All employees are paid a vehicle allowance if they are required and authorised to use their own vehicle for work purposes in the course of their duties.
This includes travel:
- that involves duties like transporting laundry, food or medication for a client
- between work locations, such as travel from client to client in the course of their duties.
To calculate the allowance amount, use our Pay and Conditions Tool.
When isn’t it paid?
The vehicle allowance isn’t paid for travel:
- from the employee’s home to a place of work
- home from a place of work.
How does it work for broken shifts?
The vehicle allowance is paid for travel between work locations in the course of the employee’s duties.
The vehicle allowance isn’t paid for travel:
- from the employee’s home to the first client
- in the middle of the broken shift when the employee is free from work duties, including travel to the start of the second part of the broken shift
- from the last client to the employee’s home.
For more information on broken shifts, see Broken shifts in the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award.
References
Steven Secker (AM2023/11) - decision [2025] FWCFB 67- describes the interaction between broken shifts and travel allowance, including travel time outside a minimum payment period.
What to do next
- Use our Pay and Conditions Tool to calculate pay rates, allowances and penalty rates (including overtime).
- Not sure this is your award? Use Find my award to find out which award applies to you.
- Get help with pay.
- Find out about Other workplace relations help