About the scheme
The AT-HM scheme gives Support at Home participants separate access to assistive technology and home modifications, without needing to save up funds from their Support at Home ongoing services quarterly budget.
Accessing the scheme
Older people will be assessed for the AT-HM scheme as part of their aged care assessment.
If needed, the participant will be approved for a suitable funding tier. Assessors may approve for:
A participant’s approval will be outlined in their Notice of Decision and support plan.
These funds are allocated through the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Priority Systems. These priority systems are separate to the Support at Home Priority System, so participants may be allocated AT-HM funding at a different time to their ongoing funding.
Participants will be able to access their AT-HM funding once they have been allocated funding, found a provider and the provider notifies Services Australia. This applies even if they are still waiting for funding for their other approved services.
If the participant’s funding tier is not sufficient, their provider can request a support plan review and give evidence of need to increase their funding tier.
Participants who transitioned from the Home Care Packages (HCP) Program must use their unspent HCP funds to access the scheme in the first instance.
Assistive technology
Assistive technology includes equipment and products that help a participant to:
- do things more easily
- complete activities they can no longer do independently.
Examples of assistive technology include:
- mobility equipment, such as walking sticks, walking frames and wheelchairs
- toileting supports, such as bedpans and commodes
- bathing equipment, such as shower chairs and non-slip mats.
Funding is generally available for 12 months and must be included on the monthly statement.
Participants with specific progressive conditions may be allocated an assistive technology medium or high tier during assessment with a longer funding period (24 months). They can apply for an additional 24-month extension (48 months in total).
Funding tiers
The assistive technology funding tiers are:
| Funding tier | Amount |
|---|---|
| Low | Under $500 |
| Medium | Up to $2,000 |
| High | Up to $15,000 (or more if needed) |
This funding will cover:
- the assistive technology item/s
- a prescription from a health professional, if needed
- wraparound services, if needed.
Accessing AT high tier funding over $15,000
Participants may access assistive technology funding over $15,000 if required to meet their assessed needs. You will need to:
- complete the request form
- gather evidence for the request (e.g., quote and valid prescription from a suitably qualified health professional)
- lodge the form and evidence to the participant’s record via the My Aged Care Service and Support Portal
- call My Aged Care service provider and assessor helpline to validate your submission for processing.
We may request further evidence to complete the request, which could cause delays.
Home modifications
Home modifications include changes to a participant’s home environment to make it safer and more accessible.
Home modifications can include:
- internal and external handrails
- ramps and stair lifts
- bathroom redesign (e.g., changing the layout to improve accessibility)
- widening doorways and passages (e.g., to allow for wheelchair access).
Funding tiers
The home modifications funding tiers are:
| Funding tier | Amount |
|---|---|
| Low | Under $500 |
| Medium | Up to $2,000 |
| High | Up to $15,000 |
This funding will cover:
- home modifications
- home modifications associated services (e.g., trade services, installation, building approvals, plan drafting, council fees, asbestos removal or knock-down and removal costs)
- a prescription from a health professional, if needed
- wraparound services, if needed.
Funding is available for a 12-month period. High tier funding may be extended to 24 months if evidence of progress is provided to Services Australia.
You must indicate when funding expires on a participant’s monthly statement.
Funding for high tier home modifications is capped at $15,000 per lifetime. This does not include any additional supplement older people may be eligible for.
Low and medium tier home modifications may be approved as needed to meet assessed needs.
Accessing with other short term pathways
Participants in the Restorative Care Pathway can access assistive technology (all tiers) and home modifications (low and medium funding tiers).
Participants in the End-of-Life Pathway can access assistive technology (low and medium funding tiers).
AT-HM list
The AT-HM list outlines the products, equipment and home modifications that can be funded under the AT-HM scheme.
AT-HM scheme funding may only be used for items on the AT-HM list that address the person’s assessed clinical need/s outlined in their support plan and either:
- optimises the person’s functioning
- helps manage the person’s disability or age-related functional decline.
Excluded items
The AT-HM list excludes products and equipment that are:
- more appropriately funded or provided by other mainstream government or community support services
- a usual household or discretionary expense
- for use in a workplace
- for mass transit (e.g., public transport).
The department will establish a review process for the AT-HM list to consider changes over time to support required adjustments and account for emerging technologies.
Paying for AT-HM
Support at Home participants may be approved for AT-HM scheme funding through an aged care assessment. This can be done at the same time as their assessment for ongoing Support at Home funding.
Support at Home participants who transitioned from the former Home Care Package (HCP) Program can also use unspent HCP Commonwealth funds for AT-HM. The purchase of AT-HM will first be drawn from HCP Commonwealth unspent funds before the provider can claim from the AT-HM funding account (if allocated).
Ongoing or recurring costs
AT-HM funding covers both the AT-HM item and may cover associated ongoing or recurring costs where there is an assessed need.
For example, AT‑HM funding for personal emergency alarms pays for the device itself and ongoing monitoring for the 12-month funding period. If monitoring is needed after that time, the participant will need a reassessment.
AT-HM can only be funded through the AT-HM scheme. Participants are not able to use their Support at Home quarterly budget to pay for AT-HM even if there are remaining funds available.
Prescriptions
Providers must make sure all home modifications and assistive technology:
- meet the participant’s assessed needs
- are safe and fit-for-purpose
- are used in the right way, where possible.
A prescription from a suitably qualified health professional helps ensure that an assistive technology item and/or home modification is appropriate.
It should show that the item:
- addresses need/s identified in the participant’s support plan, and
- optimises the participant’s functioning, or
- helps manage the participant’s disability or age-related functional decline.
Health professionals may provide prescriptions in any format they choose.
Assistive technology
Prescriptions for assistive technology (where required) must be provided by a suitably qualified health professional, such as a nurse or allied health professional, to demonstrate that the item is suitable for the older person.
The AT-HM list provides guidance on the types of assistive technology items, products and equipment that might benefit from a prescription.
Home modifications
All home modifications must be prescribed by an occupational therapist working within their professional scope of practice.
To learn more about prescriptions, see:
Evidence for funding changes
There are instances when a prescription is required as evidence under the AT-HM scheme to demonstrate assessed need. Examples include when a participant needs to:
- access assistive technology high tier funding above $15,000
- access some conditional inclusions on the AT-HM list.
Funding an AT-HM prescription
Prescriptions for AT‑HM are usually funded through the AT‑HM scheme.
In some circumstances, a prescription may be incidental as part of other treatment. In these situations, it would be funded under the Support at Home ongoing services budget associated with that health professional.
Prescriptions used as evidence under the AT-HM scheme can be funded through:
- the AT-HM scheme
- Support at Home ongoing services quarterly budget
- private funding.
If a participant’s AT‑HM funding is not enough to cover what they’ve been prescribed, they will need a support plan review or reassessment.
National Assistive Technology Loans scheme
Extensive work has been undertaken since 2023 to explore the feasibility of delivering a National Assistive Technology Loans scheme (AT Loans scheme) through existing state and territory government loans programs.
In May 2026, the government announced that the exploration of the AT Loans scheme will be expanded to include the broader assistive technology sector.
The department will continue to consult with the sector and states and territories to consider their role and inclusion in scheme delivery.
Coordinating AT-HM services
Providers are responsible for arranging and sourcing any required AT-HM items and services, including prescription and wraparound services, in accordance with the participant’s assessed needs.
You can purchase or loan assistive technology and home modifications through:
- an assistive technology supplier
- a qualified building professional for home modifications
- private rental arrangements
- AT Loans scheme (once available).
Find out about:
Record keeping
For all AT-HM items, you must obtain an invoice plus at least one additional piece of documentation to demonstrate confirmation of delivery. This includes:
- care notes
- clinician records
- participant’s signature on a delivery slip, receipt or invoice
- photos or videos of installed assistive technology or completed home modifications
- records that demonstrate delivery and show:
- details of items
- participant’s name and address
- details of delivery (including date and time)
- photos of the AT-HM item at participant’s address.
Repairs and maintenance
The cost of repairs and maintenance of assistive technology purchased through the AT-HM scheme should be funded through a participant’s AT-HM funding allocation.
If a participant’s funds have expired and their assistive technology requires maintenance or repairs, you can refer them for a support plan review to access AT-HM funding.
You should discuss these options with the participant and document in their care notes.
Remote supplement
This supplement applies to participants living in an area in the Modified Monash Model (MMM) classification 6 or 7 to help with the cost of AT-HM services and items in remote areas.
For more information about the remote supplement.
Participant contributions
Most AT-HM items and associated services require a participant contribution, similar to the independence category. This means participants will need to contribute to some of the cost.
Prescription and wraparound services are categorised as clinical supports and fully funded by the government, so participants cannot be asked to contribute to these costs.
Participants will generally pay a contribution for home modifications. Participants living in a remote area (MM6-7) who are allocated a home modifications high tier will only pay a contribution on 66.6% of the total cost. This helps reduce higher out of pocket costs in remote areas.
Learn more about participant contributions.
Transitioned HCP care recipients
Participants who transitioned from the HCP Program have been allocated a AT-HM transitional tier ($0 allocation) to access AT and HM. This means they can use any Commonwealth unspent HCP funds they have accumulated to pay for items on the AT-HM list.
Participants can also be approved for funding to pay for AT-HM.
- If their needs have changed, participants can request a reassessment to be approved for an AT HM funding tier (low to high).
- If they don’t have enough unspent funds, participants can request a support plan review for additional AT-HM funding.
When a participant is allocated an AT-HM funding tier:
- Commonwealth unspent HCP funds must be used first
- AT-HM funding can then be used once those funds are exhausted.
Note: If a transitioned HCP care recipient has a reassessment, they must be approved for AT-HM funding in their new support plan to access the AT-HM scheme.
Find out more
Read:
- Chapter 13 (AT-HM scheme) of the Support at Home program manual
- AT-HM scheme guidelines.