Support at Home

Australia’s aged care system is set to experience a major change on the 1 July 2025, with the introduction of the new Aged Care Act, and the Support at Home program.

The Australian Government is introducing the Support at Home program to replace the Home Care Package (HCP) program.

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) will transition later, but not before 1 July 2027.

Support at Home provides home care services focused on supporting older Australians regain or maintain independence and live comfortably at home for longer.

Here are some of the key changes you will see when Support at Home comes into effect on 1 July 2025.

Contributions

Customers will contribute to the cost of some assessed services but not others

• No contribution required for clinical care (such as nursing and physiotherapy).
• Moderate contributions required for independence services such as personal care.
• Higher contributions will be required for everyday living services such as domestic assistance and gardening.

Contribution rates will be set as a percentage of the price of each service. Customers will pay a portion, and the remainder will be paid as a subsidy to the provider. Contribution rates will vary by the type of service received and the customer’s income and assets, determined by Services Australia.

New Funding Classifications

Customers will be assigned to one of 10 new funding classifications based on their assessed care needs. These include eight levels of ongoing support and two short-term pathways for restorative care and end-of-life care.

Pricing guidance 

From 1 July 2026 (next year), service providers can only use funds after services have been delivered to the customer. Until then, providers will continue to set their own prices for services as they have done for the Home Care Packages (HCP) Program. When price caps take effect in 2026, prices must not exceed the government-set caps that are based on advice from the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority.

The government’s pricing framework, created in collaboration with providers, ensures transparency. Prices must cover all service delivery costs, and providers must publicly list standard rates on their websites and My Aged Care profiles by 1 July 2025.

Quarterly Budgets

Annual funding will be divided into four equal quarterly budgets (every three months).
Unused funds from each quarter (up to $1,000 or 10%, whichever is higher) can be rolled over into the next quarter.

Care Management and Package Management fees

A care management fee of 10% will be set aside to cover care planning and coordination support.

Package Management fees will be removed and incorporated into service pricing.

Specific service options

There will be a specified services list to ensure clarity for customers and providers on available support options. Options for clinical care and support for independence and everyday living will be determined by assessment.

A New Single Assessment System will be introduced to streamline the assessment process and determine appropriate funding classifications and service types under Support at Home.

Assistive Technology (AT) & Home Modifications (HMS) to support independence.

Support at Home will offer upfront access to assistive technology and home modifications through a separately funded, nationally consistent scheme. A defined list of eligible items will be used to guide what can be funded.

If you have unspent funds that you transferred from your Home Care Package, these must be used before receiving new Assistive Technology and Home Modification funds.

Need more information?

You can find out more detailed information about Support at Home on the Australian Government’s website: About the Support at Home program | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care