Australia's in-home aged care system changed permanently on 1 November 2025. The Home Care Packages Programme — which had operated in its current form for over a decade — was replaced by the new Support at Home program. If you or a family member currently receives, or is waiting for, in-home aged care, this is the system you are now in.
This is the biggest reform to in-home aged care since Home Care Packages were introduced, and it was recommended by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The old system was complex, inequitable, and slow. The new system is designed to be simpler, more responsive to individual need, and fairer on fees.
The four Home Care Package levels (Level 1 through Level 4) no longer exist for new recipients. They have been replaced by eight ongoing classifications based on assessed care need, plus two short-term pathways: the Restorative Care Pathway and the End of Life Pathway.
Maximum annual budgets under the new classifications range from lower-level support up to approximately $78,000 per year for the highest classification. For comparison, the old Level 4 budget was approximately $59,500 per year — the new top classification is meaningfully higher.
The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) — which provides entry-level support for people with lower care needs — has not yet transitioned. It will move to Support at Home no earlier than 1 July 2027. Until then, CHSP continues to operate as normal.
This is the most significant change for many families: clinical care is no longer charged to your Support at Home budget. Nursing, allied health, wound care, and other clinical services are provided by the government at no cost to the recipient. This is a direct response to Royal Commission findings that clinical care costs were consuming a disproportionate share of Home Care Package budgets in the old system.
Your Support at Home budget is paid quarterly and held on your behalf in an account managed by Services Australia. Your provider invoices Services Australia directly after services have been delivered — they are no longer pre-paid monthly. You can save up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget (whichever is greater) for the following quarter — allowing some flexibility for larger planned expenses.
10% of your quarterly budget is automatically set aside for care management. Package management fees as a separate charge no longer exist — care management is funded from within your budget at this fixed percentage. This removes one of the most criticised aspects of the old system, where management fees varied significantly between providers.
An additional $15,000 is available for assistive technology and home modifications — separate from your regular classification budget, accessed once any unspent Home Care Package funds are exhausted.
From 1 July 2026, mandatory pricing caps apply across all Support at Home services. One all-inclusive rate per service type, with no add-ons or surcharges permitted. This is the change that creates real price transparency and competition in the market — something the old system was consistently criticised for lacking. Until July 2026, providers set their own prices, which means it is worth comparing provider costs if your budget allows flexibility.
Existing Home Care Package recipients were transitioned to Support at Home on 1 November 2025. Your services continue through the same provider. Your unspent Home Care Package funds carried over. You will have been — or will be — assessed under the new classification system to determine your ongoing funding level.
The Support at Home program uses a Single Assessment System — one assessment for all in-home aged care, replacing the separate RAS and ACAT pathways. If you have not yet been assessed, call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to register. The earlier you register, the earlier the clock starts on your position in the system.
"Clinical care is now free. Nursing, wound care, and allied health services no longer come out of your budget. This was the most overdue change in the old system."
Family carers of people receiving Support at Home should note: the shift to quarterly budgets means less frequent administrative contact with the provider. Care managers are now expected to focus on overall wellbeing, not just service delivery coordination. If your family member's needs change significantly between assessments, contact the provider and My Aged Care to request a reassessment rather than waiting for the scheduled review cycle.
My Aged Care: 1800 200 422 · Monday to Friday 8am–8pm, Saturday 10am–2pm · myagedcare.gov.au
For Support at Home policy detail: health.gov.au/support-at-home
Last reviewed: May 2026. Government programme details, costs, and contact numbers change. Verify current information directly with the relevant health authority or government body before acting.
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