The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, will be changing the current Home Care Package program from the 1st November 2025 in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The program will be called Support at Home and it will also replace the Short-Term Restorative Care Program.
Clients who currently receive a Home Care Package will have their funding level carried over into the new Support at Home program. This means the amount of funding you receive will remain the same, and you will continue to have access to services that meet your needs. Under the new system, funding will be managed in a more streamlined way, giving you greater flexibility and choice in how your support is arranged, while ensuring there is no reduction to your existing budget.
There will now be a set list of services available for funding by the Support at Home program to provide clarity to Service providers and to clients about what can be covered by their funding.
Client contributions will be made based on the service received, the clients age-pension status, Commonwealth Seniors Card status and means. This may mean the contributions made by each client will change.
There will be eight levels of funding available. See the table below for details:
| Level | Quarterly Budget | Annual Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $2,674.18 | $10,697.72 |
| Level 2 | $3,995.42 | $15,981.68 |
| Level 3 | $5,479.94 | $21,919.77 |
| Level 4 | $7,386.33 | $29,545.33 |
| Level 5 | $9,883.76 | $39,535.04 |
| Level 6 | $11,989.35 | $47,957.41 |
| Level 7 | $14,530.53 | $58,122.13 |
| Level 8 | $19,427.25 | $77,709.00 |
Short term funding is available for Restorative Care, Assistive Technology and Home Modifications and End of Life Pathway. To see more information about these services, visit the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website.
The department of Health, Disability & Ageing has announced some specific changes to the way care and services will be categorised, and the Support at Home program will separate all services into three distinct service categories:
| Clinical Supports | Independence | Everyday Living |
|---|---|---|
Specialised services to maintain or regain functional and/or cognitive capabilities
|
Support to manage activities of daily living and loss of skills or function to live independently
|
Support to keep your home in a liveable state and support your independence at home
|
For more detailed information about these service categories, see the Services Australia website to download the Support at Home program handbook.
In-home care providers will continue to set their own prices from 1st July 2025. The government will introduce capped pricing on services in the new Support at Home program from 1st July 2026.
Support at Home participants funding will be divided into quarterly amounts, for three months of the year each. If the budget in a quarter is not all spent, then up to $1,000 or 10% of the remaining budget (whichever is greater) can be carried over to the following quarter.
Under the Support at Home program, participants will only pay contributions on the services they have received. The contribution will be calculated as a percentage of the price for the given service received. For example, for two hours of personal care the client contribution will be a set amount per hour, or for meals received, the client will pay an amount per meal (a percentage of the cost of the meal).
The contrubtion rate will be based on the type of services received. All services will fall into one of three categories:
| Contribution Category | Participant Contribution |
|---|---|
| Clinical | No Client Contribution |
| Independence | Moderate Contribution |
| Everyday Living | High Contribution |
The participant contribution rates are as follows:
| Clinical supports | Independence | Everyday living | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full pensioner | 0% | 5% | 17.5% |
| Part pensioner | 0% | 5% - 50% | 17.5% to 80% |
| Self-funded retiree (holding or eligible for a CSHC | 0% | ||
| Self-funded retiree not eligible for a CSHC | 0% | 50% | 80% |
The government will pay the remaining cost for the service to the provider.
Please see the below list of resources providing more detailed information about the new Support at Home program.
Want to find out more? Please contact us if you would like to find out more about how we can support you.
Join our Wechat group