The Support at Home waitlist: how long you’ll wait and what moves you up
Last updated 20 August 2026 · Reviewed monthly when waitlist figures are released
The short version
- After your assessment approves you, you join the National Priority System — the national queue for a Support at Home budget.
- Most people assessed as medium or standard priority are currently waiting around 8–11 months.
- Your place depends on your priority category and approval date — not on which provider you choose. You can’t pay to move up.
- You don’t have to wait with nothing: Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) services can start in the meantime.
The latest My Aged Care data shows 106,977 people were waiting in the National Priority System at 30 June 2026 — up 13% from about 95,000 at the end of December. In response, the 2026–27 Federal Budget funds the release of 24,000 additional budgets this financial year, and the government has committed to an average three-month wait by July 2027. Waits today are still much longer than that.
How the queue actually works
When your assessment outcome letter says you’re approved for Support at Home, you aren’t funded yet. You’re placed in the National Priority System, and a budget is released to you when you reach the front of the queue for your classification.
Two things decide your position:
- Your priority category — set by the assessor based on how urgently you need services.
- Your approval date — within each category, earlier approvals are funded first.
That’s the whole mechanism. Providers, referral agencies and family members cannot move you up the queue, and anyone who suggests otherwise is not being straight with you.
Current wait times by priority
Figures current as at 20 August 2026, based on My Aged Care data to 30 June 2026
| Priority category | Typical wait | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Urgent | About 1 month | Immediate risk — for example, no carer and unsafe at home right now |
| High | 1.5–3 months | Pressing need — carer strain, recent hospitalisation, deteriorating quickly |
| Medium / standard | 8–11 months | Most approvals — need is real but manageable in the short term |
These are typical waits from approval, not guarantees — the full journey from first application to services starting is currently taking many people 9–12 months once assessment time is included. Waits also vary by state and classification level.
Some services advertise that they can “fast-track your package”. No private company can change your place in the National Priority System. Fast-tracking exists only through My Aged Care, for genuinely urgent circumstances — see below.
What can genuinely move you up
Your priority category can be reviewed if your circumstances change. Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 if any of these apply since your assessment:
- You’ve been in hospital, or had a fall or new diagnosis
- Your carer can no longer support you (illness, moving away, carer burnout)
- Your home situation has become unsafe
Ask for a priority review and say clearly what has changed. A GP letter or hospital discharge summary strengthens the request.
Not sure what to do while you wait?
Tell us your situation and we’ll point you to interim services in your area — no cost, no obligation.
What to do while you wait
-
Ask about CHSP interim services
Can start within 2–4 weeksThe Commonwealth Home Support Programme provides entry-level help — cleaning, meals, transport — while you wait. Ask My Aged Care to add a CHSP referral to your record.
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Choose your provider early
Anytime before fundingYou’ll have 56 days to enter a service agreement once your budget is released. Comparing providers now — management fees, hourly rates, availability — means you can start services quickly instead of restarting your research under time pressure.
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Report any change in circumstances
As it happensDeterioration, hospital stays or carer changes can justify a priority review — and they also matter at reassessment.
Your approval doesn’t expire while you wait. If your needs increase significantly, you can request a reassessment for a higher classification without losing your place for your current approval.
Common questions
Can I check my place in the queue?
Not precisely. My Aged Care can tell you your priority category and approval date, and give a general indication of expected timing, but there’s no published queue position. Call 1800 200 422 or check your My Aged Care Online Account.
Does choosing a provider before funding lock me in?
No. Nothing is binding until you sign a service agreement after your budget is released — and even then, you can switch providers later without exit fees.
I was on the old Home Care Package waitlist. Do I start again?
No. People approved under the old system kept their place when the National Priority System took over in November 2025, and “no worse off” grandfathering protects your funding level. See our grandfathering guide.
Can I pay privately while I wait?
Yes, and many families bridge the gap this way. Private services don’t affect your queue position. Keep receipts — some providers will credit setup work done privately once your funding starts, though they aren’t required to.
Ready to compare providers?
See who actually services your area, what they charge, and how they handle care management fees.
Sources
- My Aged Care / Department of Health, Disability and Ageing — Support at Home data to 30 June 2026 (106,977 in the National Priority System).
- Australian Government 2026–27 Budget — $389.8 million to accelerate the release of 24,000 additional Support at Home places.
- Support at Home Program Manual — National Priority System and priority categories.
- My Aged Care, myagedcare.gov.au — “Support at Home program” and assessment outcome pages, accessed 20 August 2026.