Support at Home Classifications – Care Coverage & Budgets

The Support at Home program was rolled out on November 1st, 2025 to replace the Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care programs.

Instead of four package levels, the new Support at Home program has eight funding classifications, each with its own budget and care classification.

The eight Support at Home levels are designed to tailor funding and support more specifically to individual health, mobility, and living needs, helping older Australians live at home independently.

 

How Support at Home Classifications Work

Each Support at Home participant is allocated one of the eight classifications based on an assessment of their needs (an ACAT assessment).

The classification determines the level of annual funding, which is allocated in quarterly instalments, to be used across a list of approved Support at Home services. Higher classifications are allocated higher funding.

With managed home care services, 10% of each budget is allocated to management, coordinating and planning by the Support at Home provider.

Participants can carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget in unspent funds, whichever is greater, over to the next quarter.

 

Support at Home Funding Levels

Below are the Support at Home classifications and annual budgets as of 1 November 2025. These budgets and classifications are to be assessed each financial year and may change in future.

 

Classification	Annual budget	Care coverage
1 – Minimal support	$10,731	Light daily tasks: cleaning, washing, meals, welfare checks, and transport.
2 – Light personal care and social support	$16,035	Showering, dressing, and managing medication, plus help with shopping, meals, and community activities.
3 – Moderate assistance	$21,966	Support several times a week: personal care and grooming, mobility help, meals, and escorted travel to activities. May include cognitive assistance or fall prevention.
4 – High-frequency personal and domestic support	$29,696	Daily personal care with toileting, showering, and dressing, plus meals, home cleaning, and safety modifications such as handrails and non-slip flooring.
5 – Daily support with health monitoring	$39,697	Daily personal care for complex conditions (catheter care, feeding tube hoists), with a focus on home safety monitoring and allied health input.
6 – Comprehensive health and clinical care	$48,113	Daily personal care and nursing (wound care, insulin injections, blood sugar checks), plus specialist nursing and allied health for a range of conditions.
7 – Intensive daily multidisciplinary care	$58,147	Care several times a day from a coordinated team: daily personal care and home support for conditions such as dementia or reduced mobility.
8 – Highest level of in-home and palliative care	$78,106	High-level support for serious health issues such as advanced cancer or terminal illness. Services can run 24/7 and include specialised palliative care alongside appropriate equipment.

 

The table above outlines which care services are typically covered at each classification level, not a representation of the exact services that each participant will receive.

The specific services delivered will depend on the participant’s care assessment by ACAT, which outlines eligibility for services on the Support at Home service list. In general, higher classifications allow participants to access the services typically delivered at lower classification levels, in addition to more intensive care.

In other words, Support at Home classification sets the allocated budget rather than restricting which services can be used.

A Support at Home funding level can deliver very different combinations of hours and service types depending on what a participant chooses, when they use it, and how much they contribute.

 

What Your Support at Home Classification Means

If you or a loved one has been approved to receive Support at Home funding, the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) will schedule a visit at the home to assess the needs for continued independent living at home.

Following this assessment, you will be assigned one of the eight Support At Home classification levels.

Your assigned Support at Home classification indicates the annual funding amount, as well as the typical level of care needed from support services. The higher your Support at Home classification level, the more funding you will receive, and the more comprehensive care you can access.

Participants can choose which services are delivered and when they are delivered, as long as the services have been approved in the care plan.

If you are working with a Support at Home provider like Respect, your care will be delivered based on a personalised plan that caters to your needs and preferences.

 

What Happens to Support at Home Levels When Care Needs Change?

Support at Home classification and funding is not set in stone once assigned. The program recognises that each person’s home care needs can change.

Participants can apply for reassessment when their care needs change to adjust the level and type of support received. This is as simple as requesting a Support Plan Review (SPR) through My Aged Care.

A Support Plan Review will assess for significant changes in care needs – if the needs of a participant have increased beyond the scope of the current level of care provided, their Support at Home classification can be moved to a higher level with a larger budget to provide more appropriate care.

Aside from this formal review process, Support at Home providers also conduct annual reviews of each participant’s care plan to ensure that the right support is being delivered and all needs are being appropriately met.

The goal is to ensure that more Australians are able to continue living at home independently and safely.

To learn more about the services you may be eligible for under a Support At Home classification, book a no-obligation, free consultation with our team of Care Advisors. We are an approved Support at Home provider delivering home care across Sydney, regional Victoria, Western Australia, and Tasmania.