By Steve Hadfield, AgedCareActionPlan.au · Last updated: 15 May 2026
Most families find out about the 56-day activation window after it has already started running.
Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025. When someone is assessed and approved, a letter arrives from My Aged Care. Families read the classification number, feel relieved that something has been approved, and assume someone will be in touch to explain what happens next.
Nobody contacts you automatically. The 56-day window runs from the date of your approval letter. If you don't sign a service agreement and commence services within that window, your funding allocation is withdrawn and allocated to the next person on the priority system — you then need to call My Aged Care to re-enter the queue.
Support at Home is the Australian Government's program for funding care and support services for older Australians living at home. It replaced the Home Care Package program on 1 November 2025.
The program funds three categories of support:
Nursing, wound care, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and other health services. The government covers the full cost for all participants regardless of income or assets.
Personal care (showering, dressing, continence support), transport, mobility aids. Your contribution rate is based on your income, assets, and pension status as assessed by Services Australia.
Domestic assistance (cleaning, laundry, gardening), meal preparation, social support. The same means-based structure as Independence support, with higher percentage rates.
Personal care services (showering, dressing, continence support) move from Independence to Clinical Care — meaning zero co-contribution for all participants, regardless of financial situation. If services are starting now, the costs quoted for personal care will change from that date.
Your classification determines your quarterly budget. There are eight classifications, assessed using the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT). Your approval letter states your classification number. These figures are effective from 1 November 2025 and indexed 1 July annually — recheck after 1 July 2026.
| Classification | Quarterly budget | Annual budget |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,674.18 | $10,697.72 |
| 2 | $3,995.42 | $15,981.68 |
| 3 | $5,479.94 | $21,919.77 |
| 4 | $7,386.33 | $29,545.33 |
| 5 | $9,883.76 | $39,535.04 |
| 6 | $11,989.35 | $47,957.41 |
| 7 | $14,530.53 | $58,122.13 |
| 8 | $19,427.25 | $77,709.00 |
Source: Department of Health and Aged Care, Support at Home program classifications and budgets, effective 1 November 2025. These figures include 10% allocated to care management — your usable budget for direct services is the remaining 90%.
Unused funds carry over between quarters, capped at $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget (whichever is greater). If you believe your classification is too low, you have the right to request a review through My Aged Care. See how your aged care assessment works for what assessors look for under the IAT.
Beyond the eight standard classifications, the program includes specialist pathways:
Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM): Separate needs-based funding up to $15,000 or more for High tier. Does not draw from your quarterly classification budget.
Restorative Care Pathway: Up to $6,000 (or $12,000 if eligible for two units) for up to 16 weeks — typically post-fall or post-hospitalisation.
End-of-Life Pathway: Around $25,000 for 12 weeks. You can be referred even if not already in the Support at Home program.
These pathways are not automatically offered. If any are relevant, raise them with your assessor or My Aged Care directly.
If you don't sign a service agreement and commence services within 56 days of your approval letter, your funding allocation is withdrawn — not paused, not deferred. It is reallocated to the next person on the Support at Home priority system. To access funding again, you need to call My Aged Care and re-enter the queue.
What counts as activation: Signing a Home Support Agreement with a registered Support at Home provider and commencing at least one service.
What doesn't count: Phone calls to providers, initial conversations, requesting information. The agreement must be signed and services must have started.
If you need more time: A 28-day extension is available. Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 before your 56-day window closes — not on day 55. The extension is not automatic.
Start contacting providers in your first week after receiving your approval letter. The process of finding a provider, reviewing a service agreement, and commencing services typically takes several weeks. Starting late means arriving at the deadline with no margin.
For a deeper walkthrough — including how to request the 28-day extension, what counts as "activated" in practice, and what to do if you're already close to the deadline — see the 56-day activation window.
Your quarterly budget is government-funded, but you contribute toward the cost of some services. The amount is personal — based on your income, assets, and pension status, determined through a Services Australia assessment.
Clinical care: Zero co-contribution for everyone. Nursing, wound care, physiotherapy, OT. Government funded in full regardless of your financial situation.
Independence support: Means-tested. Full pensioners pay the lowest rate; self-funded retirees without a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card pay the highest.
Everyday living: Highest co-contribution. Same means-based structure as Independence support, with higher percentage rates.
The lifetime cap on non-clinical co-contributions is combined across home care and residential aged care. The current cap depends on when you entered the system:
New entrants (approved from 1 November 2025): $137,917.01 — the indexed figure as at 20 March 2026.
Grandfathered participants ('no worse off', approved on or before 12 September 2024): $86,185.23 — the indexed figure as at 20 March 2026.
Both caps are indexed on 20 March and 20 September annually. Once you reach your cap, you pay nothing for non-clinical services.
From 1 July 2026: Government price caps apply to all Support at Home services. Until then, providers set their own prices (but must publish them and cannot charge entry, exit, or separate administration fees). Ask your provider what their current service rates are and how they will change from July 2026.
See Support at Home contribution rates explained for the full breakdown by service type and pension status.
| Feature | Home Care Package (pre Nov 2025) | Support at Home (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Funding levels | 4 levels | 8 classifications |
| Maximum annual funding | ~$63,440 (Level 4) | $77,709 (Classification 8) |
| Management fee | Often 30–40% of package value (industry average ~32%, no cap) | Capped at 10% of quarterly budget |
| Activation deadline | None | 56 days from approval letter |
| Personal care costs | Co-contribution applied | Co-contribution until 1 Oct 2026, then free |
| Price caps | None | Government caps from 1 July 2026 |
| Unspent funds rollover | Accumulated indefinitely | Capped at $1,000 or 10% per quarter |
For people who transitioned from HCP, see Moving from Home Care Package to Support at Home for the specific changes that apply to your situation.
These steps in order. Do not skip to step 3.
Confirm your approval date
Find your approval letter from My Aged Care. It states your classification and the date your funding was allocated — that date starts your 56-day clock. If you can't find the letter, call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to confirm your classification, approval date, and how many days remain.
Decide whether to use a provider or self-manage
Most people use a registered Support at Home provider. This is the simpler path, especially initially. Self-management gives more direct control but involves more administrative responsibility.
Contact at least three providers
Use the Find a Provider tool at myagedcare.gov.au. Ask each: what is your care management fee (must be 10% or under)? What are your current service rates, and how will these change after 1 July 2026? How quickly can you commence services?
Review the service agreement before signing
Confirm the care management fee is at or below 10% of your quarterly budget. No entry fee, exit fee, or separate administration fee. A clear process for raising concerns. Services listed match what was agreed verbally.
Commence services and confirm activation
Once your agreement is signed and your first service has occurred, your activation is complete. Contact My Aged Care if you don't receive written confirmation within two weeks.
See how to choose a Support at Home provider for the six questions that matter most in provider conversations. If you're considering self-management instead of full provider coordination, the self-managing your home care package guide covers how that works in practice.
The Aged Care Act 2024 includes a Statement of Rights that applies to every person receiving Support at Home.
The right to information: Your provider must explain in plain language what services you'll receive, what they cost, and how your budget is spent. Your provider gives you a monthly statement so you can track spending. If your statement is unclear, you are entitled to an explanation.
The right to choose and change your provider: You can change providers at any time. Your service agreement specifies the notice period. A provider cannot penalise you for leaving.
The right to complain free from reprisal: You can raise concerns with your provider, with the ACQSC (1800 951 822), or with OPAN (1800 700 600 — free, independent advocacy) without risk of your services being reduced or ended.
The right to a care plan built around your goals: Your provider must develop a care plan that reflects what matters to you, not just what services they offer.
If any of these rights have been breached, the escalation process explains what to do and in what order.
The $49 Activation Guide walks through your service agreement, what questions to ask providers, how to read your quarterly statement, and how to structure your first quarter.
Your funding allocation is withdrawn and given to the next person in the Support at Home priority system. Your approval doesn't lapse — you remain eligible — but you need to call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to re-enter the queue. Depending on your priority category, wait times vary. Contact My Aged Care as soon as you realise you've missed the window.
Yes. A 28-day extension is available. Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 before your 56-day window ends. The extension is not automatic and there is no guarantee — contact them early, not on day 55.
Yes, at any time. Your service agreement specifies the notice period required. Read it before initiating a transfer so you can arrange a new provider before giving notice to the existing one, avoiding a gap in services.
Classification 3 gives you $5,479.94 per quarter ($21,919.77 annually). Whether that covers your needs depends on the services you require and provider pricing. If your situation changed significantly since your assessment, or you feel the classification is too low, you have the right to request a review through My Aged Care.
They should — but follow up in writing before and after that date. Ask your provider to confirm your service agreement and monthly statement reflect that personal care carries zero co-contribution from 1 October 2026. If your statement still shows a personal care charge after that date, raise it immediately in writing and escalate to the ACQSC if unresolved.
When you transitioned on 1 November 2025, you received a transitioned HCP level equivalent to your previous package — not a new Support at Home classification. A new classification is assigned only if you are reassessed. If your needs have increased since your last assessment, request a reassessment through My Aged Care.
OPAN is the Older Persons Advocacy Network — a free, independent advocacy service. Call 1800 700 600 if you're having difficulty with your provider, feel your rights haven't been respected, or aren't sure how to raise a concern. OPAN is not part of the government and is on your side.
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.