August 2026: waitlist passes 106,000
Last updated 20 August 2026
Data released on 11 August 2026 shows 106,977 people were waiting for a Support at Home place at 30 June - up about 13% from roughly 95,000 at the end of December. A week later, on 18 August, five peak bodies jointly demanded government action.
What the numbers say
The National Priority System keeps growing faster than places are being released. The 30 June figure of 106,977 is a rise of about 13% in six months, and it sits behind another queue: the assessment backlog, which stood at around 98,600 in March 2026. Typical waits by priority category haven’t shifted - urgent around one month, high around 1.5-3 months, and medium or standard priority 8-11 months. For many people the full journey from application to services running is 9-12 months.
On 18 August, five peak bodies - including COTA, OPAN and Anglicare - jointly called on the government to act on wait times and on problems with the assessment tool. That’s pressure, not policy: nothing changes for you yet. But it raises the odds that the 24,000 extra places funded in the 2026-27 Budget are released faster, on the road to the statutory goal of a three-month average wait by 1 July 2027.
Who it affects
Everyone in the queue, and everyone thinking about joining it. The practical takeaway for people who haven’t applied is blunt but not alarming: the queue is long, so start the My Aged Care registration sooner rather than later. Your approval, once granted, doesn’t expire - being in the queue costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Your priority category isn’t fixed. If your health or circumstances deteriorate, contact My Aged Care (1800 200 422) and ask for your priority to be reviewed - urgent-priority waits are around a month. OPAN’s free advocacy line (1800 700 600) can help you make the case.
What you can do while you wait
- Use CHSP interim services. The Commonwealth Home Support Programme is separate from the queue and can provide entry-level help in the meantime.
- Check the short-term pathways. The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme, the Restorative Care Pathway and the End-of-Life Pathway bypass the National Priority System entirely.
- Keep your details current with My Aged Care so your funding letter doesn’t miss you - once it arrives you have 56 days to sign with a provider (a 28-day extension is possible).
- Use the wait to choose well. Comparing providers now means you can start services quickly when funding lands. See our guides to how the waitlist works and what you can do while you wait.
In the queue and unsure of your options?
We’ll match you with a provider who can talk through your priority and interim services - free, no obligation.
Sources
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing - Support at Home waitlist data at 30 June 2026, released 11 August 2026.
- Joint statement by five aged care peak bodies, including COTA Australia, OPAN and Anglicare Australia, 18 August 2026.
- Australian Government, 2026-27 Budget papers - funding for 24,000 additional Support at Home places.
- My Aged Care, myagedcare.gov.au - National Priority System and priority categories, accessed 20 August 2026.