Support at Home
From July 2025, The Government is changing their Home Care Package (HCP) program. The new Support at Home program is designed to help older people remain living independently at home for longer.
About Support at Home
The Australian Government is making positive changes to aged care. These changes – known as the aged care reforms – will improve aged care in Australia now and into the future.
The Support at Home program will improve access to services, products, equipment and home modifications to help older people remain healthy, active and socially connected to their community. The new program will also seek to reduce waiting times and make it easier to understand the services available from providers.
From 1 July 2025, the Support at Home program replaces the Home Care Packages program. For people on an existing Home Care Package, you will be transitioned into an equivalent package under Support at Home.
Services
Support at Home offers a wide range of services so you can continue to live well at home. These services are grouped into three categories:
- Clinical care – such as nursing care, occupational therapy and continence care.
- Independence supports – such as help with showering, getting dressed, taking medications, transport or respite care.
- Everyday living supports – such as cleaning, gardening, shopping or meal preparation.
To be eligible for services, you will need to have an aged care assessment which will outline the services you are approved for to help you meet your needs and goals. You will be supported by your provider to choose the services that best meet your needs within your budget.
Budgets and Funding
Your aged care assessment will determine which classification level (from 1 to 8) of services you are eligible for. This will provide you with a quarterly budget to use for services. Support at Home quarterly budgets range from:
- Level 1: $2,750 per quarter, or $11,000 annually
- Level 8: $19,500 per quarter, or $78,000 annually.
Care Management:
In addition to the ongoing services you will receive under Support at Home, you will also require Care Management services from your provider. This helps to plan and coordinate your services, ensures your support plan meets your needs and goals whilst monitoring your budget. 10% of your quarterly budget will be set aside for care management delivered by your service provider.
Unspent Funds:
Under Support at Home, you can carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget (whichever is greater) as unspent funds.
For people on an existing Home Care Package (HCP), when you transition into a classification level on the Support at Home program, you will retain any accrued unspent funds from your Home Care Package. You can use these unspent funds for services, home modifications or assistive technology in the Support at Home program.
Personal Contributions
Under the Support at Home program, individuals will be expected to contribute to the cost of some the services they receive. How much you contribute will be based on your income and assets. The higher your level of need, the larger your support package may be and the more the government will contribute to your care.
The amount of contribution varies depending on the services being used:
- Clinical care (eg. nursing care) – The government will fully cover the cost of this, with zero contribution required.
- Independence supports (eg. showering, transport) – will be between 5% and 50% depending on your income
- Everyday living supports (eg. cleaning) – will be between 17.5% and 80% depending on your income
For people currently on a Home Care Package (HCP), known as grandfathered participants, contributions for services will not change. These will continue to be between 0% and 25%.
Additional Funding Available
In addition to an ongoing Support at Home budget, short-term funding pathways are also going to be available:
- Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM): Up to $15,000 to spend on both assistive technology and home modifications over 12 months.
- Restorative Care Pathway: Up to $6,000 for 16 weeks of intensive allied health and/or nursing services to maintain and improve health and wellbeing.
- End-of-Life pathway: $25,000 for people with less than 3 months to live, to support with palliative care at home for 12-16 weeks.
Why Choose Home Care
Why staying at home where you feel comfortable, familiar, and empowered to live independently is the best option for older people or people living with a disability who need additional care.
<strong>Is Support at Home program the same as the Home Care Package program?</strong>
<strong>Who is eligible for Support at Home?</strong>
<strong><strong>How do I find out if I am eligible for a Support at Home package?</strong></strong>
H<strong>ow will my care be organised and managed?</strong>
<strong>Can I change my Support at Home provider?</strong>
<strong>How much will I pay for my care under Support at Home?</strong>
<strong>What happens if I am currently receiving a Home Care Package (HCP)?</strong>
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