What is Support at Home, and how does it work?

Support at Home brings stay-at-home aged care services into one program. Services range from nursing and personal care to cleaning, gardening, and home modifications. Some services are fully funded, while you contribute towards others based on your income and assets.

This guide covers who is eligible, how to apply, what each type of service includes, and what you might pay. You'll also find out how self-managing works if you'd like more control over your care.

What are the key facts about Support at Home?

Support at Home is the main government-funded program for older Australians who need regular help at home. It's one of the biggest changes in the Australian Government's aged care reforms, which aim to make home care simpler and fairer.

• Purpose: funded care and support so older people can stay safe, connected, and independent at home
• Start date: 1 November 2025
• Replaced: the Home Care Packages Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care Program
• Funding: eight ongoing classification levels, each with a quarterly budget
• Service categories: clinical supports, independence supports, and everyday living supports
• Short-term supports: the AT-HM Scheme, the Restorative Care Pathway, and the End-of-Life Pathway
• CHSP: the Commonwealth Home Support Program has been extended to 30 June 2029 and remains a separate program for now

Who is eligible for Support at Home?

Support at Home is for older Australians who have been assessed as needing ongoing, regular help to keep living at home. You can apply if you have these care needs and you are:

• Aged 65 or over
• An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person aged 50 or over
• Aged 50 or over and experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness

There is no income test for eligibility. Your income and assets only affect what you contribute towards some services.

Support at Home can be used by people with low to very high care needs. These needs could include help with showering, taking medication, or moving around safely.

How do you apply for Support at Home?

You apply for Support at Home through My Aged Care, the government's entry point for aged care. The process has five steps:

1. Contact My Aged Care.
2. Organise and undergo an aged care assessment.
3. Receive your classification and budget.
4. Choose an approved provider.
5. Start receiving services.

How do you start the Support at Home process?

You can call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or apply online at the My Aged Care website. The online form takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

You will be asked about your health, your home, and the help you think you need. A family member, friend, or carer can make the call or fill in the form with you.

What happens at a Support at Home assessment?

A Support at Home assessment is a conversation with an assessor about your needs, goals, and daily life. Assessors work under the Single Assessment System, which replaced Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACAT). The assessment may happen in your home, by phone, or by video call.

The assessor will look at your mobility, safety, memory, mood, and daily routines. They will also ask what matters most to you, such as staying active or keeping in touch with friends. Your carer or family can join in if you wish.

The assessor uses this information to decide whether you are eligible and what level of help you need.

What is a Support at Home classification and budget?

Your Support at Home classification is one of eight funding levels, and it sets your quarterly budget. You can find out what your classification level and your priority category are in your approval letter.

Support at Home has eight ongoing levels, compared with four under Home Care Packages. Funding is released through a national queue based on your priority. Once it is assigned to you, you have 56 days to sign an agreement with a provider, with a 28-day extension available.

How do you choose a Support at Home provider?

You can choose any approved Support at Home provider. Look for a provider with clear, published prices, local staff, and a service list that suits your needs. 

Your provider works with you on a care plan, arranges workers, and manages your budget. If you are not happy, you can always change providers.

What services does Support at Home cover?

Support at Home covers ongoing services in three categories: 

1. Clinical supports
2. Independence supports
3. Everyday living supports

Each category has its own contribution rate, which sets how much of the service price you pay.

What clinical supports does Support at Home fund?

Clinical supports are health-related services, and the government fully funds them when they are in your care plan. You pay no contribution for clinical supports. They include:

• Nursing care, such as wound care, continence management, and medication management
• Allied health, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, and dietetics
• Care management, where someone helps you coordinate complex health needs
• Personal care, such as help with showering, dressing, grooming, toileting, and taking your own medication

Personal care moved into the clinical supports category on 1 October 2026. Before that date, it sat under independence supports, where most people paid part of the cost.

What independence supports does Support at Home fund?

Independence supports help you stay active and connected to your community. They include:

• Social support, such as outings and group activities
• Transport to appointments, shops, and community events
• Respite care, giving your carer a planned break
• Therapeutic services that help you keep doing things for yourself

The government subsidises independence supports, and you pay a contribution based on your income and assets.

What everyday living supports does Support at Home fund?

Everyday living supports keep your home safe, clean, and manageable. They include:

• Domestic assistance, such as cleaning, laundry, changing bed linen, and shopping
• Meal preparation, such as cooking and meal planning
• Home maintenance, such as minor repairs that reduce safety risks
• Gardening, such as mowing, weeding, and basic yard care

The government subsidises everyday living supports. You pay a larger share for everyday living supports than for independence supports. For many families, this help is what makes staying at home possible.

What short-term supports does Support at Home offer?

Support at Home offers three short-term supports, each with its own funding outside your ongoing budget:

• The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme
• The Restorative Care Pathway
• The End-of-Life Pathway

What is the Support at Home AT-HM Scheme?

The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme funds equipment and home changes. You don't need to save from your quarterly budget to pay for approved items. The funding covers:

• Assistive technology, such as walking frames, wheelchairs, rise-and-recline chairs, and fall alarms
• Home modifications, such as grab rails, ramps, walk-in showers, and better lighting

These changes help prevent falls, make it easier to move around, and take pressure off family carers.

What is the Support at Home Restorative Care Pathway?

The Restorative Care Pathway provides up to 16 weeks of intensive allied health and/or nursing. It can help you recover from an illness, an injury, or a hospital stay. The aim is to get you doing more for yourself again, so you may need less ongoing support.

What is the Support at Home End-of-Life Pathway?

The End-of-Life Pathway funds extra care at home for eligible older people with an estimated life expectancy of three months or less. It's a 12-week pathway, but services can continue for up to 16 weeks if you still need them and funds remain. It can include nursing, personal care, equipment, and respite.

How much does Support at Home cost?

The cost of Support at Home depends on which services you use, your income, and your assets. Services Australia, or DVA for some veterans, works out your contribution rate through a means assessment. These are the contribution rates for the three Support at Home categories:

• Clinical supports: no contribution (this includes personal care from 1 October 2026)
• Independence supports: contributions range from 5% to 50% of the service price
• Everyday living supports: contributions range from 17.5% to 80% of the service price

Full pensioners pay the lowest rates, and self-funded retirees pay the highest. You only pay for services you receive, and the old basic daily fee no longer applies.

There is a lifetime cap on what you contribute towards non-clinical services, and it is indexed twice a year. These rules change, so check My Aged Care or our Support at Home pricing page for current figures.

Can you self-manage Support at Home?

Yes, you can choose to self-manage Support at Home with a provider that offers it. Self-managing means you choose your workers and services and arrange them yourself, within your budget.

Your provider still oversees your plan, checks that services are safe and suitable, and handles payments. Many people like the extra control and flexibility this gives them.

Sensible Care offers self-managed Support at Home anywhere in Australia. If you would rather we arrange everything, you can choose care-managed Support at Home instead.

How is Support at Home different from Home Care Packages?

Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages Program on 1 November 2025. The main changes are:

• More funding levels: eight ongoing classifications instead of four package levels
• Clear service categories: each service sits in a category with its own contribution rate
• New contribution rules: you pay a share of each service you use, not a basic daily fee
• Separate short-term funding: restorative care, end-of-life care, and AT-HM sit outside your ongoing budget

If you had a Home Care Package, you did not need to reapply. You moved to Support at Home automatically and received a letter about your new budget.

People who were receiving a Home Care Package, or were approved for one, by 12 September 2024 are covered by a "no worse off" rule. It means they contribute no more than they would have under Home Care Packages.

What are the rules on Support at Home provider prices?

Support at Home providers must publish the prices of their most common services on their own website and on My Aged Care. They must also agree prices with you before charging for a service.

Government price caps were due to start on 1 July 2026, but they've been paused, with no new start date. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission can require providers to change their prices or refund overcharged fees.

How can Sensible Care help with Support at Home?

Sensible Care is an approved Support at Home provider that helps older Australians and their families through every step of the process. We can:

• Explain Support at Home in plain language, step by step
• Help you prepare for your My Aged Care assessment
• Turn your goals into a clear care plan
• Arrange your services, manage your budget, and handle the paperwork
• Review your plan as your needs change

Our focus is simple: the right support, in the right place, at the right time. That way, you can stay in the home you love, safely and with dignity.

Contact us if you have any questions or if you would like to get started.