Support at Home FAQ - Everything you need to know

Support at Home is Australia's in-home aged care program. It started on 1 November 2025, replacing Home Care Packages and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme. It's designed to help older people live independently, safely, and with dignity at home. 

The Support at Home program has been running for a while. However, plenty of people are still working out how the service categories, fees, and contributions apply to them. This is especially true for those who moved across from a Home Care Package.

If you want to know more about this program, check out these Support at Home frequently asked questions.

Program basics

What is the Support at Home program?

Support at Home is an in-home aged care program funded by the Australian Government. It's designed to help older Australians live independently at home, so they don't have to move to a nursing home.

When did Support at Home start, and what did it replace?

The Support at Home program was introduced to reform aged care in Australia. It began on 1 November 2025, replacing Home Care Packages and the Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme. 

Has the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) also been replaced?

Not yet. The CHSP is expected to transition to Support at Home no earlier than 1 July 2027. If you are on the CHSP, your access pathway and services will remain the same until the transition.

Who is Support at Home for?

Support at Home is for people who need ongoing or coordinated support to live safely at home. Generally, you need to be:

• 65 or older, or 50 or older if you're an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person
• Living in Australia as a citizen, permanent resident or eligible visa holder

The question is whether age-related changes are making everyday tasks difficult for you. Eligibility is based on your care needs, not your income or assets. This includes those with higher or more complex needs.

Eligibility, assessment, and getting started

How do I access Support at Home?

Access starts with My Aged Care, where you provide details about your situation and request an assessment. An assessor will look at what you can do independently, where you need help, and your health and safety risks at home. The outcome is an approval that outlines what supports you are eligible for.

What does the approval letter include?

The approval letter typically includes:

• What services you're approved for
• Whether you have ongoing support and/or a short-term pathway approval
• The level/classification of funding, where relevant

Ongoing Support at Home funding is set across eight classifications. They include everything from lower-level support up to high and complex needs. Your classification determines the size of your annual budget.

How long does it take to start receiving services after approval?

Timeframes depend on:

• The priority assigned
• Local availability
• Whether you need specialist services

You can often move faster by contacting providers early, asking about start times, and being clear about your availability. If your situation is deteriorating, you can request a review or reassessment.

How does the Support at Home priority system work?

When you're assessed, you're assigned a priority level that determines how quickly funding is allocated. Your priority level can be urgent, high, medium, or standard. You can ask My Aged Care to explain your priority to get an indicative wait time.

Can I be reassessed if my needs change?

Your provider can adjust your care plan within what you're approved for. But if you need a different level or type of support, you can request a reassessment. Common triggers include:

• Falls
• Hospital admissions
• New diagnoses
• Carer burnout
• Worsening mobility

Documenting changes helps. Keep notes of incidents and what support you needed.

Services

What kind of services can Support at Home provide?

Support at Home can include three broad categories:

• Clinical supports (nursing and allied health)
• Independence supports (personal care, transport, respite, etc.)
• Everyday living supports (cleaning, gardening, shopping, meal preparation, etc.)

Note that personal care moves to Clinical from 1 October 2026.

Does Support at Home include culturally safe care?

Yes, Support at Home can include culturally safe care. This includes help with cultural events and support to keep up cultural and spiritual practices at home. It may also include access to healthcare providers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Can I choose which services I receive?

You will work with your chosen provider to agree on the mix of services that meet your assessed needs and fit your budget. You can also request changes to that mix over time. 

Ongoing support and short-term pathways

What is "ongoing care" under Support at Home?

Ongoing support means you have continuing funding and services to meet longer-term needs. Your care plan is reviewed periodically, and the service mix can change as your needs evolve. It also typically includes care management so services stay aligned and risks are monitored.

What short-term pathways exist under Support at Home?

Support at Home offers three short‑term pathways (accessed via My Aged Care):

1. Restorative Care Pathway
2. Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme
3. End-of-Life Pathway

What is the Restorative Care Pathway?

This pathway is designed to improve function and independence, often after an illness, a fall, or reduced mobility. This commonly includes allied health professions (such as physiotherapy or occupational therapy). It can also cover coordinated supports that help you practise skills safely at home. 

It's best suited to people who can benefit from goal-based, time-limited intervention.

What is the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme?

Assistive technology can include items like mobility aids, shower chairs, and safety equipment. Home modifications can include rails, ramps, or bathroom changes. The key is that items should be recommended based on assessed needs (often by an OT) and linked to safety and independence.

What is the End-of-Life Pathway?

The End-of-Life Pathway aims to help eligible people remain at home with support, comfort, and dignity. It can involve:

• Increased in-home services
• Clinical coordination
• Practical aid for the person and their carers

Providers can also help connect you with palliative care services.

Budgets, care management, and spending rules

How does funding work?

Support at Home funding is linked to assessed needs and is used to pay for approved services delivered by providers. You and your provider can agree on a care plan that balances what you need, what you prefer, and what the budget can sustain. You should receive statements that show what was delivered and what was charged.

Are budgets paid monthly, quarterly, or annually?

Budgets are released quarterly. Services Australia issues the budget at the start of each quarter (July, October, January, April). If you start part-way through a quarter, your first budget is pro-rated to the end of that quarter.

Can I carry over unspent funds?

You can carry over some unspent Support at Home funds into the next quarter, but the carry-over is capped. In general, you can accrue up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget (whichever is higher) to help cover unplanned needs.

What happens to unspent funds if I change providers, move into residential care, or pass away?

Unspent money stays within the aged care system. If you change providers, your future funding goes to the new provider. Any unspent amounts are handled under government rules. 

If you move to permanent residential care or pass away, your in‑home services stop. Unspent funds do not transfer as a credit or become part of your estate.

What happens to my services if I go into hospital or away for a while?

You can pause your Support at Home services at any time. You can do this for a hospital stay, recovery or respite care, or simply a holiday.

Your quarterly budget keeps being issued while you're away, so the funding isn't lost. Note that the usual carry-over caps still apply to whatever goes unspent. 

Tell your provider as early as you can. Late-notice cancellations can still attract a charge. That being said, many providers waive it for genuine emergencies.

What is care management, and do I pay for it?

Care management includes:

• Planning
• Adjusting services
• Working with clinicians
• Helping you navigate changes

Under Support at Home, care management is treated as a Clinical support, so you do not pay a contribution for it.

That said, care management isn't cost-free in budget terms. About 10% of each quarterly budget is set aside to fund it, so around 90% of your budget is available for services themselves.

Can I self-manage any parts of my Support at Home services?

Yes, self-management is a recognised option under Support at Home. It gives you a say in: 

• Which workers support you
• When services are scheduled
• How your budget is spent across approved services

Services must still be delivered through an approved provider. You can't employ someone directly. 

Your provider is still responsible for claiming funds and tracking your budget. Care management applies either way, with 10% of your budget set aside for it whether you self-manage or not.

Costs, fees, and contributions

Will I have to pay anything under Support at Home?

Many people will pay a contribution for certain types of services. It depends on the service category and personal circumstances. Contributions should be transparent, itemised, and only charged for services you receive. 

Your provider should give you a schedule of fees and explain any financial assessment requirements.

Do I pay for clinical services (like nursing)?

My Aged Care states you won't contribute to clinical support costs. In other words, there is no contribution for services in the Clinical category, which includes nursing. From 1 October 2026, personal care joins the Clinical category and becomes fully funded too.

How is what I pay calculated?

My Aged Care notes you may need to provide income and assets information to Services Australia. The Support at Home program – participant contributions fact sheet describes contributions.

Are contributions different for everyday living vs. personal care?

Everyday living services have higher contributions. Independence services have moderate contributions. Clinical services require no contribution.

Personal care currently sits under Independence. But from 1 October 2026, personal care will move to the Clinical category and the Government will fully fund it. 

Will service prices change when moving from Home Care Packages to Support at Home?

Often, yes. Everyday living supports can attract different contribution rules than independence supports. 

The key is understanding the per-service price and your contribution amount before services start. Ask for examples using your typical weekly roster so you can estimate out-of-pocket costs.

Are there government price caps?

Yes, eventually, but not yet. Providers have set their own prices since the program began on 1 November 2025. 

Caps were due to start on 1 July 2026, but the Government deferred them in May 2026 and hasn't announced a new date. Until they start, providers set their own prices, which must still be reasonable and reflect the cost of delivering care.

Choosing providers and service agreements

Can I choose my provider?

Yes, once your funding is available, you can select a service provider that best suits your needs. 

What should I expect when signing a service agreement?

At a minimum: clear services, schedules, pricing, and how changes are managed. Providers should discuss price changes. They should then provide a new service agreement during transition periods.

Do providers have to publish their prices?

Yes. Providers must publish their prices both on their own websites and on the My Aged Care website. The published price is the one they charge most often for that service. 

What if I'm not happy with my services or think I've been overcharged?

Start with your provider. Most issues are resolved fastest that way, and they can check your invoices against their published price list.

If that doesn't settle it, you can raise it with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. They oversee provider conduct and can act where a provider has overcharged, including ordering refunds. 

Keep your service agreement, price schedule, and statements. They make a complaint far easier to substantiate.

Can I change providers if I'm not happy with my current one?

You have the right to change providers, but it's best done in a planned way to avoid gaps in your care.

Transitioning from Home Care Packages and "no worse off"

If I was already on a Home Care Package, will I lose my funding?

There is a "no worse off" principle for people who were:

• Receiving a Home Care Package
• Approved for one, or on the National Priority System, on or before 12 September 2024

Eligible clients keep an equivalent funding level and eligible unspent funds. They don't pay more in contributions than under their package.

Do I need a new assessment to move to Support at Home?

No. If you were already receiving a Home Care Package before 1 November 2025, you moved across automatically. You received a Support at Home budget matching your package. 

You don't need to be reassessed just because the program changed. Reassessment only comes into play if your care needs change.

What happens to my unspent Home Care Package funds?

You keep them. Unspent Home Care Package funds carry across and sit alongside your Support at Home budget. You can draw on them once your quarterly budget is used up, or put them toward assistive technology and home modifications.

They're separate from the Support at Home carry-over rules, which cap how much of a quarterly budget rolls into the next quarter.

How does my old package level fit the new classifications?

If you were on a Home Care Package before Support at Home began, you weren't sorted into the eight new classifications. You moved onto a transitioned package level that keeps your funding equivalent to the package you had. 

The eight classifications apply to people assessed under Support at Home from 1 November 2025 onwards. If your needs increase and you're reassessed, you can move onto one of the new classifications.

I was approved for a package but hadn't started — what happens?

You keep your place and your protections. The "no worse off" principle covers people who were approved for a package, or were on the National Priority System, on or before 12 September 2024. If that's you, you'll be offered an equivalent Support at Home budget when funding becomes available. 

You also won't pay more in contributions than you would have under your package. Your position in the queue is set by your priority level.

Need help navigating Support at Home?

Support at Home can feel complex at first. This is especially true as you compare services, understand budgets, and work out what contributions may apply. The good news is that you do not have to figure it out alone.

If you have questions about eligibility, assessments, services, costs, or next steps, Sensible Care is here to help. We can talk you through your options, explain what to expect, and support you to access the right care for your situation. 

Feel free to reach out to us for any further questions.