Australia’s aged care system has changed, with the Support at Home program now providing a new way for older Australians to access government-funded care and support while continuing to live independently at home.
Support at Home replaced the former Home Care Packages (HCP) Program and Short-Term Restorative Care Programme on 1 November 2025.
At EL Care, we understand that changes to aged care can sometimes feel complicated. Our aim is to make the process easier to understand and help you get the most from the support available to you.
What is Support at Home?
Support at Home is the Australian Government’s program for providing aged care services to eligible older people in their own homes.
The program is designed around a simple principle: helping people remain independent, safe and connected while continuing to live at home for as long as possible.
Depending on your assessed needs, Support at Home can help with services such as:
- Nursing and clinical care
- Personal care and assistance with daily activities
- Domestic assistance
- Transport and community access
- Social support
- Respite care
- Allied health and therapeutic services
- Home maintenance and repairs
- Assistive technology and equipment
- Home modifications
The services you can access will depend on your individual assessment and Support Plan.
How do I access Support at Home?
The first step is generally to contact My Aged Care and arrange an aged care assessment.
The assessment looks at your individual circumstances, including what you can currently manage independently, where you may need some assistance, and what services could help you remain safe and independent at home.
Following your assessment, you will receive a Notice of Decision explaining the services and funding you have been approved to receive.
Once funding becomes available, you can choose a registered provider to work with you to organise and deliver your care and services.
How does the funding work?
One of the biggest changes under Support at Home is the way funding is structured.
For ongoing services, there are eight funding classifications. Your classification is determined through your aged care assessment and reflects the level of support you have been assessed as needing.
Rather than receiving an annual package to manage, ongoing Support at Home funding is generally allocated in quarterly budgets.
Your provider works with you to develop an individualised budget and plan how your available funding will be used to meet your assessed needs.
If you don’t use all of your quarterly funding, you can generally carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget, whichever is greater, into the next quarter.
People who transitioned from an existing Home Care Package into Support at Home have separate transitional arrangements, including provisions relating to previously unspent Home Care Package funds.
What types of services are available?
Support at Home broadly groups services into three categories.
Clinical Supports
These are services that support your health and clinical needs and can include nursing, physiotherapy and other clinical or therapeutic supports.
Clinical Supports are fully funded by the Australian Government, meaning participants do not pay a contribution towards approved clinical services.
Independence
These services are designed to help you safely manage everyday activities and maintain your independence. They can include services such as personal care, transport, respite and social support.
An important upcoming change is that from 1 October 2026, approved personal care services will be fully funded by the Australian Government, meaning participants will no longer be required to make a contribution towards personal care services where they have the service approved in their Support Plan and sufficient Support at Home funding available.
Everyday Living
Everyday Living services help with activities involved in maintaining your home and day-to-day life. These can include domestic assistance, cleaning, gardening and home maintenance.
Participants may be required to contribute towards the cost of these services.
Will I have to pay towards my care?
This depends on the type of service you receive and your individual financial circumstances.
Under Support at Home, the Australian Government fully funds approved Clinical Supports.
For other services, participants may be asked to make a contribution towards the cost. The amount you contribute is determined according to government rules and can depend on your income and assets as well as the type of service being provided.
This means two people receiving different types of services may have different contribution arrangements.
Your provider should explain the prices of your services and any contributions you are expected to pay before services are delivered.
What about equipment and home modifications?
Support at Home also includes a dedicated Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme.
This is designed to help eligible people access equipment or modifications that can make living at home safer and easier.
Depending on your assessed needs, this could include equipment or modifications that support mobility, safety and independence.
Importantly, this funding is separate from the standard ongoing Support at Home budget, helping people access necessary equipment and modifications without having to save a large portion of their regular care budget.
What is the Restorative Care Pathway?
Support at Home isn’t only about providing ongoing assistance.
The Restorative Care Pathway provides short-term, intensive support designed to help eligible people maintain or regain independence.
For example, someone who has experienced a decline in mobility or function may benefit from a coordinated period of allied health, nursing and other supports aimed at improving their ability to manage everyday activities.
The pathway can provide funding for up to 16 weeks.
Support for people approaching the end of life
Support at Home also includes an End-of-Life Pathway for eligible people who wish to remain at home during the final stages of their life.
This provides additional short-term funding so that appropriate care and support can be provided at home, helping individuals and their families during what can be an incredibly important and difficult time.
What if I already had a Home Care Package?
If you were receiving a Home Care Package when Support at Home commenced, you were transitioned into the new system.
There are specific arrangements in place for people who transitioned from Home Care Packages, including equivalent funding classifications and arrangements for previously unspent Home Care Package funds.
There is also a “no worse off” principle applying to participant contributions for people who were approved for a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024.
If you have transitioned from a Home Care Package and are unsure how the changes affect you, it is worth speaking with your provider about your individual circumstances.
How EL Care can help
Navigating aged care shouldn’t feel overwhelming.
At EL Care, our focus is on understanding the person first — what is important to you, what you want to continue doing independently, where you would like some extra assistance, and how your available support can be used effectively.
We can work with you and your family to understand your Support Plan, coordinate appropriate services and develop a care arrangement that reflects your needs, preferences and goals.
Whether you need a little help around the home, assistance with personal care, nursing and clinical support, social support, transport or a more comprehensive combination of services, our team is here to help.
Want to know more about Support at Home?
If you have received Support at Home funding, are transitioning from a Home Care Package, or are simply trying to understand what support may be available, talk to the EL Care team.
We can help you understand the next steps and discuss how EL Care can support you to continue living safely, confidently and independently at home.
Contact EL Care today to find out more about Support at Home and how we can support you.
Information in this article is general in nature and is current as at August 2026. Support at Home eligibility, funding, participant contributions and available services are determined under Australian Government aged care arrangements and may change over time.