By Steve Hadfield, AgedCareActionPlan.au · Last reviewed: 25 September 2026
Last reviewed: · Next review: after the 20 March 2027 indexation
No personal care contribution from 1 October 2026 (still paid from your budget)
From 1 October 2026, personal care moves into the Clinical Supports contribution category. If it is approved in your support plan and there is funding available, you pay no contribution for it, whatever your income. It is still paid from your Support at Home budget, so removing the contribution does not free up budget for other services. Personal care covers showering, non-clinical continence management, dressing, eating, personal hygiene and help taking your own medication. Personal care delivered before 1 October 2026 still attracts a contribution.
Source: My Aged Care — Support at Home personal care contribution changes ↗Last updated: September 2026
Key facts at a glance
Not yet on Support at Home?
To access personal care funding — including personal care with no contribution from 1 October 2026 — you first need to be registered with My Aged Care and receive a Support at Home assessment. The sooner you apply, the sooner the assessment can happen. How to prepare for your aged care assessment →
Since Support at Home started on 1 November 2025, personal care has been in the Independence contribution category. Most participants pay a contribution for it, based on their pension status and means.
From 1 October 2026, personal care moves to the Clinical Supports contribution category, alongside nursing and allied health. Participants pay no contribution for clinical supports, whatever their pension status or income. The services are still paid from the participant's Support at Home budget.
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and My Aged Care have both published the change.
All personal care services on the Support at Home service list are included. Common examples:
The Department says the definition of personal care has not changed. It covers help with daily tasks such as showering, non-clinical continence management, dressing, eating, personal hygiene and taking your own medication. If you are not sure whether a service counts as personal care, ask your provider to check the Support at Home service list.
Other Independence services, such as social support and transport, still attract contributions. So do Everyday living services, such as cleaning and home maintenance.
Important: "Non-clinical" continence management
The reclassification covers non-clinical continence management — help with changing incontinence aids and managing continence at home. Clinical continence support (provided by a nurse or allied health professional as part of a clinical care plan) was already in the Clinical category. If you are unsure which applies to your situation, ask your provider.
To benefit from the change, two things must be true:
How much this change matters to you depends on when you were approved for aged care services:
Approved on or before 12 September 2024
You kept the contribution rates you had before Support at Home. If you are a full pensioner, you already pay no contribution for personal care, so nothing changes for you. If you pay a contribution for personal care now, it stops from 1 October 2026.
Approved after 12 September 2024
You pay contributions at the standard Support at Home rates. From 1 October 2026 you stop paying them for personal care. Contributions still apply to other Independence services and to Everyday living services.
If you moved from a Home Care Package to Support at Home, your group depends on your approval date, not on the move itself.
Under the Support at Home Independence category, co-contribution rates are means-tested. Full pensioners pay the lowest rate; self-funded retirees pay the highest. The range for Independence services runs from 5% to 50% of the provider's price for each service.
From 1 October 2026, the contribution for personal care drops to zero for every participant. The full price is paid from your Support at Home budget.
The practical saving depends on how many hours of personal care you receive, your provider's pricing, and your current contribution rate. A self-funded retiree receiving regular showering and dressing assistance will see a more significant change than a full pensioner at the 5% rate.
What this change does for your Support at Home budget
Personal care is paid from your Support at Home budget, before and after 1 October 2026. What stops is your contribution.
So the change does not free up budget for other services. If you use more personal care, there is less left for cleaning, transport and other services.
For a precise picture of what your provider charges for personal care and what you currently contribute, check your latest monthly statement or ask your provider.
If you were on a Home Care Package before November 2025
Under the old Home Care Package system, there was no separate contribution for each personal care service. If you were approved on or before 12 September 2024, you kept your earlier contribution rates under Support at Home. Full pensioners in this group already pay no contribution for personal care. Others in the group who pay one stop paying it from 1 October 2026.
For most participants, the change applies automatically on 1 October 2026 — you do not need to reapply, request a reassessment, or contact My Aged Care. However, there are a few things worth checking before the date arrives.
Confirm personal care is in your support plan
Check your current support plan to confirm the personal care service type is approved. If it is not, the change does not apply to you. Ask your provider, or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. Adding a new service type means asking My Aged Care to review your support plan. A Support Plan Review is lighter than a full reassessment. See our assessment preparation guide for what to expect.
Ask your provider how they will apply the change
Providers are required to update their billing from 1 October 2026. Ask your provider to confirm when and how the change will appear on your statements. If you receive your first October statement and the co-contribution for personal care has not been removed, raise it with your provider immediately.
Keep an eye on your budget
Personal care is still paid from your Support at Home budget. Removing the contribution does not add funding, so using more personal care leaves less for other services. If your needs have grown, talk to your provider or My Aged Care.
The October 2026 reclassification is specific to personal care. The rest of the Support at Home fee structure continues to apply.
New to Support at Home? For a full comparison of how Support at Home differs from the old Home Care Package system — read the Support at Home vs Home Care Package guide.
Do I need to do anything to stop paying a personal care contribution from 1 October 2026?
If personal care is already approved as a service type in your support plan, the change applies automatically from 1 October 2026. You do not need to call My Aged Care or request a reassessment. If you are not sure whether personal care is in your plan, ask your provider.
Personal care isn't currently in my support plan. Can I get it added before October?
Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. If your needs have changed, you can ask for a Support Plan Review, which is lighter than a full reassessment. Whether personal care is added depends on your assessed needs.
Will this change affect my quarterly budget?
Personal care is still paid from your Support at Home budget. What changes is that you no longer pay a contribution for it. It does not free up budget for other services.
I'm a self-funded retiree. How much could I save?
Self-funded retirees currently pay the highest co-contribution rate for Independence services — up to 50% of the provider's price for each session of personal care. The exact saving depends on your provider's pricing and how many hours of personal care you receive each week. Your provider can give you a specific figure based on your current service schedule.
Does this apply to residential aged care as well?
No. Support at Home is for people living in their own home. Aged care homes have separate fee rules.
What about services that start before October 2026?
The change does not apply to services delivered before 1 October 2026, even if they are claimed after that date. Contributions already paid for those services are not refunded.
What if my provider keeps charging me a co-contribution for personal care after 1 October?
From 1 October 2026, providers are required to remove the co-contribution for personal care. If a statement shows a contribution for approved personal care delivered from 1 October 2026, raise it with your provider first. Personal care itself still appears on your statement, because it is paid from your budget. If it is not resolved, you can contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) on 1800 951 822.
I was on a Home Care Package before November 2025. Does this apply to me?
It depends on your approval date. If you were approved on or before 12 September 2024, you kept your earlier contribution rates, and any contribution you still pay for personal care stops from 1 October 2026. If you were approved later, you pay standard Support at Home contributions, and the personal care part stops from 1 October 2026.
Moving from Home Care Package to Support at Home
A complete comparison of the two systems for families navigating the transition.
Support at Home explained — how the program works
A plain-language walkthrough of how Support at Home funding, classifications and services fit together.
Support at Home classifications: what each level means in hours of care
How the eight classification levels translate to real services and weekly hours.
How to prepare for your aged care assessment
What assessors look for and how to make sure the outcome reflects real need.
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Build your free statementThis guide is for information only — not legal, medical, or financial advice. Support at Home operates under the Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Rules 2025. Check myagedcare.gov.au for current rates and rules.