Support at Home, explained without the jargon
Support at Home is the Australian Government program that funds help for older people to keep living in their own homes — from a weekly clean right through to daily nursing. It replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025, and it works quite differently. This section explains the whole thing, one piece at a time.
Last updated 20 August 2026
Figures current as at the 1 July 2026 indexation
The short version
- Support at Home funds services at home for older people who need help to stay independent. Access starts with a call to My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
- There are 8 classifications, each with a quarterly budget — currently from $2,752.50 up to $20,034.28 a quarter. An assessment decides yours.
- Services come from a defined service list in three categories: clinical care (free for everyone), independence, and everyday living.
- If you had a Home Care Package, you were moved across automatically on 1 November 2025 — no reapplication needed.
From 1 October 2026, personal care — showering, dressing, continence support — becomes free for everyone, automatically. See what’s changing.
Who Support at Home is for
The program is for older people whose needs go beyond what family and community can reasonably cover — help with showering, meals, cleaning, transport, nursing, allied health, equipment, or a mix. There’s no fixed “you must be this frail” line: a Single Assessment, done at your home, looks at what you can and can’t manage and places you in one of eight funding classifications. Alongside the ongoing classifications there are three short-term pathways for specific situations — equipment and home modifications, a burst of restorative care after a setback, and intensive support at end of life.
If your needs are still light — say, just a hand with the garden or a lift to appointments — the separate Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) may be the better fit for now. We compare the two here.
Guides in this section
The 8 classifications and their budgets
Current quarterly and annual figures for every level, and how yours is decided.
What Support at Home covers
The defined service list, category by category — and what each category costs you.
What’s not covered
Gardening rules, groceries, pets, repairs — the common surprises, explained.
Support at Home vs Home Care Packages
What actually changed on 1 November 2025 — budgets, fees, rules and protections.
Support at Home vs CHSP
Two programs, one home. Which one fits, and when to move between them.
Equipment & home modifications (AT-HM)
Separate funding tiers of $500, $2,000 and $15,000 for aids, rails and ramps.
The Restorative Care Pathway
Around $6,000 of short-term help to get your strength and confidence back.
The End-of-Life Pathway
Fast-tracked support of around $25,000 to stay at home in the final months.
Not sure where to start?
Tell us a little about your situation — or your parent’s — and we’ll point you to the right first step, whether that’s applying, comparing providers, or simply understanding a letter you’ve received.
Common questions
Is Support at Home the same as My Aged Care?
Not quite. My Aged Care (myagedcare.gov.au, 1800 200 422) is the government’s front door — it’s where you register and where assessments are arranged. Support at Home is the program that then funds your services. You go through My Aged Care to get into Support at Home.
I had a Home Care Package. Do I need to do anything?
No. Everyone with a Home Care Package was transitioned automatically on 1 November 2025, keeping a budget equivalent to their old package, with unspent funds transferred in full. If you’re later reassessed, your funding can only move up, not down. Details in our old-vs-new guide.
How long does it take to get funded services?
Longer than anyone would like. After assessment you join the National Priority System; urgent cases are typically seen in about a month, but medium-priority waits are running at 8–11 months, and the full journey from application to services often takes 9–12 months. Our waitlist guide covers what helps in the meantime.
Do I have to pay for services?
Clinical care — nursing, allied health, care management — is free for everyone. For other services you pay a means-tested percentage: from 5% for full pensioners on independence services, and from 17.5% on everyday living services. There’s no basic daily fee. The full picture, with worked examples, is in Costs & contributions.
Can I choose my own provider?
Yes. Once your funding letter arrives you have 56 days to sign a service agreement with a registered provider of your choice (a 28-day extension is possible), and you can switch providers at any time afterwards — exit fees are banned.
Sources
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, health.gov.au — Support at Home program overview and funding classifications, accessed 20 August 2026.
- Support at Home Program Manual — program design, service list and short-term pathways.
- My Aged Care, myagedcare.gov.au — registration, assessment and provider guidance, accessed 20 August 2026.
- Australian Government 2026–27 Budget papers — home care places and waitlist measures.