What’s changed
Support at Home keeps changing. Each article below covers one change - what it was, who it affects and what, if anything, you need to do - and we update the evergreen guides it touches the same week.
Last updated 20 August 2026
Classification budgets are indexed each 1 July; the lifetime caps and means-test thresholds are indexed each 20 March and 20 September. The next change already locked in is personal care becoming free for everyone from 1 October 2026.
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CHSP to continue until at least 2029 - the merger is off
The government has abandoned the plan to fold the Commonwealth Home Support Programme into Support at Home. CHSP now runs as a standalone program until at least 30 June 2029 - what was announced, and what it means if you receive CHSP services or are waiting for a package.
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Waitlist passes 106,000 as peak bodies demand action
New data shows 106,977 people were waiting at 30 June 2026 - up about 13% in six months - and on 18 August five peak bodies called on the government to act. What the numbers mean, and what you can do while you wait.
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$389.8 million to release 24,000 extra Support at Home places
The federal Budget funds 24,000 additional places, backing the statutory goal of a three-month average wait by 1 July 2027. Places are released in batches, so relief comes gradually - but it is real relief.
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Classification budgets rise 2.6% for 2026-27
All eight classification budgets were indexed up 2.6% - Classification 5, for example, is now $10,182.38 a quarter. The new figures apply automatically; here’s the full table.
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Personal care to become free for everyone from 1 October
Showering, dressing, grooming and continence support move into the free clinical care category from 1 October 2026 - a roughly $1 billion measure, applied automatically with no forms to fill in.
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Hourly price caps deferred indefinitely
The caps due on 1 July 2026 were shelved with no new date. Instead the regulator can order refunds for overcharging - which means comparing providers’ prices now matters more, not less.
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Means-test thresholds and lifetime caps indexed
The lifetime caps on non-clinical contributions rose to $137,917.01 (standard) and $86,185.23 (grandfathered). These figures index again on 20 September 2026.
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Support at Home replaces Home Care Packages
The new program began under the Aged Care Act 2024, moving package holders across automatically - followed by a bumpy first summer of billing and pricing confusion. What launched, and what it settled into.
Affected by one of these changes?
We’ll talk you through what it means for your package - free, no obligation.