Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages program on 1 November 2025, with 8 funding classifications ranging from about $10,731 to $78,106 a year. Fees are means-tested across three service categories — clinical (free), independence (5–50% contribution), and everyday living (17.5–80% contribution) — with a lifetime contribution cap of $137,917.01. Self-funded retirees pay significantly more than full pensioners for equivalent care.
Australia's in-home aged care system changed fundamentally in late 2025. The Home Care Packages (HCP) Program — the Level 1 to Level 4 framework that many Australians had come to know — was replaced by the new Support at Home program on 1 November 2025, according to the Department of Health and Aged Care (health.gov.au). The older Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), which provides entry-level community support services, continues separately and is not expected to transition to the new program before 1 July 2027. For older Australians and their families planning around in-home care, the shift to Support at Home represents the most significant structural change to home care in years — and the draft article written in mid-2024 based on the old HCP framework needed complete updating.
What Support at Home is and how it replaced the old system
The HCP Program had four levels, each with an annual government subsidy that increased with assessed need. Support at Home replaces this with a funding classification system based on assessed support requirements, with quarterly budgets allocated to each classification. The entry point remains My Aged Care (myagedcare.gov.au, phone 1800 200 422), and the assessment process now operates through the Single Assessment System launched on 1 July 2024, which replaced the previous Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs). The single assessment approach is intended to simplify access — a person registers with My Aged Care, is assessed through the new system, and is allocated a funding classification that determines how much government funding is available to support their care.
There are 8 ongoing service classifications under Support at Home, with annual funding ranging from approximately $10,731 (Classification 1) to $78,106 (Classification 8) (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/support-at-home/charging-for-support-at-home-services/support-at-home-participant-contributions). Funding is allocated quarterly based on the assessed classification.
The means-tested fee structure continues
Under Support at Home, the contribution structure has three categories with different participant contribution rates (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing):
- Clinical Support Services (nursing, allied health, physiotherapy): no participant contribution — fully government-funded
- Independence Services (personal care, assistive technology): 5–50% contribution depending on pension status
- Everyday Living Services (domestic assistance, gardening, transport): 17.5–80% contribution, with self-funded retirees not eligible for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card paying the maximum rate
A lifetime contribution cap of $137,917.01 (indexed each 20 March and 20 September; current figure effective from the 1 July 2026 schedule) applies across all aged care services combined — it is a single combined cap shared with the non-clinical care contribution in residential aged care, so contributions made under either count toward the same ceiling. From 1 October 2026, personal care services will be fully government-funded — eliminating contributions for that specific service category.
A Support at Home fee estimator is available at myagedcare.gov.au for individual estimates.
Why self-funded retirees need to plan specifically for this
For self-funded retirees — those who do not receive the Age Pension and rely on their own superannuation, investments, and savings — home care is a retirement expense that rarely features in standard financial projections. The income-tested contribution means that the more financially comfortable a retiree is, the more they will pay toward their in-home care. Planning should factor in a realistic estimate of likely home care costs across the later years of retirement, including the possibility of escalating care needs and correspondingly higher quarterly budgets. For retirees with partner arrangements, the potential that one partner needs high-intensity support while the other does not adds a further dimension to the budgeting question.
A specialist aged care financial adviser — distinct from a general financial adviser — can model the likely costs under the Support at Home framework against a specific income and assets profile. This is not a routine part of standard retirement income planning but it is increasingly important as the population ages and home care becomes an expected rather than exceptional retirement expense.
The CHSP continues until at least 2027
The Commonwealth Home Support Programme — the entry-level support that provides smaller amounts of help like meals, transport, and domestic assistance — continues under its own structure until at least 1 July 2027. Older Australians with modest support needs who would previously have received CHSP services are not yet in the Support at Home system. Families planning around early support needs should understand that the two systems coexist for now.
Register with My Aged Care earlier than feels necessary
This advice applies under any aged care framework, and it applies under Support at Home. Registration with My Aged Care is free, creates no obligation, and positions a person in the assessment queue before a crisis creates urgency. The assessment itself provides useful clarity about support needs and current eligibility. Family members can often handle the registration for an elderly parent. The consistent experience across decades of Australian aged care has been that families who contact My Aged Care only when care needs are acute face delays that would have been avoidable with earlier registration.
Worked strategy example #1 — full pensioner accessing entry-level support
Helen, 78, full Age Pensioner, lives independently but starting to need help with cleaning, gardening, and occasional transport. Single Assessment System assesses her at Classification 2 (~$22,000/year). Most of her care plan: clinical (nursing for medication management) + independence (personal care for showering 3x/wk) + everyday living (domestic + gardening).
Her contribution: clinical = 0%, independence = ~5% (pension status), everyday living = ~17.5% (pension status). Out of $22,000 funded care: she contributes roughly $1,500-$2,000/year. Her budget impact is small; the support is meaningful — staying in her home longer with regular help.
Worked strategy example #2 — self-funded retiree at higher contribution rates
David, 80, self-funded retiree (no Age Pension, holds CSHC), assessed at Classification 4 (~$40,000/year). His contribution rates: clinical = 0%, independence = ~30% (mid-band non-pensioner), everyday living = ~50% (mid-band non-pensioner CSHC holder).
If half his $40k care budget is independence services and half everyday living: contribution = $40,000 × 0.5 × 30% + $40,000 × 0.5 × 50% = $6,000 + $10,000 = ~$16,000/year. Materially higher than Helen's despite both receiving similar levels of care intensity. The lifetime cap ($137,917.01) means David hits the cap after about 8.6 years at this rate, after which he stops contributing. From October 2026, his personal-care contributions specifically also drop out.
The differential is structural — the program is designed so those with higher means contribute more. For self-funded retirees planning home care expense, modelling several years of likely Classification level + the contribution rates for their pension/CSHC status produces a meaningful estimate.
What to verify before acting
Given that the Support at Home program launched only in November 2025 and is still bedding in, both the specific funding classification amounts and the detailed fee structure should be checked directly with the Department of Health and Aged Care or through My Aged Care before any planning decisions are made. The program manual is available at health.gov.au; the fee estimator is at myagedcare.gov.au. Anyone planning for a parent's or their own home care needs in the next few years would benefit from a direct conversation with My Aged Care (1800 200 422) to understand the current support options.
Sources
Key takeaways
- The Home Care Packages program was replaced by Support at Home on 1 November 2025, with a new funding classification system (8 classifications, roughly $10,731 to $78,106 a year) replacing the old Level 1–4 structure; the Commonwealth Home Support Programme continues separately until at least 1 July 2027.
- Fees are split into three categories: Clinical Support Services are fully government-funded with no participant contribution; Independence Services carry a 5–50% contribution depending on pension status; Everyday Living Services carry a 17.5–80% contribution, with self-funded retirees not eligible for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card paying the maximum rate.
- A lifetime contribution cap of $137,917.01 (indexed each 20 March and 20 September) applies across all aged care services combined — once reached, a person stops contributing regardless of ongoing care needs.
- From 1 October 2026, personal care services will become fully government-funded, removing contributions for that specific service category.
- Self-funded retirees can pay materially more than pensioners for equivalent care intensity — modelling likely funding classification and contribution rates against your pension or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card status is worth doing well before care needs become urgent.
Frequently asked questions
What replaced the Home Care Packages program?
Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages (HCP) Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme on 1 November 2025. It uses a funding classification system based on assessed support requirements, with quarterly budgets, rather than the old Level 1 to Level 4 structure. Registration is still through My Aged Care, and assessment now runs through the Single Assessment System, which replaced the previous Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs) on 1 July 2024.
How much does Support at Home cost?
Costs depend on your assessed funding classification (8 classifications, from roughly $10,731 to $78,106 a year in government funding) and your personal contribution rate, which varies by service category and your pension or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card status. Clinical Support Services are free; Independence Services carry a 5–50% contribution; Everyday Living Services carry a 17.5–80% contribution. A lifetime cap of $137,917.01 applies across all aged care contributions combined, and from 1 October 2026 personal care services become fully government-funded.
Do self-funded retirees pay more for Support at Home?
Yes, significantly more in many cases. Self-funded retirees who don't receive the Age Pension and aren't eligible for concessions pay higher contribution rates on Independence and Everyday Living Services — potentially several times what a full pensioner pays for equivalent care intensity. This makes home care a retirement expense worth specifically modelling for self-funded retirees, since it rarely features in standard retirement income projections.
Is the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) still available?
Yes. The CHSP, which provides entry-level community support like meals, transport, and domestic assistance, continues under its own structure and is not expected to transition into Support at Home before 1 July 2027. The two programs coexist for now, so older Australians with modest support needs may still access services through CHSP rather than Support at Home.