for:

What help is available to reduce the cost of medicines?

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (Opens in new tab) (PBS) helps reduce the cost of many prescription medicines. The PBS Schedule lists the medicines that are subsidised by the Australian Government. Most Australian residents with a valid Medicare card can access PBS medicines. Some overseas visitors may also be eligible (Opens in new tab) for subsidised medicines.

Medicare Safety Nets (Opens in new tab) can help to lower your medical costs for out-of-hospital services. Talk to your local Medicare (Opens in new tab) office about safety nets, costs and medicines.

Can I get help with travel costs?

You may need to travel for treatment that is not available near where you live. You may be able to get help with the cost of accommodation and travel.

Each state and territory has a government-funded scheme. These schemes help people who need to travel long distances to get medical treatment that is not available locally.

Contact the scheme in your state or territory:

Can I work with a long-term illness?

Deciding if you continue working will depend on your health, financial situation and priorities. If you feel well enough, you may find that continuing to work is helpful.

Some people choose to make changes to their work, such as:

  • working part-time or flexible hours
  • leaving work to spend time doing things they enjoy or have always wanted to do
  • changing their career
  • doing volunteer work

If you need support to make decisions about your work, talk to your doctor. They may refer you to a healthcare professional who is experienced in counselling.

If you plan to return to work, it can help to talk with your manager or supervisor early so you can agree on expectations and any support you may need.

Tips for returning to work

  • Plan how, and who, to tell about your work arrangements.
  • Give your employer as much notice as possible if you need to take leave.
  • Explore options for part-time work or flexible hours.
  • Ask for leave before you feel tired or burnt out.
  • Keep records of your work hours.
  • Keep records of discussions or correspondence with your supervisor or manager.

Resources and support

Services Australia has information about payments for people living with disability (Opens in new tab). You can use this online tool (Opens in new tab) to check what payments and services you may be eligible for.

The Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing can help answer questions about disability and carers (Opens in new tab). You can also use this map (Opens in new tab) to find what financial support is available in your state or territory.

Languages other than English

Services Australia has information in many different languages (Opens in new tab).

You can call 131 450 for TIS (Translating and Interpreting Service) if you need help in another language.

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

Closing the Gap (Opens in new tab) helps Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples who have a chronic disease.

The Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has support for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples who have long-term medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease (Opens in new tab) or others.

Read more about available health services and Medicare benefits as part of the Indigenous Access Program (Opens in new tab)

Call the Indigenous Access Line (Opens in new tab) on 1800 556 955 for help with Medicare services or payments.

Last reviewed: April 2026

Need more information?

These trusted information partners have more on this topic.
Top results

Symptom Checker

Worried about your health?

Select a symptom, answer some questions, get advice

Service Finder

service category
General practicePharmacyHospitalEmergency department
Search other services
Use current location