From 1 November 2025, there will be changes in how aged care funding is provided by the Australian Government.
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The Support at Home program is the new Australian Government program launching on 1 November 2025 to replace the Home Care Packages program and Short-Term Restorative Care program. It aims to create a flexible, personalised, and more supportive system for in-home aged care so that older people can live independently at home for longer.
The new program is in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and includes key updates such as more funding levels and defined service types you can access.
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has stated the following:
All Home Care Package recipients will receive a Support at Home budget that aligns with their current Home Care Package level.
As part of the Government’s “no worse off” principle, your services will continue. Additionally, you won’t have reduced access to care or lower levels of funding with the change.
The Support at Home program includes a defined service list. You will be assessed on the services you need, as outlined in your support plan.
The Support at Home program aims to create a flexible, personalised, and more supportive system for in-home aged care so you can live independently in your own home longer. Here are the key changes from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing that you should know.
The Government intends that you will be “no worse off” under the new Support at Home program, and your access to care will not be reduced.
If you received a Home Care package before 12 September 2024, you will be assessed on your needs and get a Support at Home budget that aligns with your current Home Care Package level.
There will now be 8 levels of in-home aged care funding as opposed to the current 4 levels in the Home Care Package program.
Any unspent funds you have will move across to your Support at Home program. If your needs change in the future, you’ll be reassessed into a new Support at Home funding level.
| Home Care Package | Support at Home | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Package Level | Annual budget | Package Level | Annual budget |
| 1 | 10,833 | 1 | ~11,000 |
| 2 | ~16,000 | ||
| 2 | 19,049 | 3 | ~22,000 |
| 4 | ~30,000 | ||
| 3 | 41,460 | 5 | ~40,000 |
| 6 | ~48,000 | ||
| 4 | 62,853 | 7 | ~58,000 |
| 8 | ~78,000 | ||
It’s clearer what services you can access with your funding.
Support at Home makes it easier to understand what support services you are entitled to. Services will be grouped into three categories:
You will be assessed on the services you need, which will be outlined in your support plan.
If you’re able to, you may have to contribute to the services you receive.
If you were approved for your Home Care Package on or after 12 September 2024, your contribution will be based on an income, asset assessment, and the hours or units of care you receive. This will be assessed for you by Services Australia.
As your provider, we’ll collect this contribution from you and provide you with visibility of the cost, so you’re always clear and confident on what you’re paying.
If you were approved for your Home Care Package before 12 September 2024, and you currently pay an income tested care fee, you will need to pay a contribution that should be the same or lower than you currently pay. This contribution will go towards the support you receive under the new Support at Home program.
Contributions under Support at Home are determined by Services Australia through an income and asset assessment.
If you were receiving a HCP prior to 12 September 2024 and do not currently pay an ITCF contribution you should not have to pay a contribution under Support at Home.
If you were approved for a Home Care Package after 12 September 2024, you will be required to make a participant contribution. Actual contribution rates are determined by Services Australia through an income and asset assessment.
Invoices from your support services will look different.
Your invoices from support workers and services will now show a detailed breakdown of each service type your funding is paying for, rather than a bulk amount.
Budgeting changes encourage you to make the most of your funding.
Your annual funding amount will now be split across four equal quarters with a limit on the amount of unspent funds you can carry over.
From 1 November 2025, if you don’t use all your quarterly budget, you can carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of what’s left, whichever is greater, into the next quarter. This change is designed to ensure funding is used for current care needs, which helps people stay in their homes for longer.
If you have an existing Home Care Package, you can carry over any unspent funds, but any further accumulation of unspent amounts will be subject to these new rules.
Provider management fees are changing to better schedule services around your needs.
Under Support at Home, registered providers can charge up to 10% for care management, down from the current 20% cap. The Government will set aside 10% of each participant’s quarterly budget for care management.
This pooled funding offers flexibility to meet individual needs, so the level of care management recipients receive may vary month to month. Providers are paid for care management services after they are delivered.
If you’re self-managing, your provider may charge a service loading fee of up to 10%.
HomeMade will charge the 10% management fee, which is likely to be standard across all Aged Care providers. In addition, HomeMade is intending to charge up to the 10% service loading on services delivered. This service fee covers administrative costs as well as the costs associated with managing service providers and support workers. We will communicate these new fees to you and you will be provided with a new agreement to sign.
There will be HomeMade platform changes to get familiar with.
We’re introducing new platform enhancements to align with the introduction of Support at Home. We’ll communicate these to you along the way to ensure you’re prepared and confident.
We are here to support you and your service providers, so you keep getting more hours of support*.
We’ll continue to work with you and your Mable independent support worker to ensure you maintain access to support services. HomeMade is here to help you and your support team through this transition.
Learn more about Support at Home with these documents from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
This document outlines the core component of the Support at Home program design and arrangements from 1 November 2025.
A fact sheet answering some frequently asked questions about the Support at Home program design.
This booklet is aimed at older people and their families and carers. It contains information about the Support at Home program.
*HomeMade hours are based on a self-management customer on a Level 4 package that is paying the average weekday hourly agreed rate for social support and domestic assistance in aged care support observed on the Mable platform from 30 June 2024 to 1 January 2025. Mable is part of the same group of companies as HomeMade. This is compared with the hours of support that a person on a Level 4 package can get when paying the maximum total fees permitted and the average rate per hour charged by a support worker for cleaning and household tasks at three of the largest traditional home care providers in Australia, as at January 2025.
Acknowledgement of Country
HomeMade is a part of Attain Healthtech, dedicated to helping people attain better outcomes.