The following people will be entitled to an Aged Care Assessment that establishes eligibility for funding:

• Aged 65 or older (50 or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, or people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness).

For a full list of services that clients can access under the Support at Home Program, please review the program service list here.

Participants are not automatically eligible for services on the service list. They must be assessed as needing the service, which will be documented in their notice of decision and accompanying support plan.

Contributions in the Support at Home program differ from the Home Care Package Program. Fees depend on an individual’s funding level and personal circumstances (whether you are a full pensioner, part pensioner, or self-funded retiree).

A no worse off principle applies to the contributions arrangements for people who on 12 September 2024, were either receiving a Home Care Package, on the National Priority System, or assessed as eligible for a package. These participants are no worse off because of the reforms and make the same contributions or lower than they would have had under Home Care Packages Program arrangements.

No. Support at Home services are divided into three categories: clinical, independence, and everyday living supports. Services in the clinical supports category (e.g., nursing and physiotherapy) continue to be fully funded by government for all clients.

To some extent, yes. Clients can save funding between quarters to meet unplanned needs, although this will be capped at $1,000, or 10% of the value of their quarterly budget (whichever is higher).

Individuals assessed as requiring assistive technology and/or home modifications do not need to save up their funds for these services because additional funding is provided separately through the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Scheme.

Home Care Package recipients as at 1 November 2025 who had an unspent funds balance retained these funds when transitioning to Support at Home. They could be used for ongoing services when their quarterly budget was exhausted, or for the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Scheme if required.

The Department of Health and Ageing will continue to publish new resources which we feature on our website here for your convenience.

The Single Assessment System for aged care responds to Recommendation 28 of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

The Royal Commission found that the previous aged care assessment process was confusing for older people and their families to navigate, and people often bounced between assessment organisations.

The Single Assessment System workforce will simplify and improve an older person’s experience as they enter and progress through the aged care system by:

• providing a single assessment pathway for older people so they don’t have to change assessment providers as their needs change
• ensuring access to assessments in regional, remote and rural areas
• reducing wait times to access an aged care assessment

Under Support at Home, a single provider manages and delivers a Support at Home participant’s services to meet their assessed needs within their budget. The single provider is also responsible for arranging and sourcing any required assistive technology and/or home modifications via purchase or loan through the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Scheme.

Participants are able to engage a third party to deliver the services if their provider agrees to support these arrangements. If their provider agrees, they will remain responsible for:

• the quality and safety of the services the participant is receiving
• meeting regulatory requirements for all care and services

The registered supporter role is one of the changes under the new Aged Care Act that aim to promote older people’s right to be supported to make decisions.

A registered supporter can be a trusted family member or friend of an older person’s choosing. An older person can have more than one registered supporter.

Some registered supporters also have guardianship, enduring power of attorney or similar. These people are appointed decision makers for the older person and can make decisions on behalf of the older person under state or territory arrangements. An appointed decision maker can only make decisions on the older person’s behalf in line with their active, legal authority.

Becoming a registered supporter does not provide a person with decision-making authority for the older person. A registered supporter’s role is to support the older person to make their own decisions.

Having a registered supporter does not stop older people from being able to receive information, make decisions, or communicate directly with others including aged care providers, My Aged Care and assessors.