Support at Home - Beresfield Community Care

Support at Home: Everything you need to know

On 4 June 2025, the Department of Health, Disability and Aging announced Support at Home will come into effect on 1 November 2025. For more information, please read the open letter to older people issued by the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors, Sam Rae MP.

Here is a brief overview of the changes coming with the transition from the Home Care Packages (HCP) Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme on November 1, 2025. You can find more information on the Department of Health and Aged Care website, including an informative Booklet for older people, families and carers.

What’s changing?

The Support at Home Program now gives you a set budget each quarter. You get four payments a year that cover many services.

Here are some key differences:

8 levels of support and 2 short-term options: More choices to match your needs.
Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme: Extra funds for home changes and tech so you do not need to save money from your budget.
Quarterly Budget: Your yearly money is split into four parts. If you do not use it all in three months, you can carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of that period’s budget.
Defined Service List: All services are clearly listed, with what is included and not included.
No extra management fees: Package management fees are now part of the overall cost.
Care management funding at 10%: A portion is set aside for providers to manage your funding.
Participant contributions: You only pay for the services you actually use. The cost is set per hour, based on the type of service and your personal circumstances. A “no worse off principle” will apply to existing participants.
The contribution rate will be based on two factors:

1. The type of service received: e.g. clinical services will require lower contributions than services like domestic assistance and gardening.
2. If the participant receives an age pension, has a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, or the means to contribute more.

What funding is available?

Eight levels of support will be available under the Support at Home program. The highest level includes up to $78,000 per person. By comparison, the highest level of the existing Home Care Package program was Level 4, which had a maximum funding of $61,400 per person.

The level of support a participant qualifies for will depend on their needs, which will be determined via an assessment.

Classification	Quarterly Budget	Annual Amount
1	~$2,750	~$11,000
2	~$4,000	~$16,000
3	~$5,500	~$22,000
4	~$7,500	~$30,000
5	~$10,000	~$40,000
6	~$12,000	~$48,000
7	~$14,500	~$58,000
8	~$19,500	~$78,000
Restorative Care Pathway		~$6,000 (6 weeks) to ~$12,000 (12 weeks)
End-Of-Life Pathway		~$25,500 (12 weeks)
Source: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

There are also two short-term levels of funding:

Restorative Care Pathway: This will be similar to the existing Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme but with increased maximum support from 8 weeks to 12 weeks. This is usually for older adults who have recently experienced a fall, illness, or surgery, and have the potential to regain functional capacity with the right support.
End-of-Life Pathway: This pathway provides access to additional services in the last three months of life for those who prefer to remain living at home.

In addition to the eight levels of support and two short-term pathways, the Support at Home program will feature three funding tiers for assistive technology and home modifications (AT-HM Scheme).

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

The Support at Home program will provide separate funding for products, equipment and home modifications to improve home safely and independence.

There will be three funding tiers for assistive technology and three tiers for home modifications. Each tier has a set time for funding to be used, and it will not accrue over time.

Much like the Support at Home service list (detailed below), the AT-HM Scheme will have clear guidance on what products, equipment and modifications are available.

Assistive Technology Funding Tier	Funding allocation cap	Time to expend funds
Low	$500	12 months
Medium	$2,000	12 months
High	$15,000*	12 months
*Higher amounts for AT may be approved with evidence.
Source: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

Assistive Technology Funding Tier	Funding allocation cap	Time to expend funds
Low	$500	12 months
Medium	$2,000	12 months
High	$15,000*	12 months*
*The high funding tier may be extended to 24 months to complete complex home modifications.
Source: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

For more detail about what services are offered under the AT-HM Scheme, view pages 44–48 of the Support at Home Program Handbook.

Who is eligible for the Support at Home Program?

This program is for people who:

Are aged 65 or older (50 or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, or people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness).
Need help with daily tasks such as personal care, household chores, or getting to health services.

What about existing Home Care Package recipients?

We have developed fact sheets providing an overview of changes for Existing Participants and Transitional Participants.

You are considered an 'Existing Participant' if you had a Home Care Package approved prior to 12 September 2024.

You are considered a 'Transitional Participant' if your Home Care Package was approved between 12 September 2024 and 30 June 2025.

A ‘no worse-off’ principle applies for Existing Participants.

If on 12 September 2024, you were either:

A) Receiving a Home Care Package
B) On the National Priority System
C) Assessed as being eligible for a Home Care Package

…you will make the same or lower contributions once you transition to Support at Home.

Existing Participants who do not pay an income-tested care fee will continue with no such fees under Support at Home. Those who are paying income-tested fees (Transitional Participants), will transition into Support at Home with special discounted contribution arrangements.

Finally, a cap will ensure no individual pays more than $130,000 in non-clinical care costs over their lifetime. This applies to both in-home care and residential care.

How do I apply for the Support at Home Program?

Existing and Transitional Participants will automatically transition to Support at Home.

From 1 July 2025, you need to be assessed to see if you qualify. The steps are:

Initial Referral: Start with the My Aged Care website or by calling 1800 200 422.
Care Assessment: A trained assessor will check your needs at home, online, or over the phone.
Determine Support Level: The assessor will decide which of the 8 levels or short-term options is best for you.
Service Planning: A service coordinator will then help you create a care plan that fits your needs.

What services are available under the Support at Home Program?

The Support at Home program will continue to fund in-home care services.

However, Support at Home will feature a defined service list with three categories:

Clinical Care, such as nursing care, physiotherapy, and podiatry.
Independence, such as help with showering, social outings, and transport.
Everyday Living, such as gardening, house cleaning, and meal preparation.

Each category has its own service types, and participant contributions. Assessments will determine which services are available to each recipient.

For more detail about what services are offered under Support at Home, view pages 17–32 of the Support at Home Program Handbook.

Will everyone have to pay more?

The Department of Health and Aged Care has assured that if you had a Home Care Package or were on the National Priority System as of 12 September 2024, you will not pay more under the new system. People on the National Priority System waiting for a package will get a budget similar to what they were approved for.

Support at Home contributions:

Under the Support at Home program, you will only pay contributions for the services you have received. Your contributions will be determined based on the hourly rate for the service or a percentage of the cost of the service type or product. If you receive three hours of personal care, for example, you will pay a contribution per hour received.

Your contribution rate will be determined by two factors: the type of service received and your financial standing.

Type of Service:

No Contribution — Clinical Supports Category: The government will fully fund clinical care (including nursing care and physiotherapy) for all Support at Home participants.
Moderate Contribution — Independence Category: Supports that help keep you out of hospital and residential aged care (including personal care, assistive technology, and home modifications) will require a moderate contribution.
Highest Contribution — Everyday Living Services Category: Everyday living services such as domestic assistance and gardening will require the highest contribution.

	Clinical supports	Independence	Everyday living
Full pensioner	0%	5%	17.5%
Part pensioner	0%	Part pensioners and CSHC holders will pay between 5% and 50% based on an assessment of their income and assets. For part pensioners, this will be based on their Age Pension means assessment. CSHC holders will undergo a separate assessment for Support at Home.	Part pensioners and CSHC holders will pay between 17.5% and 80% based on an assessment of their income and assets. For part pensioners, this will be based on their Age Pension means assessment. CSHC holders will undergo a separate assessment for Support at Home.
Self-funded retiree (holding or eligible for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card – CSHC)	0%	Part pensioners and CSHC holders will pay between 5% and 50% based on an assessment of their income and assets. For part pensioners, this will be based on their Age Pension means assessment. CSHC holders will undergo a separate assessment for Support at Home.	Part pensioners and CSHC holders will pay between 17.5% and 80% based on an assessment of their income and assets. For part pensioners, this will be based on their Age Pension means assessment. CSHC holders will undergo a separate assessment for Support at Home.
Self-funded retiree (not eligible for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card)	0%	50%	80%
Source: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

What about my unspent Home Care Package funds?

If you have unspent funds from your Home Care Package, you can keep and use them until they are all used. These funds will not be lost or have a time limit.