Last updated: 23 September 2026
Care management is a fixed 10% of your quarterly budget, and it's the same at every provider. Providers also can't add separate administration or travel fees. So the real difference is the price each provider charges for each service, and every provider has to publish those prices. This guide shows you how to compare them, what to ask, and what to check before you sign.
Once your funding assignment letter arrives, you have 56 days to choose a provider, sign a service agreement and get services started. My Aged Care lists every registered provider near you, with their prices. What it can't tell you is who has workers in your suburb, who will actually turn up each week, or how soon they can start. Those answers only come from asking the right questions.
This guide gives you the framework to compare providers properly — the specific questions to ask, the service agreement clauses to check, and the red flags that indicate a provider worth avoiding.
Start by reading what your classification actually buys in hours — so you know what your budget covers before you compare prices.
My Aged Care's Find a provider tool lists registered providers with their contact details, published prices and compliance history. What it doesn't show: whether they have workers available in your suburb, how consistent those workers are, or how soon services can start.
So you can compare prices online. The rest you have to get by calling each provider and asking the right questions. Most families don't know what the right questions are — so they ask general questions, get general answers, and choose based on whoever sounds most professional on the phone.
For a fuller regulatory history, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) publishes audit outcomes, banning orders and enforceable undertakings at agedcarequality.gov.au. Check any provider you're seriously considering before you sign.
The six questions below are the specific ones that give you comparable data. Get the answers from at least three providers before making any decision.
Ask these six questions of every provider you consider. Get answers in writing where possible — follow up any phone call with an email asking them to confirm what they said.
Why this matters: Care management is a fixed 10% of your quarterly budget at every provider. The government sets it, not the provider. So the difference between providers is the price of each service: personal care, cleaning, nursing, transport. Ask for the price per hour or per visit for the services you'll actually use, and write it down for every provider you contact.
If a provider quotes a separate administration, package management or travel charge on top of its prices, ask why. Those separate charges aren't allowed under Support at Home. All costs must sit inside the price of each service.
Why this matters: Some providers have waitlists for workers in specific regions, particularly rural and regional areas. A provider registered in your state may not have workers available within a reasonable distance. This question surfaces that problem before you've signed anything.
If they cannot give a specific timeline or say 'it depends' without further detail, ask to speak to the local coordinator.
Why this matters: My Aged Care lists registered providers but doesn't show worker availability by area. A provider may be registered for all of NSW but only operate workers in Sydney. Ask specifically about your suburb and what the typical travel time from their nearest worker is.
If they seem uncertain about worker availability in your area, ask for the name of the local team member who covers your location.
Why this matters: All Support at Home providers must publish their prices, on their own website and on My Aged Care's Find a provider. If a provider can't show you its price list straight away, that is a warning sign about their administrative processes.
If the price they quote you is higher than their published price, ask them to explain the difference. They must be able to.
Why this matters: Every Support at Home provider must have a process for managing complaints and feedback. Asking this question tells you how seriously they take accountability. A provider who answers this clearly and specifically is more likely to take service issues seriously than one who gives a vague answer.
If they say 'just call us' or seem unfamiliar with the formal process, that is a red flag.
Why this matters: Consistency matters enormously for people receiving personal care — particularly when there is cognitive impairment or trust takes time to build. Some providers run high staff turnover and frequent substitutions; others assign a small regular team. This is different from worker availability in your suburb (Q3) — it's about who actually turns up week to week once services start.
Vague answers like 'we have lots of workers available' suggest a high-turnover pool. Press for the typical number of workers a client sees in a quarter, and what the cover process looks like when the regular worker is sick or on leave.
"Hi, I've been approved for Support at Home Classification [X] and I'm comparing providers. Can you tell me your price per hour for [the services I need, for example personal care and cleaning]? Do you have workers available in [suburb], and how soon could services start?"
Start with what you don't need to compare. Care management is a fixed 10% of your quarterly budget, deducted for everyone on an ongoing Support at Home classification, and it's the same at every provider. For Classification 3 ($5,645.23 per quarter), that's $564.52 a quarter.
Providers also can't add separate administration or travel fees. Every cost of delivering a service, including administration and workers' travel, has to be built into that service's price (Support at Home Program Manual, section 10.3.3). So the number to compare is the price per hour or per visit for each service you'll actually use.
Every provider must publish its prices, on its own website and on My Aged Care's Find a provider tool. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing also publishes national median prices, so you can see whether a price is typical. If a provider quotes you more than its published price, ask it to explain why. It must be able to.
| Cost | How it works under Support at Home | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Care management | A fixed 10% of your quarterly budget, the same at every provider | Nothing to compare |
| Each service (personal care, cleaning, nursing, transport) | The provider sets its own price and must publish it | Compare prices for the services you'll use |
| Administration, package management, travel | Can't be charged separately; included in each service's price | Query any separate charge before you sign |
| Your contribution | The government sets your contribution rate for each type of service, and it's charged on the service's price | For most services, a lower price also lowers your contribution |
Sources: Support at Home Program Manual v4.4 (September 2026), sections 8.8 and 10.3; My Aged Care. Classification 3 budget from 1 October 2026. Government-set price caps were planned for 1 July 2026 but were paused in May 2026.
The service agreement sets out the services, prices and terms you've agreed, and a provider must have one in place before it starts funded services. Nothing in a verbal conversation is binding — only what's in the signed agreement. Check these eight things before you sign anything.
Prices match what you were quoted
Verbal quotes are not binding. The agreed price for each service should be written into the agreement.
Care management is the standard 10% of your budget
Care management is a fixed 10% of your quarterly budget, the same at every provider. If the agreement shows a different care management percentage, ask why.
No separate administration, package management or travel fees
Under Support at Home these can't be charged separately. Every cost of delivering a service must be included in its price. If the agreement lists any of them as a separate charge, ask for it to be removed before you sign.
Notice period for ending the agreement is stated
You can change providers. The agreement should say how much notice you need to give.
Exit conditions are clear — no exit fees
Providers can't charge you for leaving. If the agreement mentions any fee for leaving, do not sign until it is removed.
Services match exactly what was discussed
Check the specific services listed. 'Home care' is vague. 'Personal care (showering and dressing) twice weekly on Tuesday and Thursday' is specific. If the agreement is vague, ask for a detailed service schedule.
Price change process is described
Providers can change their prices, but a change has to be agreed with you and recorded in writing: a new agreement, a signed updated price schedule, or your written or email acknowledgement. The agreement should describe how this works.
Complaint process is described with contact details
Should include who to contact, how, and within what timeframe they will respond. Not just 'call us'.
Self-management is not a separate product — it is a way of organising services within the Support at Home program. How much you self-manage can range from "my provider handles everything" to "I choose my own workers and direct my own schedule." For a deeper look at self-managing your home care package, see the dedicated guide.
Even if you self-manage extensively, your registered provider is still legally responsible for care management and must deliver it to you at least once a month; the program manual says this should be a direct activity of at least 15 minutes. The 10% care management deduction applies either way. You remain linked to a registered provider regardless of how much you self-manage.
| Factor | More coordination makes sense | More self-direction makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Care complexity | High — multiple conditions, many services | Lower — consistent services, stable situation |
| Time and capacity | Limited — carer or person cannot manage logistics | Available — someone can coordinate bookings and workers |
| Worker relationships | Happy with provider-selected workers | Want to choose specific, trusted workers |
| Comfort with administration | Prefers someone else to handle paperwork | Comfortable managing schedules and documentation |
Self-management works well when a capable family member can take on the administrative role — scheduling workers, sourcing services, tracking the budget. It does not work well when the person is isolated, the family is distant, or the situation is medically complex. Neither option is universally better; the right choice depends on whether someone is realistically available to take on the admin load. Use the self-managed guide to understand what's actually involved before deciding.
Most service issues can be resolved without changing providers — but only if you raise them in a form that creates a record and on a timeline that doesn't drift for months.
Start with the provider in writing. Email — not phone — because email creates a record both sides can refer back to. State specifically what went wrong: which service, which date, what you expected, what happened instead. Ask for a written response within 5 business days.
If 5 business days pass without an acknowledgement, or the response doesn't resolve the issue, call OPAN on 1800 700 600. OPAN is free, independent, and they know how to get providers to respond.
Families wait far too long before escalating — giving the provider weeks or months of chances before calling OPAN. By that point significant care has been missed, the pattern is entrenched, and the relationship is harder to repair. Five business days is a reasonable response window. After that, escalate without apology.
For the full escalation pathway — who to call at each stage, what to say, and what to do when it stalls — read the escalation ladder guide.
You can change providers. Your current provider can't charge you for leaving (Support at Home Program Manual, section 7.2).
The most common reasons families switch: the provider isn't delivering what was agreed, prices are higher than expected, the support workers keep changing, or the relationship has broken down. None of these require an apology or an explanation.
Find a new provider before agreeing on an end date with your current one. This limits any gap in service delivery.
Tell your current provider you want to change. Give the notice period stated in your service agreement.
Give your new provider your referral code. If it needs reactivating, you can do that in your My Aged Care online account or by calling 1800 200 422.
Sign a new service agreement with the new provider before the transition date.
If your provider is refusing to support the transition or adding conditions, the escalation ladder covers how to escalate this — starting with OPAN (1800 700 600) for free independent advocacy.
The 56 days start from the date on your funding assignment letter, the letter that arrives when funding is allocated to you. It's separate from your assessment outcome letter. Within those 56 days you need to choose a provider, sign a service agreement and have services actually start. Signing on its own isn't enough. You can ask My Aged Care for a 28-day extension.
Your provider must also tell Services Australia that your services have started, within the same window. Ask them to confirm they've done it.
If services haven't started in time, the funding is withdrawn and you're removed from the Priority System. You can rejoin without a new assessment unless your needs have changed, and your original approval date is kept. Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. For more detail, read the 56-day activation guide.
"Hi, I'd like you to deliver my Support at Home services. My referral code is [code], from my funding assignment letter. What do you need from me to get services started, and what's the earliest start date?"
Compare providers' published prices and compliance history on My Aged Care's Find a provider tool.
Open Find a provider →Go to myagedcare.gov.au, click Find a provider, select Support at Home, and filter by your state and region. Get at least 3 names and phone numbers before calling any of them. Each provider's profile shows its published prices and compliance history.
Care management is a fixed 10% of your quarterly budget, the same at every provider. For Classification 3 ($5,645.23 per quarter), that is $564.52. Providers cannot charge separate administration or travel fees on top: all costs must be included in the price of each service.
Self-management is not a separate product — it is a way of organising services within the Support at Home program. Even if you self-manage extensively, your registered provider is still legally responsible for care management and must deliver it to you at least once a month; the program manual says this should be a direct activity of at least 15 minutes. The 10% care management deduction applies either way. You can choose your own workers and direct your own schedule.
Yes. You can change providers, and providers cannot charge you for leaving. Find a new provider before agreeing on an end date with your current one to avoid a gap in services, then give the new provider your referral code.
The 56 days start from the date on your funding assignment letter, not your assessment outcome letter. Within them you need to choose a provider, sign a service agreement and have services start, and you can ask My Aged Care for a 28-day extension. If services haven't started in time, the funding is withdrawn, but you can rejoin without a new assessment unless your needs have changed. Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
Waiting on your funding assignment letter, or just received it?
The 56 days to choose a provider and get services started run from that letter. Here's how the 56 days work.
Read the 56-day activation guideThis 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.