Support at Home: the new in-home aged care program that replaced Home Care Packages

For Australian families navigating in-home aged care, the framework changed substantially from 1 November 2025. The Home Care Packages (HCP) program — the four-level subsidy framework that operated since the early 2010s — was replaced by the new Support at Home program as part of the 2024-25 aged care reforms responding to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The new program restructures funding into more granular categories of care, applies means-tested participant contributions on a different basis, and provides specific transitional grandfathering for participants who were on HCP at the cut-off date. Different cohorts face different rules — knowing which applies to you (or to the relative you are supporting) is the first practical step.

Three groups of older Australians are affected differently by the change. Existing HCP recipients on 31 October 2025 are grandfathered under the prior HCP rules — their existing arrangements continue with the older contribution framework. New participants approved from 1 November 2025 onwards are subject to the full Support at Home rules — new categories of care, means-tested contributions, new funding framework. Future participants (currently independent, who will need care later) should plan for the new contribution framework as the operating rules they will eventually meet.

Support at Home distinguishes between three broad categories of care, each with different government and participant contribution rules.

Clinical care. Nursing, allied health (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, podiatry, dietitian), and other health-related services. Clinical care is generally fully government-funded with no participant contribution required. The policy intent is that clinical care is universally accessible regardless of the participant's financial position — clinical needs should not be unmet because of cost.

Ongoing services. Personal care (assistance with daily living tasks), domestic assistance (cleaning, laundry, gardening), social support, transport, meals, and similar daily-living services. Means-tested participant contributions apply to ongoing services, with rates varying based on the participant's financial assessment.

Equipment and short-term services. Aids and equipment, home modifications, allied health programs of defined duration. Specific contribution rules apply depending on the type of service.

The categorisation is intended to ensure clinical needs are met regardless of financial capacity, while applying means-testing to non-clinical services where personal contribution is appropriate.

For ongoing services specifically, means-tested participant contributions are calculated based on the participant's income and assets. Contribution rates increase with means. Lower-means participants (full Age Pension recipients with limited assets) make minimal contributions. Middle-means participants (part Age Pension or self-funded with moderate means) make moderate contributions. Higher-means participants (substantial assets and income) make higher contributions, up to a defined cap. The means assessment uses a framework similar to the Age Pension and aged care residential means tests, with specific Support at Home calculations.

For most middle-income retirees, ongoing services contributions under Support at Home are higher than under HCP — reflecting the policy intent to shift more cost to those with capacity to pay, while preserving full support for those who cannot. For families newly entering Support at Home with a middle-means relative, the contribution can be a meaningful budget item that needs to be planned for.

A critical feature of the transition is the grandfathering provision for participants who were on HCP at 31 October 2025. Grandfathered participants continue under their HCP arrangements with specific transition provisions, paying participant contributions calculated under the prior HCP rules rather than the new Support at Home rules. Grandfathering generally provides more favourable contribution treatment than the new rules would, particularly for middle-means participants. Its specific terms and duration are set by the reform legislation.

For grandfathered participants, the practical implication is that their existing arrangement continues. Provider relationships, care plans, contribution amounts — all largely unchanged from before 1 November 2025. The first practical step for any family with a relative on HCP at 31 October 2025 is to confirm grandfathering status with the provider and Department of Health and Aged Care — this avoids the assumption that new rules apply when in fact the older, often more favourable, rules continue.

For new participants approved from 1 November 2025, the new Support at Home rules apply. Practical engagement involves several steps. Engage with My Aged Care — the government portal is the official source for eligibility information and applications. Complete the ACAT assessment — Aged Care Assessment Teams continue to provide eligibility approvals. Understand the means assessment — contributions depend on income and assets; an early estimate from the means assessment supports budgeting. Engage with the chosen provider — service providers have transitioned to the new framework and can explain specific cost implications. Coordinate with broader retirement planning — Support at Home costs interact with Age Pension, super drawdowns, and other retirement income; modelling the combined picture supports better planning.

Like other aged care contribution frameworks, Support at Home includes contribution caps and lifetime limits to prevent excessive cumulative cost. Annual caps limit single-year cost; lifetime caps limit cumulative cost across all aged care (in-home and residential); hardship provisions cover participants who genuinely cannot afford assessed contributions despite reasonable efforts. The caps prevent the unbounded cost exposure that pure means-testing without caps would produce. The caps interact with residential aged care contribution caps for participants who transition to residential care.

Support at Home contributions are typically paid from the participant's general resources — Age Pension payments, super pension drawdowns, investment income, savings. They do not directly reduce Age Pension entitlement, but they do consume cash flow. For low-means participants (full Age Pension), contributions are typically modest and manageable from pension income. For middle-means participants, contributions can be substantial and may require coordination with super pension drawdowns or other resources.

A few common pitfalls are worth flagging. Assuming HCP rules continue for new participants — anyone approved from 1 November 2025 is under Support at Home, not HCP. Not understanding grandfathering scope — the provision applies to specific recipients on the cut-off date; specific provisions matter. Underestimating contribution costs under new rules — middle-means participants may face higher contributions than HCP precedent suggests. Not engaging with My Aged Care — the official portal is the authoritative source; second-hand information may be incomplete. Treating Support at Home as separate from broader aged care planning — the program connects to residential aged care for participants whose needs increase; coordinated planning matters.

For older Australians and their families, the Support at Home transition is one of the more substantial recent reforms in the aged care framework. The benefits include more granular care categorisation, better integration of clinical care, and more equitable cost distribution. The challenges include navigating the new rules and (for middle-means participants) potentially higher contributions. Worth understanding the framework before engaging — and confirming which set of rules applies to your specific situation as the starting point.