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Home Care Help Independent guide to Support at Home

Switching providers: step by step, without losing a dollar

Last updated 20 August 2026

The short version

  • You can change your Support at Home provider at any time. You don’t need a new assessment and you don’t go back on the waitlist.
  • Exit fees are banned. Under the old Home Care Package rules providers could keep an “exit amount” — under Support at Home they cannot.
  • Your funding follows you. Your classification budget and any unspent funds move to the new provider.
  • The only real work is choosing better: compare care management approach, hourly prices and availability before you give notice.

Why people switch

The three reasons we hear most: prices rose and nobody explained why; carers keep changing and no one seems in charge; or the provider takes days to return calls. All are fair reasons. Since the program launched in November 2025 there are no lock-in arrangements — a provider keeps your business by being good at the job, not by making it hard to leave.

Good to know

With hourly price caps deferred, providers set their own prices — and the differences are large. The government publishes national median prices each quarter (for example, around $115 an hour for personal care and $110 for cleaning). If your provider charges well above the medians, that’s a solid reason to compare.

The six steps

  1. Compare before you move

    1–2 weeks

    Shortlist two or three providers who service your area. Ask each for their price list, their care management arrangements, and — most importantly — whether they can actually start. An impressive provider with a three-month intake queue doesn’t help you.

  2. Check your current service agreement

    Same day

    Look for the notice period for ending the agreement — typically two to four weeks. Note anything on loan from the provider, such as equipment, that may need to be returned or transferred.

  3. Confirm your unspent funds in writing

    Before giving notice

    Ask your current provider for your current budget balance, including any unspent funds carried over from an old Home Care Package. Unspent funds are yours — they transfer with you — but having the figure in writing prevents disputes later.

  4. Give notice in writing

    Per your agreement

    Email is fine. State your end date, ask for a copy of your care plan, and ask when your final statement will be issued. You do not have to justify the decision, and the provider cannot charge you for leaving.

  5. Sign with the new provider

    Before your end date

    Agree a start date that meets or slightly overlaps your end date so services don’t drop out. The new provider will handle the transfer through My Aged Care using your details — you don’t need to re-apply for anything.

  6. Check your first statement

    Month one

    Your first monthly statement from the new provider should show your transferred balance. If the unspent funds figure doesn’t match what your old provider confirmed in writing, query it immediately — refunds for errors can be enforced by the regulator.

Watch the quarter boundary

Support at Home budgets run quarterly, and only a limited amount of unspent budget rolls over each quarter ($1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget, whichever is greater — funds carried over from an old Home Care Package are exempt). If you’re close to a quarter boundary with a healthy balance, time the switch so services don’t pause for weeks and leave budget unused at the wrong moment.

Thinking about a change?

Tell us your postcode and what’s gone wrong. We’ll show you who else services your area, what they charge, and who has capacity now.

Talk to us about switching Browse providers

Common questions

Will I lose my unspent funds if I switch?

No. Your budget and unspent funds follow you to the new provider. Funds carried over from an old Home Care Package keep their protected status too — they aren’t subject to the quarterly rollover cap. Always get the balance in writing before you give notice.

Can my provider charge me an exit fee?

No. Exit amounts were allowed under the old Home Care Package program, but they are banned under Support at Home. If a provider deducts one, dispute it — and if that fails, complain to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, which can order refunds.

Will there be a gap in my services?

There doesn’t have to be. Line up the new provider’s start date before your notice period ends. If your care can’t safely pause — daily personal care, for example — tell both providers, and make the handover date explicit in writing with each.

Do I need to go through My Aged Care again?

You don’t need a new assessment and your classification doesn’t change. The provider change is recorded through My Aged Care, and your new provider will usually manage that step for you. If anything stalls, call 1800 200 422.

What if there’s only one provider in my town?

In thin regional markets your options may be a distant provider that charges travel, or one that delivers some services through local subcontractors. It’s still worth comparing — tell us where you are and we’ll check who genuinely covers your area.

Sources

  1. Support at Home Program Manual — changing providers, service agreements and unspent funds.
  2. My Aged Care, myagedcare.gov.au — “Support at Home program” and provider change guidance, accessed 20 August 2026.
  3. Department of Health, Disability and Ageing — National Summary of Support at Home Prices (median service prices), 2026.
  4. Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission — provider obligations, statements and refund powers, 2026.
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