What is Support at Home?
Effective from 1 November 2025, the Australian Government’s Support at Home program is set to transform in-home aged care services. This initiative aims to provide older Australians with the necessary support to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible.
Support at Home is a new in-home aged care program that will replace the existing Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) programs. The goal is to simplify access to care, tailor services to individual needs, and ensure financial sustainability.
How will it work?
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Single Assessment: You’ll undergo one comprehensive assessment through My Aged Care to determine your care needs.
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Care Classifications: Based on your assessment, you’ll be assigned to one of eight levels of ongoing support or one of three short-term care pathways, depending on your needs.
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Quarterly Budgets: Instead of annual funding, you’ll receive a quarterly budget, allowing for more flexible and responsive care planning.
What Services Will Be Available?
Support at Home have a defined service list, which outlines the services that participants can access under Support at Home. Some services are:
Short-Term Care Pathways
Support at Home includes three specialized short-term care options:
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Restorative Care: Participants can be assess to have access to the Restorative Care Pathway, which focuses on allied health to build participants’ strengths and capabilities.
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Assistive Technology & Home Modifications (AT-HM): the AT-HM Scheme gives participants access to assistive technology and/or home modifications without needing to save up funds from their individual budgets.
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End-of-Life Care: The new End-of-Life Pathway will give participants who have 3 months or less to live access to a higher level of in-home aged care services. This aims to help them stay at home for as long as possible. An older person can be referred to a high-priority assessment to access the End-of-Life Pathway. They don’t need to be an existing Support at Home participant to be eligible.
Understanding Co-Contributions
While the government covers a portion of care costs, participants may be required to contribute based on their financial situation.
Contribution Rates by Service Category:
| Service Category | Examples | Contribution Range |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Supports | Nursing care, Allied Health services (e.g., Physiotherapy, Podiatry) | 0% (Fully funded) |
| Independence Services | Personal care, Medication monitoring, Social support | 5% – 50% |
| Everyday Living Services | Housekeeping, Meal preparation, Lawn maintenance | 17.5% – 80% |
Note: Full pensioners typically pay the minimum contribution rates, while self-funded retirees may pay higher rates based on income and assets assessment.
Transitioning from Current Programs
If you’re currently receiving services through the Home Care Packages (HCP) program, you will automatically transition to the new Support at Home program on 1 November 2025. Your funding will move with you, and your current care arrangements will continue without interruption.
- No new assessment required — unless your care needs change
- Automatic transition: Everyone receiving HCP services on 31 October 2025 will move to Support at Home
- Your funding stays the same: You will keep the same funding level as your current Home Care Package
- Any unspent funds will transfer with you into Support at Home.
Who Are “Grandfathered” Participants?
If you were approved for a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024, you are considered a Grandfathered Participant. This means:
- You will not pay any new or additional contributions: if you currently do not pay fees, you will continue to pay nothing.
- If you already pay a contribution, it will remain the same under Support at Home Program. However, this will be paid as a co-contribution under the Independence and Everyday Living category listed below.
What if you were approved after 12 September 2024? Individuals approved after 12 September 2024 will transition under the new Support at Home guidelines, including updated co-contribution requirements.
Different levels for different needs
Support at Home will have 8 classifications for ongoing services, replacing the 4 Home Care Package levels. Each classification will have a budget for participants to access services.
A new participant’s classification and budget will be determined at assessment based on their needs.
| Support at Home classifications | Quarterly budget | Annual amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ~$2,750 | ~$11,000 |
| 2 | ~$4,000 | ~$16,000 |
| 3 | ~$5,500 | ~$22,000 |
| 4 | ~$7,500 | ~$30,000 |
| 5 | ~$10,000 | ~$40,000 |
| 6 | ~$12,000 | ~$48,000 |
| 7 | ~$14,500 | ~$58,000 |
| 8 | ~$19,500 | ~$78,000 |
How your budget will work?
- You will now receive your budget quarterly.
- If you don’t use all of your budget, you can carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of your funds (whichever is higher). Any extra above this amount will not roll over. This means it’s important to plan your care and services regularly. The team will work with you to regularly review your package.
- You will continue to receive monthly statements showing what services you received and how your budget was used.
- Now your total care management fee is 10%, which replaces the existing Care management and Package Management Fees .
