Getting started with Support at Home
Getting government-funded help at home takes six steps — and, honestly, some patience. Most people who apply today are looking at 9–12 months from first phone call to services starting. Here is the whole journey, what each stage involves, and what you can do to keep things moving.
Last updated 20 August 2026
Waits are the big story right now: 106,977 people were in the National Priority System at 30 June 2026, and the assessment backlog reached about 98,600 earlier this year. The 2026–27 Budget funds 24,000 extra places, and the government has committed to an average three-month wait by July 2027 — but today, planning ahead matters. Our guides below show what can start sooner.
The six steps, with realistic timeframes
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Register with My Aged Care
A phone call or online form — can be done todayCall 1800 200 422 or apply at myagedcare.gov.au. You (or a family member with your consent) answer questions about your situation, and My Aged Care refers you for an assessment. How to apply
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Have your assessment
Waiting for the visit can take months in some areasAn assessor visits you at home and works through the Integrated Assessment Tool. How you describe your needs on the day shapes everything that follows — prepare for it. Preparing for your assessment
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Receive your Notice of Decision
After the assessment is finalisedYour letter sets out your classification (one of eight funding levels), your priority category, and any short-term pathways you've been approved for. If it doesn't look right, you can act. If the decision seems wrong
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Wait in the National Priority System
Urgent ~1 month · high 1.5–3 months · medium/standard 8–11 monthsApproval doesn't mean funding yet — you join a national queue. Nobody can pay or talk their way up it, but interim services can start while you wait. How the waitlist works · What can start now
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Get your funding letter and choose a provider
56 days to sign (28-day extension available)When your budget is released you have 56 days to enter a service agreement with a registered provider. Comparing early makes this easy instead of rushed. Choosing a provider · Before you sign
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Services start
By arrangement with your providerYour provider delivers services against your quarterly budget and must send you a monthly statement. You can switch providers at any time, with no exit fees.
Add the stages together and the full journey — application to services — is currently taking many people 9–12 months, mostly in the assessment and queue stages. Urgent and high-priority approvals move much faster.
Guides in this section
How to apply through My Aged Care
Registering online or on 1800 200 422, who can apply for whom, and what to have ready.
The assessment: how to prepare
The Single Assessment System, the home visit, and why a "good day" can cost you funding.
The waitlist: how long you'll wait
The National Priority System, current waits by priority, and what genuinely moves you up.
While you wait: help that can start now
CHSP interim services, short-term pathways that skip the queue, and bridging privately.
Choosing a provider: the 56-day window
What to compare — care management, hourly prices, availability — and the questions to ask.
Service agreements: before you sign
What must be in the agreement, the red flags, and why you should never sign under pressure.
Wrong classification? Reviews and reassessment
Priority reviews, free reassessments, formal reviews — and the upgrade-only protection.
Not sure where you are in the journey?
Tell us your situation — whether you're yet to apply or holding a funding letter — and we'll point you to the right next step. Free, no obligation.