Support at Home: Aged Care at Home Is Changing in July 2025

From 1 July 2025, aged care at home in Australia will look a little different. A new system called Support at Home will replace the current Home Care Package and Short-Term Restorative Care programs. The goal is to make in-home care more consistent, flexible and focused on enabling older Australians to live safely and independently in their own homes.

Whether you already receive support or are planning ahead for yourself or a loved one, here’s what to expect.

Right now, the country’s aged care system is split across several programs, each with different rules, budgets and services. This can be a bit confusing for many, especially when needs change.

Support at Home is part of the federal government’s response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which called for simpler, fairer care that centres on dignity, safety and individual choice.

This new program will combine and replace the Home Care Package and Short-Term Restorative Care, offering a single system for older Australians needing care at home.

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme or CHSP will remain in place until at least 1 July 2027.

Support at Home brings together a wide range of services that support day-to-day living, health and social connection. This includes services like nursing, personal care, meal preparation, transport, help around the home and access to mobility aids or equipment.

Services will be grouped into five categories:

Instead of applying through multiple channels, older people will be assessed once and then matched with a single provider who coordinates all of their care.

Each person entering Support at Home will receive a comprehensive assessment through My Aged Care. Every person approved for Support at Home will be assigned a classification based on their assessed support needs. These levels are intended to match a person’s support needs, from lower to higher intensity, but specific services are determined through care planning, and may vary between individuals.

This comes with a quarterly budget, allowing services to be planned in a flexible way with regular reviews to adapt to changing needs.

There are eight ongoing care levels, covering everything from low support needs to intensive daily care.

This funding gives you access to a range of supports, from clinical care (e.g., nursing and physiotherapy), to help with personal care (e.g., showering or dressing) and everyday tasks (e.g., cleaning, gardening or preparing meals).

In addition, three short-term care pathways will support

We discuss them in a bit more detail below:

Starting 1 July 2025, eligible participants will be able to access funding for assistive technology and home modifications without needing to allocate funds from their core care budgets.

Funding tiers include:

This funding can cover assessment and prescription by allied health professionals, along with supports to ensure safe and effective use. It allows for flexibility, so individuals with progressive conditions can update or swap equipment as their circumstances evolve.

A national Assistive Technology Loans Scheme is also being piloted in New South Wales ahead of a broader national rollout.

This pathway is aimed at helping older people regain function and independence through short-term support, particularly after illness, injury, or periods of reduced mobility.

Key features:

This pathway offers higher levels of in-home care for people who are nearing the end of life, supporting their choice to stay at home where possible.

Key features:

Under the Support at Home program, services will follow a single provider model. This means each person will work with one registered provider responsible for delivering and managing all of their supports.

The goal is to make care more consistent and easier to manage. Instead of coordinating between multiple services, participants will have one main provider who knows their needs and can adjust support as those needs evolve.

Clients can still receive care from multiple providers. If you need services from different providers (e.g., nursing from one, domestic assistance from another), your main provider will coordinate this for you.

If you are a new client after 1 July 2025, you will choose one provider to oversee your care. While providers may subcontract some services, they remain responsible for quality, compliance and outcomes under the Support at Home guidelines.

This model aims to reduce confusion, strengthen continuity of care and help older Australians feel more supported through a central, coordinated point of contact.

Most services will continue to be subsidised by the government. For some supports, like allied health, home modifications or equipment, a small contribution may apply depending on your income.

There will also be a cap on how much anyone pays out of pocket to ensure care stays accessible. Some essential services like clinical nursing will be fully covered. Details will be outlined during your care planning process.

The Support at Home Priority System is how government funding will be allocated under the new aged care model. Once an older person is assessed and approved for Support at Home, they will be placed into one of four priority categories based on need: urgent, high, medium or standard.

A person’s position in the system determines when they receive access to services. Those with higher needs are prioritised, ensuring funding is distributed fairly and based on standardised criteria.

This priority is based on:

If someone is actively seeking care at the time of their assessment, they will automatically be listed as ‘seeking services’ and placed in the priority system. Their funding will be allocated as soon as it becomes available, according to their priority level.

If a person is not seeking services right away, they can inform their assessor and will be marked as ‘not seeking services’. They won’t receive funding until they notify My Aged Care that they’re ready to begin.

This status can be updated at any time, either through the My Aged Care Online Account or by contacting My Aged Care directly.

Note: People eligible for the Restorative Care Pathway or End-of-Life Pathway will be fast-tracked and allocated funding immediately, due to the time-sensitive nature of their needs.

If you’re currently on a Home Care Package, you’ll automatically transition into the new program in July 2025. You don’t need to reapply.

You’ll receive a personalised Notice of Decision from My Aged Care, outlining your new care level, approved budget and the services available to you. You’ll then have time to choose a provider and finalise a care agreement.

Some people may also be placed under grandfathering arrangements, which means existing fees or supplements stay in place during the transition.

For those receiving Commonwealth Home Support Programme services, no changes will take place until at least July 2027.

More than just about systems and funding, these changes aim to make support more personal, responsive and respectful to older Australians.

You can expect:

Support at Home is designed to make it easier to age well at home with services that wrap around your goals, preferences and everyday routines.

At Leora Healthcare, we understand that change can raise questions and we’re here to walk alongside you through this transition.

Whether you’re reviewing your current services, thinking ahead for a parent or just want help understanding the new system, our aged care team is here to support you.

Contact Leora Healthcare today to find out how we can help you prepare and make sure the support you receive continues to reflect what matters most to you.

Got more questions? Join our free Support at Home information session:

See you there!