How long are My Aged Care assessment and Support at Home wait times?

The typical wait to start ongoing Support at Home services is 297 days, or about 10 months. The wait runs from the day you apply to the day your care starts, according to the Australian Government.

Aged care assessments typically take 21 days. Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025, so the queue you join now is the Support at Home Priority System.

The 297-day Support at Home wait covers more than time on the waiting list. The figure also counts steps you take yourself, like choosing a provider. If your needs are urgent, you'll get funding sooner because your priority category and approval date set your place in the queue.

What happens between applying and starting Support at Home?

There are six steps between applying to My Aged Care and starting your Support at Home services. Each step adds time to your wait:

1. Registration and screening: You register with My Aged Care and answer a short screening questionnaire.
2. Triage: A triage delegate phones you to confirm what type of assessment you need and how urgent it is.
3. Assessment: An assessor meets you, usually at your home, to understand your care needs.
4. Approval: A delegate checks the assessor's advice and approves the services you can get.
5. Funding: You join the Support at Home Priority System, and you'll get a letter when your funding is allocated.
6. Service start: You choose a provider, and they start your care once you sign a service agreement.

How long are My Aged Care assessment wait times?

The typical wait for an aged care assessment is 21 days, from your referral to a finished support plan. That figure comes from Australian Government assessment data for July to September 2026. Comprehensive assessments, which are for people with more complex needs, took longer at 31 days.

Before your aged care assessment, a triage delegate decides what type of assessment you need. The Australian Government's wait times report shows 14,382 applications were waiting for triage at 30 June 2026.

When a triage delegate phones you before your aged care assessment, mention any safety risk at home or end-of-life care needs. The call confirms how soon you need an assessment and whether you need urgent services.

Aged care assessment wait times differ by assessment type. Tens of thousands of people are still waiting at the assessment and triage steps. The assessment figures below cover July to September 2026, and the triage figure is from 30 June 2026.

Source: the Department's Single Assessment System (SAS) quarterly needs assessment data report: 1 July – 30 September 2026, released 27 October 2026. Triage figure: the Department's wait times report, published 11 August 2026.

How long do you have to wait for Support at Home funding?

Ongoing Support at Home funding takes about 7 to 8 months to arrive for people in the standard priority category. Medium priority waits 5 to 6 months, high priority waits 1 month, and urgent priority gets funding within 1 month.

The Australian Government's 297-day figure for ongoing Support at Home runs from application to your first day of care. That's why it's longer than the funding wait. My Aged Care's figures cover only the time from assessment approval to funding allocation.

The Australian Government has said it intends to keep the average Support at Home wait for care to 3 months. A new wait times report comes out every quarter, so you can track progress towards that goal.

How does the priority system decide who gets funding first?

Your Support at Home priority category and the date you were approved decide when funding is allocated to you. Your category is worked out from information the assessor gathers. There are four categories: urgent, high, medium, and standard.

The Aged Care Rules 2025 set target waits that rise with each Support at Home priority category. Medium is six times longer than high, and standard is eight times longer. Your classification, which sets the size of your budget, is separate from your priority category.

If Support at Home waits run longer than expected, you may receive interim funding of 60% of your approved budget. The remaining 40% follows as soon as it becomes available. People in the urgent category receive full funding instead.

Does where you live affect your wait?

Yes, aged care wait times vary by state and, even more, by local region. Australian Government data shows typical state waits from 229 days in Western Australia to 266 days in Queensland in the June 2026 quarter. The state figures cover all services, including residential care.

The wait to start aged care varies even more by local region than by state. Typical waits ranged from 72 days in Alice Springs to 316 days in South West Sydney, counted from your My Aged Care application. Most regions sat between 200 and 280 days in the June 2026 quarter.

Are there faster pathways into Support at Home?

Yes, two short-term pathways into Support at Home start much faster than ongoing Support at Home services. End-of-Life Pathway services typically started 14 days after application in the June 2026 quarter. Restorative Care Pathway services took longer, typically starting 64 days after application.

End-of-Life Pathway and Restorative Care Pathway funding is allocated in full upon approval, and there's no waiting list. Support at Home funding for assistive technology and home modifications is slower, at a median of 193 days each from application to start.

What can you do while you wait?

While you wait for Support at Home funding, you can check your status, track your progress, update your plan, and research providers. A few steps help you keep your place in the queue and start faster once funding arrives:

• Check your status: Make sure your status shows as seeking services, because you won't be allocated funding if it doesn't say this.
• Track your progress: Sign in to your My Aged Care online account to see where you're up to and what you may need to do next.
• Update your plan: Apply for a Support Plan Review if your needs change, so an assessor can update your plan or arrange a reassessment.
• Line up a provider: Look at providers before funding arrives, because you have 56 calendar days from allocation to find one.

If the 56 days after funding allocation isn't enough to find a provider, you can ask My Aged Care for a 28-day extension. You can also ask your assessor to refer you to a provider, or use My Aged Care's Find a provider tool.

How do you contact My Aged Care?

Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422, Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. The line is closed on Sundays and national public holidays. Staff can also guide you to a provider.

FAQs

Is ACAT still used?

No, Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACAT) no longer do aged care assessments. The Single Assessment System replaced ACAT in December 2024. Assessors are now called aged care needs assessors.

Can you question your assessment outcome?

Yes, you can raise concerns about your assessment outcome, such as your priority or classification. Your Notice of Decision letter shows both, so check it first. If you are unsure how to proceed, the My Aged Care line on 1800 200 422 can help.

What happens if your needs change while you wait?

You can apply for a Support Plan Review if your needs change while you wait. An assessor speaks with you about your care needs and decides whether to change your support plan or refer you for a full reassessment. A full reassessment usually follows a significant change in your needs.

Do you need a new assessment if you were waiting for a Home Care Package?

No, a Home Care Package approval carries over to Support at Home. People approved and still waiting on 1 November 2025 moved across without a new assessment. You may also be eligible for interim funding.

Can you pause your place in the queue?

Yes, you can ask to be set as not seeking services if you are not ready for care. You will not be allocated funding until you tell My Aged Care you are ready. You can change your status at any time through your online account or by calling My Aged Care.

Planning for Support at Home funding with Sensible Care

At Sensible Care, we deliver Support at Home services, including self-managed Support at Home. We can talk you through your options while you wait. Our team can explain how the Priority System works and what to expect once your funding is allocated.

If you want to talk through your situation, you can ask for a callback or speak with our team.

These amounts are set by the Australian Government and change at least twice a year. Check health.gov.au for the current amounts before you make a decision.