Last updated: 15 May 2026
The assessor applies a scoring algorithm — the Integrated Assessment Tool — across multiple areas of functioning. The classification it produces determines your government funding for care every quarter, for years. The difference between Classification 3 and Classification 4 is $7,947 per year. Most families go in unprepared.
The levels aren't a clinical verdict. They're a funding decision — and the difference between adjacent levels is often one conversation. Classification 4 is worth $30,528 in care funding every year. Classification 3 is worth $22,581. The gap is $7,947, and it frequently comes down to how one or two areas were scored on a single visit.
Most families answer from memory, describing good days and recent improvements. The algorithm scores those answers. A written note of specific incidents and the everyday help the person gets gives the assessor the full picture. The assessment preparation tool generates that document. This guide explains what each level means and what the algorithm is scoring.
Classification is a funding decision, not a diagnosis. A higher level means more government funding — not a worse prognosis. The quarterly budget is the government's contribution toward Support at Home services each quarter.
| Classification level | Quarterly budget | Annual value |
|---|---|---|
| Classification 1 | $2,758 | $11,032 |
| Classification 2 | $4,121 | $16,484 |
| Classification 3 | $5,645 | $22,581 |
| Classification 4 | $7,632 | $30,528 |
| Classification 5 | $10,202 | $40,809 |
| Classification 6 | $12,365 | $49,462 |
| Classification 7 | $14,944 | $59,777 |
| Classification 8 | $20,074 | $80,294 |
Source: DoHAC "Support at Home program – classifications and budgets" PDF, October 2026. Effective 1 October 2026. Exact figures: Classification 4 $7,632.04/qtr; Classification 8 $20,073.50/qtr. Recheck after 1 July 2027 indexation.
Over three years of care, the difference between Classification 3 and Classification 4 is nearly $24,000 at today’s budgets. That gap comes from the answers recorded at the assessment, so the assessor needs the full picture. For what each level buys in actual care hours, read the classifications in hours guide.
The written statement has to exist before the visit — not after. The assessment preparation tool generates it in the time you have.
Three patterns account for most of the gap between real need and assessed classification.
Carers — spouses, adult children, friends — quietly take over tasks without realising the baseline has shifted. The cooking gets modified. The medications get managed. The shopping route gets changed. By the time of the assessment, the person appears more capable than they would be without that invisible support. Carers who describe the current situation without naming what they do to make it work give the algorithm an incomplete picture.
A formal visitor often triggers better performance than the person's daily baseline. Someone who struggles with word-finding most mornings may speak clearly during a structured conversation. Someone normally confused about time may be oriented during a focused visit. The assessor sees a snapshot. The written document covers the other 23 hours and 45 minutes — which is why it must be handed over before the conversation begins, not produced afterward.
"I manage fine." "I don't want to seem like a burden." "I'm not as bad as some people." These are protective responses from people who have been independent all their lives. The algorithm cannot read past them. Preparing specific written examples before the visit — together, as a family — addresses this without asking anyone to perform vulnerability in front of a stranger.
The assessor is not there to find reasons to move you into residential care. They are there to determine what support would help you stay at home safely. Describing your difficulties honestly doesn't put your independence at risk — it's the only way to secure the funding that protects it. Underselling means less funding, which means less help, which means more risk.
Write down — before the assessor arrives — the things that are genuinely harder than they used to be. Specific incidents, not general statements. "I sometimes have trouble with cooking" doesn't score. "I left the stove on twice last month and didn't hear the smoke alarm" is specific, functional, and directly useful to the algorithm.
The Integrated Assessment Tool covers multiple areas of daily functioning. For each area, the assessor is looking for functional limitations — what the person can't do, or can only do with support. Specific incidents with dates are more useful than general descriptions.
What it scores: Walking safely, using stairs, transferring from a chair or bed, and moving around home and community without risk of falls.
What to prepare: Note every movement that requires help or has become unsafe. Include distances — can they reach the letterbox? Manage the front step? Get out of bed without holding something?
"She can't get out of the armchair without help. She holds the wall walking to the bathroom. She's stopped going outside — she's scared of falling on the path."
What it scores: Memory, orientation, decision-making, and managing daily tasks without reminders.
What to prepare: Note specific incidents: missed medications, getting lost in familiar places, repeated questions, confusion about time or day, difficulty with money or the stove.
"He asks what day it is four or five times a day. He's left the stove on twice this month. He can't manage his medication without a Webster pack and daily reminders."
What it scores: Showering, dressing, grooming, preparing meals, and eating.
What to prepare: List every self-care task that requires help or has been modified. Note how often, how much help, and what happens when help isn't available.
"She can't shower without someone in the bathroom. We lay out her clothes every morning because she loses track of what she's already put on. She skips meals if no one reminds her."
What it scores: Bladder and bowel control, including frequency, accidents, and the effect on daily life and dignity.
What to prepare: Note frequency of accidents, management routines, and impact on sleep and social activities. Most families understate this area. Specific honesty here directly affects the classification.
"She has accidents two or three times a week. She's stopped going to her book club because of it. She's up twice a night."
What it scores: History of falls, near-misses, home hazards, and ability to summon help in an emergency.
What to prepare: Note falls with dates and injuries, near-misses, specific hazards (front steps, bath, uneven paths), and whether they could use a phone or alarm if something happened.
"He's had three falls in four months. The last one put him in hospital for two nights. There's a step at the front door he struggles with. He doesn't have a personal alarm."
What it scores: Changes in mood, anxiety, depression, agitation, or withdrawal that affect daily functioning and safety.
What to prepare: Note changes from the person's baseline — withdrawal from activities, expressions of hopelessness, agitation, and any diagnosis or treatment for mood or behaviour.
"She's stopped going to her book club. She says there's no point. She cries most mornings. Her GP has her on an antidepressant but she says it's not helping."
What it scores: Speaking, understanding, reading, and writing — including hearing loss, speech difficulties, or language barriers.
What to prepare: Note hearing loss and whether aids are adequate, speech difficulties, difficulty following conversations, and any support needed to communicate.
"He can't hear well enough to use the phone. He misses most of what's said on television. He nods along in conversations but often doesn't follow them."
What it scores: Social connections, activities, isolation risk, and access to community.
What to prepare: Note what activities have been given up, transport barriers, who visits and how often, and how many hours a week the person spends alone.
"He used to play bowls three times a week. He hasn't been in six months — he can't drive any more. He's alone Monday to Friday unless I come after work."
The assessment preparation tool turns what you see day to day into a printable written statement to hand over at the start of the visit.
The assessor needs functional limitations with specific examples — not diagnoses, not health history. Start with the most significant difficulty, stated specifically.
"Before we start, I'd like to give you a written summary of the main difficulties we're dealing with. The things that concern me most are [name the two or three most significant limitations]. I've written down specific examples for each area — can I hand this to you now?"
Handing over the written document at the start is the single most important action you can take. It gives the assessor the full picture before the conversation begins — before the good-day effect can narrow it.
If asked directly whether you're managing: "We manage because of significant adjustments and support from family — without those, it wouldn't be safe." Honest, and gives the assessor exactly what the algorithm needs.
A written summary of daily difficulties
One page, specific examples, covering as many key areas as possible. Hand it over at the start — before any conversation begins. The assessment preparation tool generates this.
GP letter or health summary
Ask the GP specifically to describe functional limitations — what the person cannot do, or can only do with help — not just diagnoses. 'Moderate dementia' is less useful than 'requires daily supervision for medication, cannot be left alone safely.'
Medication list
Current and complete. The assessor will ask about health and medications.
Incident log
Falls, near-misses, burns, confusion episodes — dated where possible. Direct evidence of risk that verbal answers may not surface.
Hospital discharge summaries
If there's been a recent hospitalisation, bring the discharge paperwork. It often contains functional assessments that directly support the classification you're seeking.
A support person
A carer or family member can add context the person being assessed may not raise. They speak to what they observe every day — the things that have become invisible through routine.
The written documentation covers the other days. Hand it to the assessor before the conversation begins. If the person is clearly presenting unusually well, name it directly.
"I want to make sure you have the full picture. Today seems like a better day than usual — most days are quite different. I've described those in the written summary. Would you like me to talk through any of those examples?"
The assessment is meant to reflect everyday functioning, not peak performance. Presenting the typical day is what produces an accurate classification.
From 9 December 2024, the ACAT workforce was unified into the Single Assessment System, which uses the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT). Most families still search for ACAT and most practitioners still use the term — both are correct for now. Our guide to the ACAT assessment walks through each step, from the first call to the outcome letter.
For ongoing help at home, the IAT works out the classification from the answers the assessor records. On 6 October 2026 the Department published how it does that, and our guide to how the assessment algorithm decides explains it in plain words. For what the assessor asks and how each answer is recorded, read the IAT user guide, explained.
Ask for a review in writing. Under the Aged Care Act 2024 you can ask for the decision to be reconsidered within 28 days of receiving your Notice of Decision. Email agedcarereviews@health.gov.au, or post a letter to the System Governor, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, and say why you think the decision is wrong. A family member or registered supporter can write for the person. The reviewer considers new evidence, such as dated incidents and a letter from the GP. If the 28 days have already passed, still ask, and explain why the request is late: the Department can allow more time. If needs have changed since the assessment, ask My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 about a reassessment instead.
If you still disagree after the review, our guide to asking for a review of a classification covers the next step, and OPAN (1800 700 600) gives free, independent advice.
Turn what you see day to day into a printable written statement — ready to hand to the assessor when they arrive.
Open the assessment preparation tool →The assessment produces a classification from 1 to 8. Each level comes with a quarterly funding budget. Classification 1: $2,758/quarter ($11,032/year). Classification 4: $7,632/quarter ($30,528/year). Classification 8: $20,074/quarter ($80,294/year). A higher classification means more government funding for care — not a worse diagnosis.
The assessor covers: mobility, cognition, self-care, continence, falls risk, behaviour, communication, and social engagement. They are looking for functional limitations — what the person can't do, or can only do with help. Specific incidents score better than general statements.
Three patterns: carers adapt quietly and the person appears more capable than they'd be without that support; a formal visit can bring out better performance than the person's typical day (the good-day effect); older people minimise difficulties out of pride or fear. Written evidence of what everyday life involves, including reminders or someone standing by, answers all three.
Ask for a review in writing within 28 days of receiving the Notice of Decision. Send a letter or the Request for an Internal Review of a Decision form, by email to agedcarereviews@health.gov.au or by post, and say why the decision is wrong. The reviewer considers new evidence, such as dated incidents or a letter from the GP. If needs have changed since the assessment, ask My Aged Care (1800 200 422) about a reassessment instead.
For ongoing help at home, it’s largely automatic. The Integrated Assessment Tool works out the classification from the answers the assessor records. The IAT User Guide says that outcome “must first be accepted by the assessor”, so the assessor can’t swap in a classification of their own. If the tool finds someone ineligible, assessors must not override it to a higher classification. The assessor’s professional judgement goes into recording each answer, so what matters is that the answers match everyday life.
Free preparation tool
In 15 minutes, you'll have a written statement to hand the assessor at the door.
The tool writes the carer statement for you — ready to print before the assessor arrives.
Start the free preparation tool →This 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.