Equipment and home modifications: how the AT-HM scheme works
Last updated 20 August 2026
Tier amounts on this page are as published by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and are current at 20 August 2026.
The short version
- The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme is separate money on top of your quarterly budget — equipment and modifications don’t eat into your care hours.
- Three tiers, each a cap over 12 months: low ($500), medium ($2,000) and high ($15,000, or more in some cases with supporting evidence).
- Low-tier items need no professional assessment. High-tier items need a prescription from a health professional — and that assessment is funded by the scheme, not by you.
- Your tier is set at assessment and the funding expires 12 months after it’s approved — use it, don’t bank it.
What the scheme is, and what sits in each tier
Under the old Home Care Package rules, a new shower chair or a ramp came out of the same bucket as your care hours — so people put off equipment to protect their cleaning and personal care. Support at Home fixed that. When you’re assessed, you can be approved for the AT-HM scheme alongside (or instead of) an ongoing classification, and the money is its own pool with its own rules.
The tier reflects what your assessment found you need:
- Low tier — $500 over 12 months. Simple, low-risk items you can choose without a professional’s sign-off: things like a shower stool, pick-up reacher, non-slip mats, a raised toilet seat or a basic walking stick. You order through your provider and no assessment of the individual item is needed.
- Medium tier — $2,000 over 12 months. Items and minor modifications where some professional advice matters — think walkers and wheeled equipment, pressure care, or minor grab rails — typically chosen with input from an occupational therapist or similar.
- High tier — $15,000 over 12 months. Major items and home modifications: ramps, bathroom rails and bathroom modifications, and other significant changes that make a home safe to stay in. These need a prescription from a health professional (usually an occupational therapist), and in some cases the cap can be exceeded with supporting evidence.
For items that need professional input, the wraparound work — the OT assessment, prescription, delivery, fitting and training on the equipment — is funded by the scheme. You shouldn’t be paying out of pocket for the assessment that unlocks a funded rail or ramp. If a provider quotes you separately for it, ask why.
The rules that catch people out
Three of them, all worth knowing before you plan:
-
It’s separate from your quarterly budget
AT-HM funding doesn’t reduce your classification budget, and it isn’t subject to the quarterly rollover cap — it’s a different pool. Don’t let anyone bill a funded ramp against your care budget. Your monthly statement should show AT-HM spending distinctly; query it if it doesn’t.
-
Each tier is a 12-month cap — and it expires
The tier amount is the most you can spend in 12 months, and unused AT-HM funding lapses at the end of that period. If you’ve been approved and the bathroom rails still aren’t in month nine, push your provider to get quotes moving. If your needs change within the period — a fall, a new diagnosis — a reassessment can move you to a higher tier.
-
Contributions still apply, at the independence rate
Assistive technology sits in the independence category: full pensioners contribute 5%, part-pensioners and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders 5–50% on a sliding scale, self-funded retirees around 50%. On a $500 low-tier item that’s modest; on a $15,000 modification it’s worth budgeting for. Grandfathered “no worse off” participants keep their old fee arrangements, and hardship provisions exist if contributing would cause real difficulty.
How to access it
AT-HM approval comes through the same door as everything else: register with My Aged Care (1800 200 422), have the Single Assessment at home, and the Notice of Decision will state your tier. Mention equipment and safety concerns explicitly at the assessment — say “I’ve stopped showering daily because I’m frightened of falling”, not “I manage”. If you’re already a Support at Home participant and your needs have changed, ask for a reassessment; you don’t need to start again.
Once approved, your provider arranges the purchase or the modification work. For high-tier modifications get more than one quote where you can — the cap is generous but not bottomless, and prices for the same ramp vary widely between contractors.
Need equipment sorted, not just approved?
Some providers are excellent at modifications and equipment; others treat it as an afterthought. Tell us what you need and where you live, and we’ll point you to providers who do this well.
Common questions
Can I get AT-HM funding while I’m still on the waitlist?
The short-term pathways, including AT-HM, don’t sit in the National Priority System queue the way ongoing classifications do — so equipment and modifications can often start well before your ongoing services. If safety at home is the urgent issue, make sure the assessor knows; see what you can get while you wait.
What if my needs are bigger than the $15,000 cap?
In some cases the high tier can be exceeded with supporting evidence from the prescribing health professional. Major structural work beyond what the scheme covers — full renovations, repairs that are a landlord’s or council’s responsibility — falls outside it. An occupational therapist can help scope what’s fundable.
Do I own the equipment, or is it loaned?
It depends on the item and the arrangement — some equipment is purchased for you, some is loaned or refurbished through equipment schemes. Ask before you order, and if you later switch providers, confirm in writing which items are yours and which need to go back.
I rent my home. Can I still get modifications?
Often yes, but you’ll need the owner’s permission for anything fixed to the building, and a landlord’s own maintenance responsibilities aren’t fundable. Rails, ramps and removable items are usually workable in rentals; talk it through with the OT doing the prescription.
Does using AT-HM reduce my care hours?
No. It’s a separate pool of funding on top of your quarterly classification budget. If equipment or a modification ever appears as a deduction from your ordinary budget on a monthly statement, query it.
Sources
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, health.gov.au — Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Scheme funding tiers.
- Support at Home Program Manual — AT-HM scheme, assessments and prescriptions.
- My Aged Care, myagedcare.gov.au — “Support at Home program” and assessment guidance, accessed 20 August 2026.