Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will announce on Thursday the extension of the “Prac Payment” for health professionals undertaking placements to 10 new categories.

The extension begins from July 1 next year.

The payment, which began last year, provides eligible students with up to $338.60 a week while they are doing their clinical and professional placements. The payment is means tested and indexed.

The new categories are:

rehabilitation therapies

Albanese will make the announcement during his speech on the first day of the 50th Labor national conference in Adelaide. The speech is titled Delivering Real Change.

Those already covered by the Prac Payment are students enrolled in teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work courses.

The expansion will cost $158 million over the period 2026-2027 to 2029-2030.

It is expected to support more than 20,000 extra students. This would take the total number supported by the scheme to 95,000. The total spending would be $745 million over the period.

In his speech, a part of which was released before delivery, Albanese says the Prac Payment provides “real help with the cost of living for tens of thousands of Australians. And a real investment in the health care workers of tomorrow”.

The three-day conference is being carefully managed to avoid or minimise arguments that could be........

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