A guide for families

Waiting for Support at Home: the Priority System and what you can do meanwhile

By the Supportd team · Checked against official sources on 26 October 2026

The short answer

Once approved, funding for ongoing Support at Home services comes through the Support at Home Priority System, by priority category and approval date; My Aged Care’s estimate, last updated 30 June 2026, was within 1 month for urgent, 1 month for high, 5 to 6 months for medium and 7 to 8 months for standard. Meanwhile you can pay a provider privately, use respite through Carer Gateway, compare providers and costs, and ask for a reassessment if your parent’s situation changes.

How the Priority System works

When your parent is approved for ongoing Support at Home services, they are placed in the Support at Home Priority System with the status “seeking services”. Funding is allocated in order of priority category and the date of approval, and the wait starts from the access approval start date in the outcome letter.

The assessment sets one of 4 priority categories: urgent, high, medium or standard. The Integrated Assessment Tool scores 1 point if your parent meets any of these: lives alone, identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, has an assessed cognitive impairment, is homeless or at risk of homelessness, or has waited more than 6 months from referral and lives in certain regional or remote areas. It adds 2 points if they need urgent services, and 5 points for Motor Neurone Disease.

Urgent: 5 or more points
High: 4 points
Medium: 2 or 3 points
Standard: 0 or 1 point

How long the wait is

The Aged Care Rules 2025 set target waits: within 1 month for urgent, while the wait for medium should be 6 times longer than high and the wait for standard 8 times longer than high.

My Aged Care publishes estimated waits and updates them as new estimates come out. Its estimate last updated on 30 June 2026 was:

Urgent: within 1 month
High: 1 month
Medium: 5 to 6 months
Standard: 7 to 8 months

As at 30 June 2026, 106,977 people were waiting for an ongoing Support at Home place. Check My Aged Care for the latest estimate before you plan around a date.

What can start sooner

The Restorative Care Pathway and the End of Life Pathway are funded straight away, with no waitlist.
Assistive technology and home modifications have their own priority systems, with an immediate or standard priority group.
Funding for each approved service is allocated separately, so your parent can start one service, such as home modifications, before ongoing funding arrives.
When waits run longer than expected, some people are given interim funding: 60% of their approved amount, so the most important services can start. The remaining 40% follows when available and is not backdated. People in the urgent category get full funding within a month and are not put on interim funding.

When funding arrives: the 56 day clock

A letter tells you when funding has been allocated. From the date on that letter there are 56 days to sign a service agreement with a provider and start services. You can ask My Aged Care for a 28 day extension. If services have not started by then, the funding is withdrawn and goes to the next person, and your parent has to call My Aged Care to rejoin the Priority System.

Give the provider you choose the referral code from the outcome letter so they can see the Support Plan. If you lose it, it is in the My Aged Care Online Account.

If your parent does not want services yet, tell My Aged Care. Their status becomes “not seeking services” and they will not be allocated funding until you change it back.

What you can do while you wait

Pay for some help privately. Providers that are not government funded can help while you wait. You pay the full price, and these services are generally not regulated by the Australian Government.
Get the paperwork done early. An income and assets assessment can be done before care starts, and the fee advice letter is valid for 120 days. The Support at Home fee estimator gives an idea of costs.
Shortlist providers now. Use Find a provider on My Aged Care to compare published prices and compliance records, so you can sign quickly when funding arrives.
Look after yourself as a carer. Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 offers free support, including planned respite through a tailored support package, and emergency respite if you suddenly cannot care.
Ask for a reassessment if things change. A significant change in your parent’s circumstances can lead to a reassessment, which may give a higher classification or priority.
If your parent goes into hospital, ask about transition care, which gives short term care after a hospital stay.

Next steps

Read the full picture in Support at Home explained.
Browse home care providers by suburb, Support at Home funded or private.
Ask us to find home care for your parent. A real person looks for providers near them, free for families.
Look up unfamiliar words in the aged care glossary.

Supportd is a directory of providers. We are not a care provider, we are not part of My Aged Care, and we cannot assess eligibility or speed up funding.

Tell us what your parent needs

Leave your details and a real person on our team will look for help at home near you and come back to you within a few hours.

Common questions

How long is the wait for Support at Home?

It depends on the priority category. My Aged Care’s estimate, last updated 30 June 2026, was within 1 month for urgent, 1 month for high, 5 to 6 months for medium and 7 to 8 months for standard. Check My Aged Care for the latest.

Can we get funding faster?

Funding follows the priority category set at the assessment and the approval date. If your parent’s circumstances change significantly, ask My Aged Care about a reassessment, which may change their priority. You can raise concerns about the priority given, and the outcome letter explains how.

What is interim funding?

When waits are longer than expected, some people receive 60% of their approved funding first so the most important services can start. The remaining 40% follows when available and is not backdated.

What happens if we do not find a provider within 56 days?

You can ask My Aged Care for a 28 day extension. If services still have not started, the funding is withdrawn and your parent has to call My Aged Care to rejoin the Priority System.

Can Supportd help while we wait?

Supportd cannot speed up funding and is not part of My Aged Care. We can help you find providers near your parent who take private clients now, and Support at Home providers to have ready for when funding arrives.

All aged care guides →

Sources

General information only, last checked on 26 October 2026. Rules, wait times and amounts change, so check the official sources for the latest. For advice about your own situation, call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.