Support at Home program

Features of the new Support at Home program

The Support at Home program will support older people to remain at home for longer. It will bring together two current in-home aged care programs, have new classifications, an increased focus on early interventions, and higher levels of care for people with complex needs.

About the program

From 1 November 2025, the new Support at Home program will replace the Home Care Packages (HCP) Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme. It will provide:

  • upfront supports to maintain independence, such as assistive technology and home modifications
  • new classification and budget levels to better meet a person’s aged care needs
  • participant contributions based on an assessment of income and assets.

From no earlier than 1 July 2027, the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) will transition into Support at Home. Until that time, CHSP will continue to operate as a separate program for existing clients and new clients with low-level needs. 

Accessing services

Assessment

An older person will need to have an aged care needs assessment to determine their eligibility for the program.

Based on this assessment, they will receive a Notice of Decision with an individual support plan to share with their provider. This will contain:

  • a summary of their aged care needs and goals
  • a classification with an associated ongoing quarterly budget and approved list of services
  • an approval for short-term supports if applicable, which may include a budget for:
    • assistive technology
    • home modifications
    • Restorative Care Pathway (for example, intensive allied health services)
    • End-of-Life Pathway.

Once assessed, older people seeking care will be allocated funding for ongoing services through the Support at Home Priority System. This system considers:

  • the priority level for in-home care services (urgent, high, medium, standard) determined using information collected during the aged care assessment
  • the date of approval for in-home care.

This system aims to ensure equitable and efficient allocation of funding based on standardised criteria. The higher the priority level, the less time an older person will wait to begin receiving their approved funding.

The allocation of funding for the Restorative Care and End-of-Life pathways is immediate on approval. 

Transitioning from the Home Care Packages Program

Home Care Package (HCP) care recipients will transition to Support at Home at their current funding levels. 

Older people on the National Priority System awaiting allocation of a HCP will transition to the Support at Home Priority System and have their budget allocated once a place is available. They will retain an equivalent budget to their assessed HCP budget. They won’t need a new assessment unless their needs change.

Ongoing services

Support at Home will have 8 classifications for ongoing services and 4 classifications for transitioned HCP recipients. Each classification will have a quarterly budget for participants to access government-funded services based on their assessed needs. 

Each participant will have a single service provider. The provider will be responsible for delivering direct care services or arranging a third party to do so. They will also provide care management, which ensures participants receive care that aligns with their preferences and needs. Participants may have the option to self-manage aspects of their care. 

Learn more about ongoing services

Short-term pathways

  • Restorative Care Pathway – replaces the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme. It will give participants access to intensive allied health and nursing care for up to 16 weeks. The pathway is designed to regain independence and prevent the need for higher levels of ongoing care.
  • Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme will give participants funding to access a defined list of assistive technology and home modifications, without needing to save up funds from their ongoing services budget.
  • End-of-Life Pathway will give participants with 3 months or less to live access to more funding for in-home aged care services for 12 weeks. This aims to help older people remain at home if that is their preference. 

Learn more about the short-term pathways

Participant contributions

Participants will pay contributions based on an assessment of their income and assets. Contributions will differ for:

  • clinical supports – no contribution
  • independence services – moderate contributions
  • everyday living services – highest contributions.

HCP care recipients and older people approved for a package on or before 12 September 2024 will be no worse off under Support at Home. This means they will make the same contributions, or lower, than they were assessed as having to pay under HCP program arrangements.

Pricing and payment arrangements

Initially, Support at Home providers will set their own prices for services. From 1 July 2026, government-set price caps will apply. Prices must include the entire cost of delivering a service (e.g. administrative costs, staff travel and third-party charges). 

Services delivered will be paid on a payment in arrears basis. Providers must only claim for services that have been approved in the participant’s Notice of Decision and support plan and documented in the participant’s service agreement. Providers must also keep evidence of all services and purchases. 

Providers must give their participants an itemised monthly statement. Download the Support at Home monthly statement template.

We are providing grants for eligible providers that operate in thin markets, such as rural and remote areas (under the Modified Monash Model (MM), MM3 to MM7) and/or specialise in supporting particular groups. 

Learn more about provider payment arrangements

In-home aged care for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

It is critical that older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can access culturally safe, trauma-aware and healing-informed aged care in or close to their community.

Support at Home will be responsive to the diverse and changing needs of older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through:

  • including culturally-safe care services on the service list – such as assistance to participate in cultural activities and access to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners and health workers
  • providing a supplement for extra hours of care management to providers that support older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants.

We are working with older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and service providers to ensure Support at Home meets their needs.

Learn more

To find out more about the Support at Home program:

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