An easy-to-read Support at Home Update and the most frequently asked questions about the new in-home care system launching next year.
Find out more about the new Support at Home program, which will replace the current Home Care Packages Program and Short-Term Restorative Care Programme from 1 July 2025.
What is Support at Home?
Support at Home is a new in-home care program that will assist older Australians to remain living at home, independently, for longer.
Seniors will benefit from:
| Access to higher levels of care. | The maximum annual amount of funding per person will rise from $61,440 (the current level 4 Home Care Package budget) to $78,000. |
| Better pricing. | Service prices will be capped, and there will be no separate administrative or management fees. |
| No payment for clinical services. | Recipients will only be required to pay out-of-pocket for non-clinical services received. Government funding will cover clinical services including nursing care, allied health and other therapeutic services. |
| Shorter wait times. | Waiting times will progressively reduce from 1 July 2024, with a target of only an average 3 month waiting list by July 2027. |
| Immediate funding for assistive technology and home modifications. | Access up to $15,000 for items such as walking aides, ramps and safety rails in the home. Recipients will no longer need to “save up” their Home Care Package budget for these big-ticket items. |
| Increased short term support when leaving hospital. | The Short-Term Restorative Care program will offer 12 weeks of support (up from the current 8 weeks) and the number of available places in the program will double. |
| A new End-of Life Pathway. | Support at Home will provide up to $25,000 over 3 months for older people with less than 3 months to live, allowing them to pass away with dignity in their own home. |
Read more about the Support at Home Update: Support at Home | How aged care reforms will affect home care – Aged Care Decisions
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FAQs: Support at Home Update
When will the new program start?
Support at Home is being implemented in stages.
From 1 July 2025 it will replace the Home Care Packages Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care Program.
The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) will align with Support at Home sometime after 1 July 2027. Until then it will continue to provide support to seniors will low-level care needs.
Read more about CHSP: What is CHSP? | The Commonwealth Home Support Program
Will eligibility change as part of the Support at Home Update?
No. You will still be eligible to be assessed for subsidised in-home care if you are 65 years or older (50 or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people) and you need support to live independently and safely at home.
You can check your eligibility by calling My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or using their online eligibility checker.
Will the assessment process change?
Yes. The Government aims to simplify and improve aged care assessments by establishing a Single Assessment System.
This new system will mean that:
- older people will only have to tell their story once – to one assessor
- they will deal with a single organisation as they progress through the aged care system
- there will be better access for people living in regional, remote and rural areas
- waiting times will be reduced
A new, universal Integrated Assessment Tool was implemented on 1 July 2024, to determine eligibility and ensure recommendations and referrals are tailored to each person’s needs. This tool will continue to be used as part of Support at Home.
How much support will the new program offer?
Under Support at Home, recipients will receive a budget that meets their needs based on the classification they are given after assessment.
There will be 8 classification levels.
You will be able to have a re-assessment and re-classification as your care needs change.
Approximate budgets for each classification level will be:
|
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 |
* These are estimates outlined by the government. Final classification dollar values are yet to be confirmed
Will waiting times really be lower?
Hopefully. The government has forecasted that they will reduce average waiting times to 3 months by July 2027.
When you are approved for subsidised in-home care, you will be allocated a ‘high’, ‘medium’ or ‘standard’ priority rating. Wait times will differ according to priority ratings.
Good news: during periods when waiting times exceed expectations (eg. due to higher demand than expected), approved recipients will receive an interim allocation of their Support at Home classification budget (up to 60%) while they are waiting to receive full funding.
What happens to current Home Care Package recipients?
Home Care Package recipients moving to the new program from July 2025 will be allocated Support at Home funding that is equivalent to their existing Home Care Package level.
You will not require a re-assessment unless your care needs have changed.
The contribution you will be required to make to the cost of your care should not change when you transition to Support at Home.
Existing Home Care Package recipients that do not pay an income-tested care fee will continue to make no contributions for the remainder of their time in Support at Home.
If you do pay income-tested care fees, you will transition into Support at Home with special discounted contribution arrangements.
How to apply for a Home Care Package before Support at Home starts in July 2025
If you are approved for a Home Care Package before 1 July 2025, what you will pay towards your care will be based on the current Home Care Package system.
Aged Care Decisions can help you to understand your options for government subsidised in-home care.
Our professional team are ready to answer your questions and guide you through the application and assessment process. We can then assist you to find you a Home Care Package Provider you will love.
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