Support at Home - key information for care recipients

The Department of Health and Aged Care has released new details about the upcoming Support at Home program. Trilogy Care has reviewed the updates and summarised the key changes for you below. It is important to note that these changes are subject to the passage of the new Aged Care Act through Parliament.

New pathways for support

One significant change in the Support at Home program is the increase in classification levels for care recipients. The existing four levels under the Home Care Package system will expand to eight levels, plus two short-term pathways: Restorative Care and End-of-Life Pathways.

These short-term pathways are designed for those who need additional support to remain at home. The Restorative Care Pathway offers up to 12 weeks of support, while the End-of-Life Pathway is available for individuals with three months or less to live.

The eight classification levels of Support at Home

Below are the funding amounts for the eight levels of Support at Home, along with the short-term pathways:

ClassificationQuarterly BudgetAnnual Amount
1~$2,750~$11,000
2~$4,000~$16,000
3~$5,500~$22,000
4~$7,500~$30,000
5~$10,000~$40,000
6~$12,000~$48,000
7~$14,500~$58,000
8~$19,500~$78,000
Restorative Care Pathway

~ $6,000 (12 weeks)

May increase to ~$12,000 when eligible		N/A
End-of-Life Pathway~$25,000 (12 weeks)N/A

Details on the Restorative Care Pathway

The Restorative Care Pathway provides up to 12 weeks of additional support to help maintain and improve independence, offering:

  • Up to 12 weeks of restorative services
  • Additional services alongside existing Support at Home services
  • An extra budget of ~$6,000 (or up to $12,000 if required) for allied health services

Details on the End-of-Life Pathway

The End-of-Life Pathway allows recipients to receive higher levels of in-home care during their final months, providing:

  • Up to 12 weeks of support with a funding cap of $25,000
  • Access to enhanced care services to support comfort and dignity

What will change for Home Care Package care recipients?

The key differences for those transitioning from Home Care Packages to Support at Home include:

The “No Worse Off Principle” ensures that current Home Care Package recipients will maintain their level of funding and support under Support at Home.

Changes to Unspent Funds

Unlike the current system, the Support at Home program features quarterly budgets, providing greater flexibility. Unspent funds can be carried over to the next quarter, up to a maximum of $1,000 or 10% of the budget.

Any funds accrued under the Home Care Package Program will be retained upon transitioning to Support at Home, and are not subject to quarterly rollover limits.

Quarterly Timeframes:

  • July to September
  • October to December
  • January to March
  • April to June

Is re-assessment required?

No re-assessment is needed for current Home Care Package recipients or those on the National Priority System; all will transition to Support at Home from 1 November 2025.

Is there additional support for people from diverse backgrounds?

Care recipients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds may qualify for additional care management supplements. Providers can also apply for a 2-year thin market grant to support care in rural or remote areas and for diverse populations.

Additional funding can be providing for:

  • Individuals referred by the care finder program
  • Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  • Those at risk of homelessness
  • Care leavers (people separated from family by forced adoption)
  • Veterans approved for the Veteran’s Supplement

Is respite included in Support at Home?

The Support at Home program does not include temporary leave provisions like respite care.

What are the annual caps for gardening and cleaning?

The initial annual caps proposed by the government have been removed and are no longer a part of the Support at Home program. 

Trilogy Care will look after you

Trilogy Care is committed to making your transition to the Support at Home system as smooth as possible. We aim to provide high-quality care and support, enabling you to continue benefiting from self-management.

We will keep you updated as more information becomes available. If you have any concerns, please reach out to your care partner or contact us via our website.

Support at Home services - what is available?

Support at Home - what services home care services pricing list

The list of Support at Home services has been published, detailing the services and support you can access with your new funding. These services are grouped into 14 categories, including personal care, meal support, and nursing care. Each category clearly outlines what is included and excluded.

Trilogy Care has reviewed the service list and highlighted key changes you should know before the Support at Home program begins on 1 November 2025.

Please note that these changes are all all subject to the passage of the Bill through Parliament. 

Below is an overview of the service types and how they apply to Support at Home care recipients. Please note, the home care services pricing list is subject to change.

Nursing care

Support at Home offers nursing care to address clinical needs through qualified nurses and nursing assistants. This includes assessing, treating, and monitoring health conditions, managing wounds, administering medications, and providing education to care recipients. However, services already funded through other programs, such as specialist palliative care, are not included.

Allied Health and other therapeutic services

Older Australians can access healthcare specialists such as dietitians, therapists, physiotherapists, and podiatrists under Support at Home.

Funding is available for treatment programs designed to help care recipients manage their own care when possible, promoting independence. Follow-up services related to assistive technology and home modifications are also supported.

Support at Home does not cover treatments that can be funded through other programs or the healthcare system, nor does it cover conditions unrelated to age-related decline, such as acute mental health issues. These are not included on the home care services pricing list.

Nutrition

Support at Home covers prescribed dietary supplements or aids required due to age-related decline. Providers can also apply for the Enteral Feeding for Aged Care Supplement through Services Australia, where eligible. General expenses, such as weight loss supplements, are not covered.

Care management

Care management covers costs related to supporting in-home care, including care planning, service coordination, advocacy, and education.

Administrative costs covered under service prices are excluded from this category.

Restorative care management

Restorative care management focuses on coordinating care for older people undergoing short-term Restorative Care. Care partners in this category must have clinical qualifications.

As with care management, administrative costs funded through service pricing are excluded. 

Personal care

Personal care services help older people maintain independence in daily life. Under Support at Home, these services include assistance with personal hygiene, daily activities, medication, and continence management. Professional services and those funded through other programs are not included.

Social support and community engagement

This category covers individual or group support, social activities, cultural support, digital education, and assistance with personal affairs.

It can include simple activities like meeting with friends or attending events, as well as more complex needs such as translation services. Membership fees, service fees, and activities funded by other programs are not covered.

Therapeutic services for independent living

Therapeutic services include acupuncturists, chiropractors, remedial massage therapists, and osteopaths. However, these services are only funded if other programs do not provide coverage.

Respite

Respite care provides relief for the usual carer by another person. Respite care funded by other programs, such as residential respite under the AN-ACC model, is not covered.

Transport

The Transport category covers both direct and indirect transport services, such as taxis or rideshares. However, expenses such as buying a vehicle, public transport costs, or holiday travel cannot be funded.

Assistive technology and home modifications

Support at Home provides funding for assistive technology and home modifications through the AT-HM scheme. This funding is in addition to quarterly services funding, and supports equipment and home adjustments needed to maintain your independence, comfort, and safety.

Domestic assistance

Domestic assistance covers help with tasks like general cleaning, laundry, and shopping. However, it does not include professional services like pest control, carpet cleaning, or dry cleaning. Groceries are also not covered under shopping assistance.

Home maintenance and repairs

Home maintenance covers tasks like light gardening, lawn mowing, and minor repairs. Professional services are excluded unless there are significant age-related risks. Landlord responsibilities, housing authority work, or items covered by insurance are also not funded.

Meals

Support at Home can fund meal preparation and delivery. However, it cannot be used for ingredients, takeaway food, or meals for others in the household.

More details about Support at Home services

This article provides an overview of the 14 service categories funded under the Support at Home program. For more details on the home care services pricing list, visit this link or download a copy from this site.

If you’d like to speak with someone about Support at Home, call us on 1300 459 190 or via our website.

Support at Home – how will it impact your care?

support at home

As the new Support at Home program approaches, it’s natural to feel uncertain about how these changes will affect the support you receive through your Home Care Package. However, Support at Home is designed to enhance the care experience for individuals receiving home care.

What is changing with Support at Home?

In a previous article, we outlined some of the changes coming with the transition to Support at Home. Now that more information is available, we can provide further details.

Unspent funds

As you may know, existing care recipients will transition to Support at Home on 1 November 2025. Your Support at Home package will match your current funding level.

But what happens to any unspent funds you’ve accumulated?

You will retain any unspent funds accrued under your Home Care Package. These funds can continue to be used for ongoing services or as part of the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme, which is designed for home improvements.

How is the income tested care fee changing?

If you currently pay an income tested care fee, it’s important to know how the changes will affect your payments.

You will still be required to pay a contribution, but this will be at an individualised discounted rate to ensure that you do not pay more than you currently do under the Home Care Package.

If you currently do not pay an income tested care fee, you won’t be required to pay additional fees under the new system. This ensures that no one is financially disadvantaged by the transition.

Can I still self-manage?

Yes, self-management will still be available under Support at Home. Current Home Care Package recipients can continue to manage their own care and support through Trilogy Care.

What do the new funding classifications mean?

Support at Home will introduce eight classifications for ongoing services, replacing the four Home Care Package levels. Each classification comes with a budget for participants to access services.

Here are the classifications and their approximate funding levels (these figures are yet to be finalised):

ClassificationQuarterly budgetAnnual amount
1~$2,750~$11,000
2~$4,000~$16,000
3~$5,500~$22,000
4~$7,500~$30,000
5~$10,000~$40,000
6~$12,000~$48,000
7~$14,500 ~$58,000
8~$19,500~$78,000

What if I was already receiving funding?

If you’re currently receiving Home Care Package funding, you’ll transition to the following amounts:

Transitioned home care recipientsQuarterly budgetAnnual amount
1$2,708$10,833
2$4,762$19,049
3$10,365$41,460
4$15,713$62,853

What is the AT-HM Scheme and how does it impact my funds?

Support at Home will also introduce the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme, which gives care recipients access to assistive technology and home modifications without needing to save funds from their individual budgets.

The proposed funding amounts are as follows:

Funding tierAmount
LowUnder $500
MediumUp to $2,000
HighUp to $15,000

This scheme will allow you to receive more care hours without sacrificing essential technology or home modifications.

When will more information about Support at Home be available?

As the launch of Support at Home draws closer, more information will be shared.

We are committed to keeping you informed and providing updates so that you feel confident about the new system. In the meantime, you can learn more by visiting this this link.

If you require Home Care now, please give us a call on 1300 459 190 or contact us online.

Support at Home - How will it change aged care at home?

The Home Care Package program will be replaced by the Support at Home program from 1 November 2025. As part of the aged care reforms, all Home Care Package recipients will be transitioned to this new system. The Support at Home 2025 program has been developed to enable more funding, provide a higher quality of care, and improve the overall system as Australia’s population continues to age and aged care at home becomes more important.

No Worse Off Principle

To ensure all Home Care Package recipients continue to receive the funding they need, the “No worse off” principle has been introduced. This ensures that your funding will not be reduced during the transition to the Support at Home 2025 program.

Moving to Support at Home

The introduction of the Support at Home program allows individuals with a Home Care Package to maintain their funding level and keep any unspent funds. This ensures that no care recipient will lose the care they need under the new system.

The “No worse off principle” will apply to contributions arrangements for people who, as of 12 September 2024, were either receiving a Home Care Package, on the National Priority System, or assessed as eligible for a package. These participants will not face higher contributions compared to what they would have paid under the Home Care Package arrangements.

What else is changing?

The Support at Home 2025 system is being reformed to improve the delivery of care and funding within aged care at home. Some key changes include:

  • Faster access to funding, reducing waiting times
  • Expanded classification system, now with ten categories, providing more funding options for care recipients
  • Defined services list, offering greater transparency about what the Support at Home program covers
  • Capped price system to prevent aged care recipients from being overcharged, allowing more care hours and assistance

Independence at home

The Support at Home system places a strong emphasis on independence. Clients managing aged care at home will have immediate access to assistive technology and home modifications through the new Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme. This separate funding scheme means that care recipients no longer need to save their package funds for these supports.

The AT-HM scheme will cover prescriptions, item purchases, delivery, and installation. Additionally, extra funding is available for restorative care and end-of-life care, with up to $25,000 provided over a 12-week period, as needed.

What are the fees?

Contributions in the Support at Home 2025 system differ from the Home Care Package. The new program is designed to help keep people at home and out of hospital. Services are divided into three categories: clinical care, independence, and everyday living.

  • Clinical care (e.g., nursing and physiotherapy): Fully funded by the government across the aged care system to help keep care recipients healthy and active
  • Independence services (e.g., personal care): Moderately funded, reflecting their importance in maintaining independence
  • Everyday living services (e.g., cleaning and gardening): Attract higher contribution rates, as these are not typically covered by government funding

Fees will depend on your funding level and personal circumstances (whether you are a full pensioner, part pensioner, or self-funded retiree). However, under the no worse off principle, current Home Care Package recipients will not pay more when they move to the Support at Home program.

When do the changes take effect?

The Support at Home system will take effect from 1 November 2025. This allows time for care recipients, carers, service providers, and My Aged Care to prepare for the transition to the new aged care at home program.

While the system is changing, it is expected that recipients will receive more comprehensive, high-quality care under Support at Home. These reforms aim to enhance the level of support available to you at home.

For more information, visit the Department of Health’s website or sign up for the online webinar.