Support at Home: Levels, Funding and How to Find a Provider
Support at Home is the Australian Government program that pays for care and services so older people can keep living at home. It replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025. Depending on your needs you're given one of 8 classifications, with a budget of $2,757.89 to $20,073.50 a quarter, and you choose the provider who delivers your services.
Figures from 1 October 2026, from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and My Aged Care. Last checked 3 November 2026.
Support at Home classifications and budgets
An aged care assessor gives you a classification based on how much help you need. The higher the classification, the bigger the budget. Your yearly amount is split into four quarterly budgets, and you can use the full quarter's amount from the start of each quarter.
| Classification | Quarterly budget | Annual amount |
|---|---|---|
| Classification 1 | $2,757.89 | $11,031.56 |
| Classification 2 | $4,120.89 | $16,483.55 |
| Classification 3 | $5,645.23 | $22,580.93 |
| Classification 4 | $7,632.04 | $30,528.15 |
| Classification 5 | $10,202.32 | $40,809.27 |
| Classification 6 | $12,365.48 | $49,461.91 |
| Classification 7 | $14,944.20 | $59,776.80 |
| Classification 8 | $20,073.50 | $80,294.00 |
- 10% of each quarterly budget goes to your provider for care management.
- You can carry unspent funds into the next quarter, up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget, whichever is higher.
- Budgets are held by Services Australia, and your provider sends you a monthly statement.
Short-term pathways
Alongside the 8 ongoing classifications there are three short-term ones, funded separately from your ongoing budget.
Restorative Care Pathway
Intensive allied health and nursing to help you regain independence. $6,179.40 per unit, for up to 16 weeks, with up to 2 units in 12 months.
End-of-Life Pathway
For people with 3 months or less to live who want to stay at home. $25,736.57 over 12 weeks, usable for up to 16 weeks.
Assistive technology and home modifications
Equipment and home changes, funded upfront in tiers: low $513, medium $2,052 and high $15,390, usually over 12 months.
What happened to Home Care Packages?
The Home Care Packages Program ended when Support at Home started on 1 November 2025. Everyone with a package moved across automatically to a transitioned classification with the same funding level, and kept any unspent funds. Unspent package funds can go towards assistive technology and home modifications, or towards services once a quarter's budget is used up.
| Former package | Quarterly budget | Annual amount |
|---|---|---|
| Home Care Package Level 1 | $2,823.55 | $11,294.22 |
| Home Care Package Level 2 | $4,965.14 | $19,860.56 |
| Home Care Package Level 3 | $10,808.30 | $43,233.21 |
| Home Care Package Level 4 | $16,385.99 | $65,543.98 |
People assessed as eligible for a Home Care Package on or before 31 October 2025 get the equivalent transitioned classification when their funding becomes available.
What you'll pay: Support at Home contributions
The government pays most of the cost. For some services you pay a share of the price, called a participant contribution. How much depends on the type of service and on your income and assets, which Services Australia assesses.
| Your situation | Clinical supports | Independence | Everyday living |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full pensioner | 0% | 5% | 17.5% |
| Part pensioner, or self-funded with a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card | 0% | 5% to 50% | 17.5% to 80% |
| Self-funded without a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card | 0% | 50% | 80% |
- Clinical supports such as nursing, occupational therapy and podiatry are fully funded, and so is care management.
- Independence services, such as support to get to appointments, remedial massage and assistive technology, carry a moderate contribution. From 1 October 2026, personal care is fully funded.
- Everyday living services, such as cleaning and gardening, carry the highest contribution.
- If you had, or were approved for, a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024, you pay no more than you would have under the old rules. A lifetime cap on contributions of $88,934.57 applies (as at 20 September 2026, indexed).
My Aged Care has a Support at Home fee estimator to work out your own contributions.
Who is eligible for Support at Home?
Support at Home is for older people who need help to keep living safely at home. Generally that means people aged 65 or older, or 50 or older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Whether you qualify, and at what classification, is decided by an aged care assessment.
How to get Support at Home
- 1
Contact My Aged Care
Call 1800 200 422 or apply online at myagedcare.gov.au to ask for an aged care assessment. A family member or carer can do this for you.
- 2
Have your assessment
An aged care assessor talks with you, usually at home, about what you can and can't manage and what you'd like help with.
- 3
Get your approval letter
If you're approved, the letter and support plan show your classification, your quarterly budget and the services you're approved for.
- 4
Wait for your funding
Funding is assigned in order of priority, so some people start sooner than others. You can line up a provider while you wait.
- 5
Choose a provider and agree your services
Compare providers' prices and availability, then sign a service agreement with the one you choose. Your provider works out with you how to spend the budget.
How to choose a Support at Home provider
Providers set their own prices, so the same budget buys more hours with some than with others. Before you sign:
- Compare price lists. Every Support at Home provider must publish its full price list online.
- Check they offer every service in your support plan, in your area.
- Ask when they can start, and how often you'll see the same workers.
- Read the service agreement, including how to change or stop services.
Finding a provider who has room is often the hard part. Help Alliance is a free, independent matching service: tell us what you need once, and providers near you who can start get in touch. You choose who to go with.
Find a Support at Home provider who can start
Free to use. Tell us what you need and where, and providers with room will contact you.
Get supportSupport at Home questions
Sources: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Support at Home program: classifications and budgets (October 2026); My Aged Care, Support at Home costs and contributions. Help Alliance doesn't provide care and isn't a Support at Home provider. Looking for disability support instead? Start with our NDIS guide.