Transition to Support at Home

From 1 July 2025, the Australian Government is introducing the Support at Home program, which will replace the Home Care Package (HCP) Program and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme. The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) will transition later, no earlier than 1 July 2027.

The Government states existing Home Care Package recipients will not be disadvantaged under the new system through grandfathering arrangements. This means that current entitlements, including fees and unspent funds, will be protected when transitioning to Support at Home.

Grandfathering Protections – What this means for you

The government has put in place a “no worse off” principle. This means those who currently receive a Home Care Package will transition to Support at Home without any loss of benefits.

• Current customers will not need to be reassessed, and the funding level will remain equivalent to the current Home Care Package.
• The customers current provider can continue supporting them, and services will not be disrupted.
• If the customer currently pays an income-tested care fee and were approved or receiving a Home Care Package before September 12, 2024, they will continue to pay the same amount or less under grandfathered fee arrangements.
• Any unspent funds from a person’s Home Care Package will be retained and available to use.
  • These funds must be used first before you receive new Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) funding.
  • If the quarterly budget runs out, they can use unspent funds to access additional services beyond their allocation.

These protections continue even if the customer is reassessed in the future under Support at Home.

Key changes for Home Care Package recipients

Those who currently receive services under a Home Care Package will automatically transition to Support at Home on 1 July 2025 with some important changes:

• Quarterly budgets: Annual Home Care Package funding will now be divided into four equal quarterly budgets (every three months).
• Any unspent funds from current Home Care Package will be transferred to a person’s Support at Home budget when Support at Home begins.
• Unspent funds from a person’s quarterly budget up to $1,000 or 10% (whichever is higher) can be rolled over into the next quarter.
• No separate administration fees: Package Management fees will be removed and instead incorporated into service pricing.
• Care Management funding: This will be set at 10 per cent and set aside for providers to offer care planning and coordination support.
• Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) funded separately:
  • If approved, recipients will receive separate funding for equipment and home modifications rather than needing to save from your care budget.
  • If they have unspent funds transferred from their Home Care Package, these must be used before receiving new AT-HM funds.

New Support at Home Budget Classifications

Under Support at Home, funding will now follow a classification system based on care needs, rather than the four Home Care Package levels. Funding will now be based on eight new care classifications, offering a more personalised approach.

What Juniper Customers Need to Do Next

At this stage, customers do not need to take any action. Juniper Home Care will continue to keep customers updated as more details from the Government become available.

Over the coming months, Juniper Home Care will provide our customers with:

• Personalised updates on how changes affect you.
• Review your care plan to ensure it aligns with your needs.
• Explain any financial changes, including contributions or fee adjustments.
• Assist you with any assessments or paperwork required.