By Steve Hadfield, AgedCareActionPlan.au · Last updated: 23 May 2026
If you're searching for the difference between Support at Home and Home Care Packages in 2026, there's a good chance the decision has already been made for you. The Home Care Packages Program ended on 1 November 2025. Every recipient was transitioned across automatically. The question now isn't which program to choose — it's understanding exactly what changed, what fee protections you have, and what's still changing in October 2026 that could reduce your out-of-pocket costs.
| Home Care Package | Support at Home | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Ended 1 November 2025 | Current program |
| Funding levels | 4 levels | 8 levels + 2 short-term pathways |
| Annual funding range | ~$10,931 to ~$63,440 | $10,731 to $78,106 |
| Budget period | Annual | Quarterly |
| Unspent funds | Accumulated without cap | Carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of quarterly budget |
| Care management fee | Provider-set (variable) | Capped at 10% of quarterly budget |
| Contribution type | Income-tested care fee | Based on service type (Independence, Clinical, Everyday Living) |
| Clinical services | Contribution may apply | Fully government funded |
| Price caps | Not applicable | Planned July 2026 — deferred indefinitely |
Support at Home is the Australian Government's current in-home aged care program, established under the Aged Care Act 2024 and administered by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. It provides government-funded, coordinated care services to help older Australians remain at home as they age. Eligibility and funding level are determined by an independent aged care assessment. The program is accessed through My Aged Care.
Home Care Packages funded in-home care for older Australians at four levels, each with a fixed annual government subsidy:
The package was managed by an approved provider who held the funds on your behalf. You paid an income-tested care fee if your income exceeded a threshold. Unspent funds accumulated without limit — if you underspent in any period, the balance carried forward indefinitely.
The program had real limitations. With 275,000 Australians on packages as of 2024, many people had been allocated a Level 2 when their needs matched a Level 3. The four-level structure simply didn't have enough gradations to match care needs accurately.
The program ended on 1 November 2025.
Support at Home replaces the four-level structure with eight classifications, each one set to fund a more precise level of care. Annual funding by classification (effective 1 November 2025, indexed each 1 July):
| Classification | Annual budget | Quarterly (approx.) | Typical care needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class. 1 | $10,731 | $2,683 | Light housework, social connection, occasional personal care |
| Class. 2 | $16,034 | $4,009 | Regular domestic help, some personal care |
| Class. 3 | $21,966 | $5,491 | Personal care, allied health, home maintenance |
| Class. 4 | $29,696 | $7,424 | Daily personal care, regular nursing visits |
| Class. 5 | $39,697 | $9,924 | Complex personal care, equipment needs |
| Class. 6 | $48,114 | $12,029 | Substantial daily support, clinical services |
| Class. 7 | $58,148 | $14,537 | Extensive daily care, multiple service types |
| Class. 8 | $78,106 | $19,527 | Near full-time support, complex health needs |
Funding amounts are indexed each 1 July. The next indexation is 1 July 2026 — amounts will update at that date. Always confirm current figures at myagedcare.gov.au or with your provider.
The ceiling matters: at $78,106, Support at Home's highest classification is significantly more than the former Level 4 maximum of approximately $63,440. For people with complex care needs, this is a meaningful increase.
Your annual funding is divided into four equal quarterly budgets. You have access to the full quarterly amount at the start of each quarter. If you don't spend everything, you can carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget — whichever is greater — to the next quarter.
Under HCP, providers could charge variable administration and care management fees — in some cases absorbing a disproportionate share of the package. Under Support at Home, care management is capped at 10% of your quarterly budget under the Aged Care Rules 2025. The remaining 90% must go toward your actual care and services.
Once assessed and approved, you may wait for funding to become available at your classification level. The honest answer is: it varies, and there are protections worth knowing about.
While you're waiting for full funding, the government provides interim funding at 60% of your classification budget. This means you can start accessing services before full funding becomes available. Ask My Aged Care about this specifically when you call.
The government has set a target of reducing average wait times to three months by July 2027. If your situation is urgent — a recent hospital discharge or sudden change in ability to manage safely at home — tell My Aged Care when you call. An urgent or high priority rating reduces your wait.
The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) provides free, independent support if you're waiting longer than expected or feel the system isn't responding to your situation: 1800 700 600.
If you were receiving a Home Care Package on 1 November 2025, you were transitioned to Support at Home automatically. You didn't need to apply again or be reassessed — unless your care needs had changed. Your funding was matched to an equivalent Support at Home classification.
12 September 2024 is the date the Support at Home legislation was first publicly announced. If you were approved on or before this date and weren't paying an income-tested care fee under HCP, you won't pay contribution fees under Support at Home. Full pensioners in this group pay zero across all service categories.
You're in a transitional group. Your contributions move to the new Support at Home structure rather than the grandfathered protections, but your care and services continued without interruption. Part pensioners in this group contribute up to 25% for Independence and Everyday Living services. Self-funded retirees are capped at 25% for non-clinical services — lower than the standard rate for new participants.
You entered on full Support at Home terms. Your contributions are income-tested through Services Australia for Independence and Everyday Living services. Clinical services cost nothing regardless of your income.
If you're reassessed after transitioning — because your needs have increased or you request a review — you'll be assessed under the full Support at Home classification system. This may result in higher funding if your needs warrant it.
Under HCP, the contribution model was simple: one income-tested care fee that could apply across all services. Under Support at Home, what you pay depends on the type of service you're receiving.
| Service type | Examples | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical | Nursing care, wound management, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, continence nursing | Fully government funded — no participant contribution |
| Independence | Personal care (showering, dressing, grooming), mobility support, medication management | Participant contribution applies — income-tested |
| Everyday Living | Domestic assistance, meal preparation, transport, social support, home maintenance | Participant contribution applies — income-tested |
Personal care — showering, dressing, and continence support — moves from Independence to Clinical from 1 October 2026. From that date it becomes fully government funded regardless of income. If personal care is a major part of your package, calculate what that saving means for your quarterly out-of-pocket costs now. This change is confirmed and proceeding independently of the price caps deferral.
Under HCP, there were no government price caps on what providers could charge for individual services. Under Support at Home, the government planned to introduce price caps from 1 July 2026. Those caps have been deferred indefinitely — the government cited global economic volatility and the risk of locking in elevated baseline prices at the wrong moment.
The 10% care management cap remains in place and unchanged. For individual service pricing, there is currently no legislated ceiling. Comparing what different providers charge for the same service still matters — ask your provider for itemised service pricing.
New consumer protections were announced alongside the deferral: the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) now has power to order refunds where overcharging is found, and to take regulatory action against providers who fail to issue monthly statements. The government has also encouraged providers to limit price increases to no more than twice per year.
Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or visit myagedcare.gov.au. They will arrange a free aged care assessment in the home to determine what support your parent (or you, or your partner) is eligible for. This is the only entry point to government-funded in-home care.
Your care and services continued without interruption. Your contributions are protected — if you were approved before 12 September 2024 and weren't paying an income-tested care fee, you still won't.
Check your most recent monthly statement: care management should be 10% or less of your quarterly budget. You are entitled to a monthly statement showing your balance and all transactions. If your provider is not issuing monthly statements, they are in breach — the ACQSC now has explicit power to take regulatory action for this failure. Lodge a complaint at agedcarequality.gov.au or on 1800 951 822.
Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and request a reassessment. Under Support at Home, a higher classification may be available. The eight-level structure specifically exists to close the gaps that left many Level 2 recipients underfunded for Level 3 needs. A reassessment after 1 November 2025 moves you into the new classification system — not the transitioned HCP classifications.
HCP no longer exists. You apply for Support at Home through My Aged Care. Your aged care assessment determines your classification (1–8). What you pay depends on your income and the types of services you receive — clinical services cost you nothing regardless of income.
From 1 October 2026, showering, dressing, and continence support move to Clinical Care — fully government funded, zero co-contribution regardless of income. Worth calculating what that means for your quarterly out-of-pocket costs now.
Know exactly what to say when the assessor arrives. Our free guide walks you through all 8 domains of the ACAT assessment — so nothing catches you off guard.
No. The Home Care Packages Program ended on 1 November 2025 and was replaced by Support at Home. If you were on an HCP, you were transitioned automatically — no new application required.
Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 immediately and tell them the situation is urgent. A hospital discharge can trigger a higher priority rating, which reduces your wait for funding. Support at Home has two short-term pathways for urgent situations: the Restorative Care Pathway (time-limited intensive support for recovery after illness or hospital stay) and the End of Life Pathway (up to $25,000 in additional funding for people with a prognosis of three months or less). If your parent is waiting for full funding, interim funding at 60% of their classification budget can start immediately — ask My Aged Care about this specifically.
If you were on an HCP, no reassessment was required unless your needs changed. New applicants are assessed through the Support at Home assessment process via My Aged Care.
It means you were on an HCP when the program ended and were moved to an equivalent Support at Home classification. You stay on this transitioned classification until you request a reassessment. If your needs have increased, a reassessment may qualify you for a higher classification with more funding. You can request a reassessment at any time by calling My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and request a reassessment. Under Support at Home, a higher classification may be available that better matches your current needs. The eight-level structure specifically exists to close the gaps that left many Level 2 recipients underfunded for Level 3 needs.
The 10% care management cap is in place and unchanged. Individual service price caps were planned for 1 July 2026 but have been deferred indefinitely. The ACQSC now has power to investigate overcharging and order refunds. Lodge a complaint at agedcarequality.gov.au or on 1800 951 822.
CHSP funds entry-level, lower-intensity support services and is a separate program. It will not transition to Support at Home before 1 July 2027. If you receive CHSP services, nothing changes before that date.
Need a complete personalised plan for your situation?
This guide is for information only — not legal, medical, or financial advice. Verified against the Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Rules 2025. Check myagedcare.gov.au for current rates and rules.