25 Jul Support at Home – FAQs
Is the Support at Home program the same as the Home Care Packages program?
Support at Home is a new government program which replaces the Home Care Packages Program. It will provide you with the care and supports you need to stay at home. Clients new to home care are being asked to share in the cost of their care for services such as personal care, transport, cleaning and gardening. No one will pay a contribution to receive clinical services such as nursing and physiotherapy.
Do I need to get reassessed to be in Support at Home?
No. Your home care package will get rolled into the Support at Home program into quarterly funding amounts. If you need more care and you require additional government support, your provider can assist you to get reassessed by asking My Aged Care for a Support Plan review.
Once My Aged Care does their re-assessment, they will write a new Support Plan which will outline which services you are allowed to access under Support at Home. These may be the same services you have been receiving, there may be other services added or they may decide there are some services the government will no longer cover as part of your new Support Plan.
What does it mean to be Grandfathered under Support at Home?
Many of you may already be grandfathers or grandmothers – maybe even great grandparents.
Under Support at Home, clients who were assessed as eligible for a Home Care Package, with a Notice of Decision date on or by 12/09/2024 (when the new Aged Care act passed parliament) are known as being “Grandfathered” and get special treatment.
The Notice of Decision date is on your Support Plan and is known by Services Australia and My Aged Care.
- You are under a no worse off principle, financially
- Your Annual HCP amount gets divided into 4 equal amounts
- You can spend your unused HCP funds on Assistive Technology – Home Modifications or extra care
- You do not contribute any more than you did for your care (if you were paying an income tested care fee, an equivalent amount will be charged under Support at Home)
- You can keep receiving your current services under a new Service Agreement until you are reassessed with a Support Plan review. Once you get a new Support Plan, you can only receive the services outlined on that plan.
- You have a lifetime contribution cap of $82, 347.13 (indexed)
I am told I am a transitioning HCP client – what does that mean?
- It means that you are going from the Home Care Packages program to Support at Home. If you have been assessed by My Aged Care – or getting assessed soon – and have a Notice of Decision date between 12/09/2024 and 31/10/2025 then you are in this in-between or hybrid category. You are not “Grandfathered” to get all the perks but you do get some special treatment.
- Your Annual HCP amount gets divided into 4 equal amounts
- You can retain any government unspent funds and use them for Assistive Technology – Home Modifications or additional care
- You can keep receiving your current services under a new Service Agreement until you are reassessed with a Support Plan review. Once you get a new Support Plan, you can only receive the services outlined on that plan.
- You do need to make co-payments with the amount you need to contribute determined by a Services Australia income and assets assessment
- You have a lifetime cap of $130 000 (indexed)
Can I keep receiving the same services?
Yes – if you are Grandfathered or in that in-between/hybrid category – you can keep receiving the same services until you are reassessed by My Aged Care for a higher funding level. This called a Support Plan Review. Once My Aged Care does their re-assessment, they will write a new Support Plan which will outline which services you are allowed to access under Support at Home. These may be the same services you have been receiving, there may be other services added or they may decide there are some services the government will no longer cover as part of your new Support Plan.
How much will I have to pay in co-payments in Support at Home?
If you are not “Grandfathered” into Support at Home, you will need to contribute by way of a co-payment for your care services. This includes those of you with a Notice of Decision dated between 12/09/2024-31/10/2025- the in-between /hybrids- and anyone new into Support at Home with a Notice of Decision date on or after 1 November 2025.
Clinical services such as nursing and allied health do not require a client co-payment.
Independence services such as personal care, transport, assistance with taking your medications and transport have a co-payment of between 5-50%
Everyday services such as cleaning and gardening require you to pay 17.5%-80% as the government believes these were services you used to pay for when you were of working age.
Only Services Australia knows what percentage of the service charge you will need to pay as it is based on your income and assets test. As an example Jan might pay 8% of the cost of Independence services but George might pay 12% for the same service. If you have not had an income and assets test, you will be asked to pay the highest contribution.
When will I know what I need to contribute as a co-payment for my care?
Services Australia will be conducting an income assessment to determine your contribution. This can only occur once the new Act commences on 1 November 2025. Services Australia will be writing to you in November 2025 to advise what you need to pay.
If you want an estimate of your likely contribution rate before you receive a letter from Services Australia, an online calculator is available on the My Aged Care website. This will help you estimate the contributions that you might need to pay using asset and income details that you can enter into the calculator.
What about home care fees?
Under Support at Home you only make a percentage payment for the services you receive.
Under the Home Care Packages program up to 30% of your package funds were taken for fees. You may also have needed to pay an income tested or basic daily fee, both calculated daily for every day of the year when you may only have received services twice a week.
These fees have all been removed from the new program-
- Income tested care fee
- Basic Daily fee
- Package Management fee
The Care Management fee is still there so that your provider can plan properly for your care supports. Up to 10% of your package amount is set aside for care management. You will see Care Management as one of the entries on your monthly statement. You may need a lot of care management or not so much right now, but as your needs change your provider may need to use more time planning your supports.
Will my provider be increasing their fees/charges?
Since your provider can no longer rely on the Package Management fees for the administrative aspect of arranging your care, their fees/charges will need to “change” to remain solvent.
We know that when fees/charges “change” they only go one way …. and that is up!
Providers need to incorporate all the costs which used to be covered by Package Management as well as the more generous Care Management fees into their new service fees/charges. (These fees combined used to total about 30% of your government funds)
Remember, you only pay for the services you receive, there are no more Package Management, Income Tested or Basic Daily fees. Care Management fees are only set at 10%. of your package funds. Most providers, like yours, want to stay financially viable so that they can continue to provide older people with care.
If you really cannot afford the co-payment amount for your care due to financial hardship, please notify your provider as soon as possible. They may be able to assist you to get your income reassessed or a supplement to assist with your care.
Why do I need a new Service Agreement?
I know.. all that paperwork is so confusing. Providers need a new Service Agreement as they are entering into a new contract, with new responsibilities for both of us under Support at Home. The new Service Agreement will make sure you get the right care and services from us and ensure you understand what you need to contribute in the new program.
How do I make my payment?
Your provider will outline a range of payment options and deadlines in your Service Agreement.
It would be expected that you do not pay your care staff in cash.
Your provider will invoice you the amount you need to pay once they have the exact figure from Services Australia.
It might be easier for you/your family to set up a direct debit arrangement so that your provider can directly invoice the amount once you have received your monthly statement.
How will I know if I can afford to pay my contribution payment towards my care over a quarter?
Your provider is aware that you are being asked to contribute to the costs of your own care under Support at Home. If your provider has smart software, like VIPS Care, it will be working hard to provide the best estimate of the amount you will need to be paying each quarter so that you can budget accordingly.
The software will also be making the most of your government funds by “knowing” at all times, how much care you can afford from your package funds over the quarter.
Since you can only accrue limited unspent funds from one quarter to the next under Support at Home, it is important that we help you to use up the funds available for your support each quarter….. as long as you can also afford the co-payment.
It is a complicated financial balancing act which the new government program is presenting – your provider’s software “talking to” Services Australia will assist them to get it right.
Services Australia are not giving you exact client co-payment percentage contribution amounts until November 2025 which makes budgeting even more challenging early in the new program.
How do I save money to get changes made at home so I can stay there?
Under Support at Home, you do not need to save up funds from month to month to access help to stay independent.
If you are not already approved for Assistive Technology – Home Modifications funding, you can ask for a Support Plan review to get funding for making small changes to your home or a range of assistive devices designed to help you remain independent.
Can I build up my money by saving it for later?
No. Support at Home has tighter budgets for spending so that more older Australians can have support.
If you have Support at Home ongoing funds left over at the end of the quarter, only $1000 or 10% of your quarterly budget (whichever is higher) can be rolled over into the next quarter. This includes people who have transitioned to Support at Home from the Home Care Packages program.
The ability for you to “save” funds becomes limited after 1 November 2025.
It’s a bit of “use it or lose it” when it comes to government funds under Support at Home.
Clients who are “Grandfathered” or clients who have transitioned across to Support at Home get to keep the balance of their old Home Care Package funds which can be used to pay for Assistive Technology – Home Modifications (from the approved list) or for extra care.
What about my supplements?
I used to receive extra funding to assist with my additional care needs
These are the following supplements available under Support at Home.
The more defined Support at Home funding levels 1-8 are intended to account for additional needs.
- Oxygen,
- enteral feeding,
- DVA,
- Rural and remote – only for those participants receiving Assistive Technology – Home Modifications to allow for the added cost of supplying equipment and getting assessments – MMM6 or 7 only
- Dementia and cognition supplement is only for HCP clients who are grandfathered ( pre 12/09/2024) -and were receiving the supplement on 31 October 2025
- Care management supplement – ATSI, homeless, care leavers
- Fee reduction supplement – hardship application finds that the client will not make contributions so the government will pay the provider the contribution amount – this is apparently a time limited supplement but no information on the time frame has been provided. Reports are around that the Hardship supplement under the Home Care Packages program was very strictly assessed and hard to access.
What if I have a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card?
If you have a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, you will not pay as much for your care services even if you are a self-funded retiree. Only Services Australia knows exactly how much you will pay.
There is calculator coming out from Services Australia which will assist you to know how much you will need to contribute to your care services.
What if I have a fall and need more help?
Support at Home has a new program called the Restorative Care Pathway which allows you to have extra in-home care when there is a crisis. This care is focused on you reaching your recovery goals with the right supports which might include nursing, physiotherapy and other services more often. We will work with your treating team to get the balance right and you will be assisted by one of our staff who is skilled in providing this type of extra care. Restorative Care Pathway is expected to last for up to16 weeks.
Do I need to go into Residential Care at the end of my time?
No. Support at Home has an End of Life Pathway which allows you to have intensive in-home supports for up to 16 weeks, coordinated with the help of one of our nurses.
Do I need to make co-payments for Assistive Technology – Home Modifications, Restorative Care Pathway and End of Life pathways?
Yes -the same service classifications and income assessment used for your ongoing Support at Home care services are used to calculate the co-payment percentage for these short-term services.
Clinical care – 0%
Independence – 5-50% eg if you receive personal care within the Restorative Care Pathway you will need to pay your contribution
Everyday – 17.5%-80% eg if you require cleaning when in the End of Life Pathway, you will need to make a co-payment
….unless you are a “Grandfathered” Support at Home client, in which case you will pay no more than before (either nothing or the equivalent amount as your income tested fee under the Home Care Packages program)
Is there a maximum amount I need to contribute as co-payments under Support at Home?
The most you ever need to pay out of pocket for care and services either in-home or if you go into residential care is $130 000.
If you fit into the “Grandfathered” category your lifetime cap is lower – at around $85 000.
Can I change my home care provider?
If we cannot provide you with the care you need or for whatever reason you wish to change your home care provider, we will support you in that process.
There are no exit fees and we will do our best to smooth the transition.
If you are thinking about leaving us, please let us know so we can plan next steps.