Waiting for your Support at Home funding to come through can be stressful, especially when your loved one needs support now. After being assessed and approved, it can be disappointing to learn there are still wait times before your funding is actually assigned.
This article explains the three stages of waiting, how priority categories work and the practical steps you can take to plan with confidence.
How long is the waiting time for Support at Home?
While the government publishes estimated wait times for funding assignment, the real wait usually starts much earlier. Your total wait time is made up of three parts:
- Wait to be assessed: After applying, you should be contacted by an assessor within 2–6 weeks to arrange an assessment visit. However, depending on demand in your local area, you may have to wait several months for an assessment visit.
- Wait to be approved: After the assessment, it can take a further 2 weeks to receive your Notice of Decision letter.
- Wait for funding: Once approved, you enter the national queue for funding assignment.
It is this third wait, for funding, that varies most depending on your priority category. As of 1 November 2025, the current estimated wait times from the date you are approved and seeking services are:
- Urgent priority: Up to 1 month
- High priority: 1.5 to 2.5 months
- Medium priority: 8 to 9 months
- Standard priority: 10 to 11 months
These are estimates, not guarantees. If you wait longer than expected, the Government may provide “interim funding” at 60% of your approved budget so essential services can start sooner.
How Support at Home wait lists work
The Support at Home Program uses a national Priority System to decide who receives funding first. Instead of a simple first come, first served list, every person is given a priority category based on their specific needs and risks.
You are placed into a queue with others at the same priority level. Within that level, funding is generally offered based on your approval date. However, people with urgent needs will always be prioritised over those with standard needs, regardless of how long they have been waiting.
What affects your place in the queue?
Your priority category is the main factor deciding your wait time. This is set by your assessor during your home visit, based on criteria like:
- Safety risks: Are you feeling unsafe at home due to falls, finding it hard to keep track of medications or perhaps having difficulty managing daily tasks?
- Current supports: Do you have any help in place already or are you managing entirely alone?
- Carer wellbeing: Is the main person providing your care feeling overwhelmed, exhausted or finding it hard to keep up?
- Health changes: Have there been recent hospital stays or noticeable changes in your mobility?
If your situation changes, for example, if a carer falls ill or mobility suddenly gets worse, you can ask My Aged Care for a review. This may move you to a higher priority category and reduce your remaining wait.
How can I check on my Support at Home application?
You can check your status and estimated wait time whenever you need to:
- Log in to your My Aged Care online account to see your approval status and priority level.
- Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to ask about your current position and any updates to wait times.
Ensure your status is listed as “seeking services.” If you are approved but not marked as seeking services, you will not be offered funding.
What if my needs change while I am waiting?
If your health or circumstances change while you are in the queue (for example, if you have a fall, a hospital stay, or your carer is no longer able to support you) you should act immediately.
Contact My Aged Care to request a review of your priority status. Evidence of your changed needs (like a letter from your GP) can help speed up this process. If your situation is deemed more urgent, you may be moved to a higher priority category, which can significantly reduce your remaining wait time.
Next step: While you wait, start researching local providers so you are ready to go. Get a free list of available providers in your area from Aged Care Decisions to save time.
Why is there a waiting time for Support at Home?
Waiting times exist because demand for home care is high and growing. More older Australians want to stay in their own home, and there are limits to the national budget and the number of available care workers.
The Government’s new Priority System aims to ensure people with the most critical needs get help fastest. Extra funding is being released over time to bring wait times down, with a target of reaching an average wait of 3 months by July 2027.
How many people are waiting for Support at Home funding?
The government does not publish an exact number of people waiting for Support at Home funding because the numbers are constantly changing as new people apply and funding is released.
Before the new program began, there were over 100,000 older Australians waiting for home care funding. Under Support at Home, the government is releasing extra funding to support 300,000 more participants over the next decade, with a goal of helping 1.4 million people by 2035.
Your priority category is what shapes your wait time. Urgent cases are fast-tracked to be assigned within 1 month, so your timeline depends on your specific needs and circumstances rather than the overall queue size. Knowing your own priority level will give you a realistic timeframe for your situation.
What happens if you already receive CHSP or a Home Care Package?
If you already have in-home support, your existing services are protected and continue without interruption.
For detailed guidance, read our guide, Support at Home Program: Everything You Need to Know.
If you have a Home Care Package
Grandfathered participants
If you were approved or assessed for a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024, you are a Grandfathered Participant and have automatically transitioned into Support at Home as of 1 November 2025.
- Your current services continue; there is no gap in your support.
- Your Home Care Package level becomes a Transitioned HCP Level (1–4) under Support at Home, with the same overall funding paid quarterly.
- Any unspent funds in your Home Care Package carry over and can be used for eligible Support at Home services, including assistive technology and home modifications.
You do not need a new assessment to move into Support at Home. A reassessment is only needed if your care needs change and you want to apply for more support.
Grandfathered participants are covered by the “no worse off” principle, which means:
- If you did not pay fees under your Home Care Package, you will not pay fees under Support at Home.
- If you did pay fees, you will pay the same or less under the new program.
Transitional participants
If your Home Care Package was approved after 12 September 2024 but before 1 November 2025, you are a Transitional Participant and have moved into Support at Home under the new pricing and service model.
- Your current services continue without interruption.
- Your Home Care Package level becomes a Transitioned HCP Level (1–4) with the same overall budget.
- You will contribute to services as per the new Support at Home fees and contributions unless approved for financial hardship assistance.
If you were on the Home Care Package waiting list
If you were waiting for a Home Care Package, you moved across to the Support at Home Priority System on 1 November 2025.
- You keep your place in the queue; you are not pushed to the back.
- When funding becomes available, you will be assigned to a Support at Home classification based on your assessed care needs.
- You only need a new assessment if your needs have significantly changed and you want to be considered for a higher level of support.
If you receive CHSP services
If you receive help through the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), nothing changes straight away.
- CHSP will continue to operate as it is until at least 1 July 2027.
- You will keep receiving your current CHSP services during this time.
- When CHSP eventually transitions to Support at Home, the aim is to move you across without disrupting your day‑to‑day support.
What if your needs increase?
It is normal for care needs to change over time. If you feel your current support is not enough there are steps you can take.
First, try adjusting within your current budget. Speak with your care provider about mixing and matching services to better fit what you need now. They may be able to reallocate your budget without needing a formal review.
If your needs have significantly changed, contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and ask for a Support Plan Review. If the review shows you need a higher level of support, you can be reassessed and allocated a higher Support at Home classification with more funding to match your new needs.
How Aged Care Decisions can help
Navigating wait times and finding the right provider can be time-consuming. Aged Care Decisions offers a free, independent service to help you find Support at Home providers with current availability in your local area.
We match you with providers based on your specific care needs, budget, and location. Instead of calling around yourself, you receive a tailored list of options, and we support you through the process at no cost.
