A guide for families

Support at Home explained

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

The short answer

Support at Home is the Australian Government program that pays for aged care at home. It started on 1 November 2025. To use it, an older person first needs an aged care assessment through My Aged Care. If they are approved, they may wait for funding, then they choose one registered provider to deliver their services and pay a contribution towards some of them. Paying a provider privately is always an option, including while you wait.

What Support at Home is

Support at Home is the government funded program that helps older people keep living at home for longer, with care and services matched to their assessed needs. It started on 1 November 2025 and replaced the Home Care Packages Program and the Short Term Restorative Care Programme.

If your parent already had a Home Care Package, they moved across to Support at Home with funding equivalent to their previous package level.

The Commonwealth Home Support Program, for people who need a little help to stay at home, keeps running for now. The government says it will move into Support at Home no earlier than 1 July 2027.

Who qualifies

Eligibility for government funded aged care is based on age, needs and situation. To qualify for an aged care assessment, a person needs help with some everyday tasks and must be:

aged 65 or older, or
an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person aged 50 or older, or
homeless or at risk of homelessness and aged 50 or older.

The assessment itself decides whether they are eligible for Support at Home and which services they are approved for. My Aged Care has an online checker if you want to see whether your parent meets the requirements before applying.

Getting assessed through My Aged Care

Everything starts with My Aged Care. You can apply for yourself or on behalf of someone else:

Online at myagedcare.gov.au. Have their Medicare card handy.
By phone on 1800 200 422, Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm.
A doctor or hospital can also refer them to My Aged Care.

After you apply, an assessment organisation will call, usually within 2 to 6 weeks, to talk through their needs. A trained assessor then meets them, most often at home, although some assessments happen by phone or telehealth. A family member or friend can help with the application and be there for the assessment.

If they are approved, they receive a Notice of Decision letter and a support plan that lists the services they can receive. Keep both handy: providers will ask for them.

The wait: the Support at Home Priority System

Being approved does not always mean services can start straight away. Funding for ongoing services is handed out through the Support at Home Priority System, based on the date of approval and a priority category set at the assessment: urgent, high, medium or standard.

My Aged Care publishes the current estimated wait for each priority category, and updates it as new estimates come out, so check there for the latest figures rather than relying on a number you heard from someone else.

The Restorative Care Pathway and the End of Life Pathway are funded straight away, with no waitlist.
When waits run longer than expected, some people are given interim funding of 60% of their approved amount, so the most important services can start.
When funding arrives, a letter tells you. 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 28 more days if you need them.

You can pay privately for some help while you wait. That is covered further down this page.

What it pays for

Someone approved for ongoing services is given one of 8 classifications. Each comes with a quarterly budget, and higher classifications carry more funding. 10% of that quarterly budget goes to care management, which is the provider planning, reviewing and keeping track of their care. My Aged Care lists the current budget for each classification.

Support at Home services fall into three groups:

Clinical supports, such as nursing care, occupational therapy, podiatry and help with showering or dressing.
Independence, such as transport, respite care, remedial massage and support to get to appointments or social events.
Everyday living, such as cleaning, gardening, shopping and meal preparation.

There are also three short term pathways: the Restorative Care Pathway (allied health and nursing for up to 16 weeks to help regain function), the End of Life Pathway (extra care at home for people with 3 months or less to live) and the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme (equipment and changes to the home, funded separately from the ongoing budget).

What you might pay

Your parent may be asked to pay something towards some services. This is called a participant contribution, and it depends on two things: the type of service, and their income and assets.

Clinical supports, such as nursing, occupational therapy and podiatry, are fully paid for by the government. From 1 October 2026, personal care such as help with showering and dressing is also fully funded for people approved for it.
Independence services carry a moderate contribution.
Everyday living services, such as cleaning and gardening, carry the highest contribution.
Services Australia works out the percentage from an income and assets assessment. Full pensioners pay the lowest share: for example, 5% of the price of independence services and 17.5% of everyday living services. Self funded retirees without a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card pay the highest share.

Contributions are only paid on services actually received. People who were receiving or approved for a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024 will pay the same or less than they would have under the old program. If paying a contribution causes real hardship, financial hardship assistance may be available through Services Australia.

Providers set their own prices and must publish them, so it pays to compare. The Support at Home fee estimator on My Aged Care gives an estimate before you commit to anything.

Choosing a provider

All of a person’s Support at Home services come through one provider they choose, so the choice matters. The new Aged Care Act started on 1 November 2025, and under it every provider of government funded aged care must be registered with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. Support at Home services are arranged through a registered provider, so ask any provider whether they are registered to deliver Support at Home.

Things worth comparing:

Whether they offer every service in the support plan, and whether they deliver it themselves or use another company.
Their published prices, and what is included in each price.
Their compliance record and finances, both shown on the My Aged Care Find a provider tool.
Language, culture and faith, and experience with specific health conditions such as dementia.
How they will include you and other family members in decisions and in the care plan.

Meet or phone a few before choosing. You do not have to commit, and you can say no for any reason. Bring the Notice of Decision letter, the support plan and the income and assets assessment outcome if you have it.

If something goes wrong, talk to the provider first. You can also contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on 1800 951 822, or the Older Persons Advocacy Network on 1800 700 600 for free, independent support.

Paying privately

You do not need government funding to get help at home. Families pay a provider directly when their parent is not eligible for funded care, when they are approved but still waiting for funding, or when they simply want more help than the budget covers.

Private help at home includes cleaning, gardening, transport, and health and therapy services. Because it is not subsidised, you pay the full price, and it is generally not regulated by the Australian Government the way funded care is. Ask about experience, insurance and background checks, and get the price and what is included in writing.

How Supportd helps

Tell us what your parent needs. Their suburb, the kind of help, and whether it is Support at Home funded or paid privately. If you are not sure yet, say so.
A real person looks for you. Someone on our team looks for providers near them who take aged care clients and have room to help, and comes back to you within a few hours.
You choose, no obligation. We only share your details with the providers we match you with. Matching is free for families.

Supportd is not part of My Aged Care and cannot assess eligibility or speed up funding. You can ask us to find home care for your parent, free, or browse home care providers by suburb.

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

Is Support at Home the same as a Home Care Package?

Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages Program on 1 November 2025. People who had a package moved across with funding equivalent to their previous package level.

How long is the wait for Support at Home funding?

It depends on the priority category set at the assessment (urgent, high, medium or standard) and the date of approval. My Aged Care publishes the current estimated wait for each category and updates it as new estimates come out.

Can we pay for help while we wait for funding?

Yes. You can pay a provider privately at any time, including while you wait for Support at Home funding to be allocated. Private services are not subsidised, so you pay the full price.

Does Supportd assess eligibility or speed up funding?

No. Assessments and funding only come through My Aged Care. Supportd helps with the next step: finding providers near your parent who have room to help, whether you are using Support at Home or paying privately.

Does Supportd cost anything for families?

No. Searching and matching are free for families. Providers pay a flat subscription to be listed, and that is how Supportd is paid.

More aged care guides

Under 65 with a disability? The NDIS may be the right fit. Find NDIS support.

Sources

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