The Australian Government introduced Support at Home on 1 November 2025 to replace Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care. It funds care and support for older Australians at home through eight funding classifications instead of the previous four package levels. The government now fully funds clinical care, including nursing and allied health, rather than taking it from a participant’s individual budget.
If your family is trying to work out what this means in practice, here is a plain-language guide to the new system.
What Is Support at Home?
Support at Home is a single, national in-home aged care program that consolidates what was previously delivered through Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care. It funds services such as personal care, domestic assistance, home modifications, respite, and clinical supports. These services help eligible older Australians live independently at home rather than move into residential aged care.
Access to the program still starts with an aged care assessment through My Aged Care. The assessment determines a participant’s funding classification based on their assessed care needs.
When Did It Start, and What Did It Replace?
Support at Home began on 1 November 2025, replacing the Home Care Packages program and Short-Term Restorative Care. Anyone already receiving a Home Care Package transitioned into Support at Home automatically. They did not need a new assessment unless their care needs changed. Unspent funds sitting in a participant’s Home Care Package account as of 31 October 2025 carried over in full into their new Support at Home budget.
How Are Support at Home Budgets Structured?
Support at Home uses eight funding classifications, compared to the four levels under Home Care Packages, and pays out on a quarterly rather than annual budget cycle. The classifications range from lower support needs at Classification 1 to the highest support needs at Classification 8. Annual funding ranges from roughly $11,000 at the lowest level to more than $80,000 at the highest.
One key structural change involves how the government funds clinical care. Nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, and other allied health services are now funded separately by the Australian Government and do not reduce a participant’s quarterly budget. Under the previous Home Care Package system, these services came from the same individual budget as everyday support. As a result, significant clinical needs could quickly use up funds intended for other types of care. Everyday supports, such as personal care, domestic assistance, and social support, continue to draw from the participant’s quarterly budget.
The government also caps provider administration and care management costs. This directs a larger share of each budget towards direct care and services rather than overheads.
Funding amounts change periodically with indexation, so families should confirm current classification amounts with My Aged Care or their provider before budgeting.
What’s Different From Home Care Packages?
The shift from Home Care Packages to Support at Home changes several things families should understand:
- More classification levels: Eight tiers instead of four, intended to match funding more closely to actual need.
- Quarterly budgets: The program allocates and manages funds quarterly rather than as a single annual amount.
- Separately funded clinical care: Nursing and allied health no longer compete with everyday supports for the same dollars.
- Capped administration costs: A smaller share of funding goes to provider overheads compared with the wider range previously charged under Home Care Packages.
- Income-tested participant contributions: Income determines contributions towards non-clinical services, with pensioners, part-pensioners, and self-funded retirees paying different proportions. A lifetime cap also limits how much each individual contributes over time.
What Does This Mean If You’re Already Receiving Care?
Existing Home Care Package recipients moved into Support at Home automatically.The “no worse off” protection applies to people who had already received an assessment before the reforms were finalised. It ensures they do not face higher fees during the transition. Families already receiving care should have heard from their current provider about how the changes affect their specific package. If they have not received any communication, they should contact their provider to confirm the details.
How Does This Affect the Aged Care Choices Families Make?
For families weighing up aged care options, Support at Home’s structure means it is worth looking closely at what a classification level actually funds before choosing a provider or service mix. Because clinical care is now funded outside the everyday budget, a participant with high nursing or allied health needs may find their quarterly budget stretches further for personal care and domestic support than it would have under a Home Care Package. It also means comparing providers on how they manage the capped administration allowance, since this affects how much of each budget reaches actual service delivery.
How Sublime Care Can Help
Sublime Care supports older Australians and their families to understand what their Support at Home classification funds and how to structure services around it, from personal care and domestic assistance to allied health support delivered by our own team. If your family is navigating a new Support at Home budget, or transitioning from an existing Home Care Package, our team can walk through what your classification covers and help you plan services that fit both your needs and your budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Support at Home start? Support at Home commenced on 1 November 2025, replacing the Home Care Packages program and Short-Term Restorative Care.
Do I need a new assessment if I already have a Home Care Package? No. Existing Home Care Package recipients transitioned into Support at Home automatically, without a new assessment, unless their care needs have since changed.
Does Support at Home cost more than a Home Care Package? Costs depend on income and classification level. Non-clinical services carry income-tested contributions with a lifetime cap, while clinical care such as nursing and allied health is now fully government-funded and does not draw from the participant’s budget.
How many funding levels does Support at Home have? Support at Home has eight funding classifications, compared to four levels under the previous Home Care Packages program.
Where do I apply for Support at Home? Access starts with an aged care needs assessment arranged through My Aged Care, which determines eligibility and funding classification.
If your family needs help understanding a Support at Home classification or planning services around it, reach out to Sublime Care’s team for guidance suited to your situation.