Classification 4 vs 5: what the extra funding buys
Last updated 21 August 2026
Budget figures current as at the 1 July 2026 indexation (2026-27); median hourly prices from the mid-2026 National Summary of Support at Home Prices.
The short version
- The step from 4 to 5 is one of the larger ones on the scale: $10,261.02 more a year - $40,729.53 against $30,468.51.
- After the care management cap, that’s about $178 more each week - roughly 1.5 extra hours at median prices, and often the point where allied health or nursing joins the plan.
- Classification 5 is broadly where former HCP Level 3 holders land on reassessment; level 4 has no old-system equivalent.
- Contribution percentages are identical on both - the classification decides your budget, never your rates. How contributions work.
The numbers, side by side
| Measure | Classification 4 | Classification 5 | The gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterly budget | $7,617.13 | $10,182.38 | +$2,565.25 |
| Annual budget | $30,468.51 | $40,729.53 | +$10,261.02 |
| Weekly amount for services, after the 10% care management cap | about $527 | about $705 | about $178 more |
| Indicative hours a week at median prices | around 4.5 | around 6 | about 1.5 hours more |
Indicative figures using national median prices (personal care around $115 an hour, cleaning $110, community respite $130, physiotherapy $194). Actual hours depend on your provider’s prices and service mix. Compare typical hourly rates.
What the gap means in real life
At this boundary the extra money usually buys either depth - more of the daily basics - or a new clinical layer. Some realistic uses of an extra $178 a week:
- Personal care every day, weekend included - about 1.5 extra hours (around $115 an hour) stretches morning help across all seven days rather than weekdays only.
- A fortnightly physiotherapy session plus more respite - physio averages out to roughly $97 a week (around $194 a session), leaving enough for extra community respite time so a carer isn’t running on empty. Allied health is clinical care, so it costs you nothing out of pocket.
- A weekly respite hour and the garden off your mind - regular community respite (around $130) plus fortnightly safety gardening (around $118 an hour), with change left for cleaning top-ups.
Why you’d be assessed one rather than the other
Both outcomes come from the same home visit with the Integrated Assessment Tool. Classification 4 generally reflects support needed most days across several areas, with things still stable between visits. Classification 5 signals a heavier reality: substantial help with personal care, mobility or health needs that call for regular allied health or nursing input, or a family carer doing so much that the arrangement can’t hold without formal backup. Falls, hospital stays, new diagnoses and growing cognitive change all weigh in the scoring. What the assessment looks at.
Believe you’re a 5 sitting on a 4? Request a free reassessment through My Aged Care - particularly after any fall, hospital admission or new diagnosis, because assessments record the week you’re actually living, not the one you had a year ago. If you transitioned from a Home Care Package, upgrade-only protection guarantees reassessment can only move your funding up, never below your HCP-equivalent budget.
Levels 4 and 5 share identical contribution rules. Clinical care - nursing, allied health, care management - is free on both, and the same means-tested percentages apply to everything else. A move up means more funded hours at the same rates; it never lifts the share you pay. How contributions are calculated.
Plans this size deserve good coordination
Five or six hours a week across carers, allied health and the house takes real scheduling. We’ll point you to providers in your area who manage it well - and charge fairly for it.
Common questions
Is Classification 5 the old HCP Level 3?
Close to it. HCP Level 3 was worth $42,055.30 a year at the November 2025 transition; Classification 5 carries $40,729.53 in 2026-27, and former Level 3 recipients typically map to Classification 5 on reassessment - with upgrade-only protection so funding can’t fall below the old equivalent. Compare the systems.
Why is the jump from 4 to 5 so much bigger than the earlier steps?
The scale widens as needs deepen. Steps between the lower classifications are worth $5,000-$8,000 a year; from 4 to 5 it’s just over $10,000. That reflects what changes at this point - daily personal care, clinical input and carer support all at once cost more than adding an hour of housework. The steps keep widening up to Classification 8. See all eight levels.
My needs jumped suddenly after a hospital stay. Is reassessment the fastest route?
Ask about both tracks. A reassessment updates your ongoing classification, but if you’re recovering, the Restorative Care Pathway can fund around $6,000 of allied-health-led support over up to 16 weeks without touching your quarterly budget. Talk to My Aged Care (1800 200 422) about what fits your situation. The Restorative Care Pathway.
Sources
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing - Support at Home program classifications and budgets, 1 July 2026 indexation.
- Support at Home Program Manual - classifications, clinical care and the Restorative Care Pathway.
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing - National Summary of Support at Home Prices (median service prices), 2026.
- My Aged Care, myagedcare.gov.au - Support at Home program and reassessment guidance, accessed 21 August 2026.