Government-Funded Personal Alarms in Australia: Which Program Covers You?

Can You Get a Free or Government-Funded Personal Alarm?

Sometimes you can, but there is no single program that covers everyone. Which one applies depends on your age, your health, whether you are a veteran and where you live. Some people pay nothing. Others pay a share, and some pay the full cost themselves.

Falls are one reason families ask. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that in 2024-25, people aged 65 and over were hospitalised for falls 12 times more often than adults aged 25 to 44. A personal alarm gives a person a fast way to call for help, so it makes sense to check what funding exists before you pay.

A personal alarm can be free for eligible veterans through DVA and for eligible Victorians through Personal Alert Victoria, with conditions. This guide works like a decision tree. Find the description that fits you, then read that section. It covers the programs that can pay for a personal alarm, based on what each government page said on 27 October 2026:

• Under 65 with an NDIS plan: the NDIS, usually as low-cost assistive technology
• 65 or over and assessed for Support at Home: the AT-HM scheme
• 65 or over and receiving CHSP services: the CHSP equipment and products service
• A veteran with a Veteran Card: the DVA Rehabilitation Appliances Program
• Living in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales or the Northern Territory: a state or territory scheme
• None of the above: paying privately

Programs change, and each one has its own rules. Treat this guide as a map and confirm the details with the program before you buy.

If You Are Under 65 and Have an NDIS Plan

The NDIS defines low-cost assistive technology as items that cost less than $1,500. According to the NDIS, you can buy low-cost assistive technology with your consumables budget. For a low-risk item under $1,500, you do not need to give the NDIS quotes, evidence or assessments.

For assistive technology that costs more than $1,500, the NDIS asks for advice from an assistive technology advisor. The item still has to suit your disability and your plan goals. Your support coordinator, plan manager or NDIS planner can tell you whether a personal alarm fits your plan.

KISA's NDIS device is the KISA Companion. The NDIS Companion Package is $1,387 (GST-free), which is under the $1,500 low-cost limit, and your support coordinator can confirm how your plan treats it. The KISA Personal Alarm can also be funded under the NDIS. Our guide to using your NDIS plan to fund a safety and communication device walks through the steps.

Age matters here. Under the NDIS age rules, a person must apply before they turn 65. After that, you can choose to keep your NDIS supports or change to aged care supports, but you cannot use both at the same time. If you are close to 65, think about which path suits you before you buy a device.

If You Are 65 or Over and Assessed for Support at Home

Support at Home pays for equipment through the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme. The My Aged Care AT-HM page says the scheme funds equipment and home upgrades to meet your assessed needs. Personal emergency alarm systems are on the official AT-HM List.

You need an aged care assessment first. My Aged Care says that to get funding you will need to have that assessment. Funding comes in amounts of up to $500, up to $2,000 or up to $15,000, and your provider arranges the purchase, or agrees it with you first if you buy a low-cost item yourself and claim it back.

You may need to pay a contribution, and the rate depends on your income and assets. The rate is the same as for the independence group of Support at Home services, from 5% for a full pensioner up to 50% for some others. Our AT-HM List guide explains the rates, the prescription categories and where personal alarms sit on the list. Our Support at Home guide covers the wider program.

Timing is the catch. My Aged Care does not publish a wait time for AT-HM funding, because it is allocated through separate priority systems and your wait depends on your priority group. The AT-HM scheme guidelines say you must agree the purchase with your provider before you get the item. We found no rule that lets you claim for a device you bought earlier.

The KISA Guardian is KISA's device for people on Support at Home, and the KISA Personal Alarm can also be bought with Support at Home funding. KISA can give your provider a formal quote, and the Support at Home page explains the options.

If You Receive CHSP Services

The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) is the older program for people who need a little help at home. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has extended CHSP funding to 30 June 2029. You can get CHSP services if you are 65 or over, or 50 or over and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, and an aged care assessment finds you eligible.

CHSP can fund a personal alarm under its equipment and products service, but with limits. The CHSP manual sets out these rules:

• Spending cap: equipment and products are capped at $1,000 per client per financial year.
• Prescription: personal alarms are not low risk items and should be prescribed by an allied health professional, such as an occupational therapist.
• Your request: personal alarms should only be ordered at the request of the client.
• Social support: the manual's service list (Appendix A) says social support services do not include personal alarms and home monitoring equipment.
• Interim CHSP: people who get interim CHSP services while they wait for Support at Home do not get equipment and products.

The manual does not say whether CHSP pays ongoing monitoring fees. Each provider sets its own prices and you may be asked to contribute to the cost, so ask your provider what it will cover before you order.

If You Are a Veteran

The Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) provides personal alarms through the Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP). DVA lists personal response systems, meaning an alarm that lets you get help quickly in an emergency, among the equipment it can supply.

You need an assessed clinical need and either a Veteran Card - All Conditions (Gold), or a Veteran Card - Specific Conditions (White) where the treatment is for a condition covered by your card. Start by seeing your GP. Your GP or another health professional sends a prescription to one of DVA's contracted suppliers, who arrange delivery and installation at no cost to you.

Do not buy first. DVA says that if you buy an item without a clinical assessment and prescription, it may not reimburse you afterwards. DVA decides what is covered and which contracted supplier is used. If DVA approves a personal alarm for you, KISA can provide a written quote for the KISA Guardian.

State and Territory Schemes

Some states fund personal alarms themselves. These schemes use their own approved suppliers, and KISA is not one of them. Check them if you do not qualify for the programs above or you are waiting for an assessment. Here is what we found on the government websites:

• Victoria: Personal Alert Victoria is a monitoring service for older people and people with disability, and the Victorian Department of Health lists the eligibility rules. You must need and agree to daily monitoring, be willing to wear the alarm at all times, and live alone, be alone for most of the day or live with someone who cannot get to the phone. You must also meet at least two health criteria, and you can refer yourself. You must also organise and pay for the service's technical requirements. The Better Health Channel says the service is free to eligible people, but there is a waiting period.
• South Australia: Personal Alert AssistanceSA is for people aged 75 or over (65 or over if Aboriginal) who hold a Centrelink or DVA Pensioner Concession Card, meet clinical, functional and social criteria, and have had a My Aged Care assessment. People approved for Support at Home (other than Classification 1 with low assistive technology funding), people on Home Care Package levels 2 to 4, DVA Gold Card holders and veterans eligible under the DVA program are not eligible. The state policy pays up to $380 towards a system and up to $240 a year towards monitoring, and you pay any difference.
• New South Wales: the EnableNSW funding criteria cover non-monitored personal alarms prescribed by an occupational therapist. They exclude monitored systems with a monthly rental fee. The published criteria date from 2022.
• Northern Territory: the Territory Equipment Program covers the initial set-up and installation of a personal alarm prescribed by an occupational therapist. It does not cover ongoing monitoring rental or SIM card recharges.
• Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the ACT: on 27 October 2026 we found no state-run personal alarm scheme on their government websites. Check with your state health department in case that has changed.

Each state scheme has its own list of approved suppliers and devices, so you cannot assume that a device you already own, or one you find yourself, will qualify. Ask the scheme first.

Does Government Funding Cover Monitoring?

This is the question that catches people out. A personal alarm has two costs: the device and the monitoring that goes with it. Programs treat them differently:

• AT-HM: the program manual lists personal care alarms and associated base subscription costs as assistive technology, but it does not say whether a 24/7 monitoring plan counts. Ask your provider, and see our AT-HM List guide for the detail.
• CHSP: the manual does not address monitoring fees.
• DVA: the RAP page describes delivery and installation at no cost, and says nothing about ongoing monitoring.
• State schemes: Victoria funds monitoring for eligible people, South Australia contributes up to $240 a year, and New South Wales and the Northern Territory exclude ongoing monitoring rental.

Whatever your program, ask two questions before you order. Who pays the monitoring fee in month one, and who pays it after any funding period ends?

If You Do Not Qualify, or Cannot Wait

Some people do not qualify for any program. Others qualify but face a wait. My Aged Care says people who are not found eligible, or who are waiting for funded services, can choose a non-government-funded provider, but they have to pay the full cost.

Anyone can buy the KISA Personal Alarm privately, whether or not they qualify for a program. Its features include GPS tracking and fall detection, and 24/7 monitoring is available as an optional add-on. Our personal alarm cost guide explains what you pay for each part.

If you buy privately now and later get funding, ask the program whether it can cover a device you already own. Do not assume it will, because most programs expect the purchase to be agreed first.

A Simple Way to Start

These steps work for most people. Follow them in order, because the first two decide which program you use.

• Step 1 - Name your situation: Work out which group above you belong to. Age, an NDIS plan and veteran status decide most of it.
• Step 2 - Get assessed if you need to: For CHSP and Support at Home, apply through My Aged Care. Veterans start with their GP.
• Step 3 - Ask who prescribes: Some programs need a prescription from an allied health professional, and others do not. Find out before you shop.
• Step 4 - Agree the purchase first: Get the program or provider to agree the item and price before you buy it.
• Step 5 - Ask about monitoring: Find out who pays the monitoring fee, and for how long.
• Step 6 - Ask for a written quote: KISA can give your provider, plan manager or support coordinator a written quote.

Which KISA Device Fits Which Program?

Each KISA device is made for a different group of people. They share the same core features, including GPS tracking, fall detection and an emergency button. The three that matter for funding are:

• KISA Guardian: for people funded through Support at Home, DVA or aged care. It is not sold to private buyers.
• KISA Companion: for NDIS participants under 65. See the NDIS assistive technology page for the details.
• KISA Personal Alarm: available to anyone, whether you pay privately or use NDIS or Support at Home funding.

Funding rules differ for each program, so a device being listed does not guarantee that your program will pay for it. Always check with the program or your provider first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a personal alarm completely free from the government?

Some people can. For eligible veterans, DVA's contracted suppliers deliver and install a prescribed alarm at no cost. Personal Alert Victoria is free to eligible people, but there is a waiting period and you must meet and pay for its technical requirements. Most other programs ask for a contribution or cap what they pay, so check the rules before you buy.

Does CHSP pay for a personal alarm?

It can, under the equipment and products service. The CHSP manual caps equipment and products at $1,000 per client per financial year and says personal alarms should be prescribed by an allied health professional. It does not say whether CHSP pays monitoring fees, so ask your provider.

Are personal alarms free for pensioners?

Not automatically. In South Australia, the state scheme requires a Pensioner Concession Card and pays up to $380 towards a system. Under Support at Home, a full pensioner pays a 5% contribution towards AT-HM items, and Victoria's service is free to eligible people based on their health and living situation.

Will government funding pay the monitoring fee?

It depends on the program. The Support at Home manual does not say whether a 24/7 monitoring plan counts as a base subscription, and the CHSP manual does not address monitoring fees. Ask your provider who pays the fee and for how long.

Can a White Card holder get a personal alarm through DVA?

Possibly. A Veteran Card - Specific Conditions (White) holder needs an assessed clinical need, and the treatment must be for a condition covered by the card. See your GP first, because DVA may not reimburse a device you buy without an assessment and prescription.