Navigating the New Support at Home Program

When you’re preparing for transition from Home Care Packages, knowing how assessments work ensures uninterrupted daily support. Support at Home began on 1 November 2025, replacing the Home Care Packages Program, and it is still new enough that many families have questions about how it works.

What changed on 1 November 2025

If you already had a Home Care Package, your existing funding and services generally carried over into Support at Home rather than starting from scratch. If you are approaching aged care for the first time, you now go through the Support at Home assessment process from the start, via My Aged Care.

How the assessment works

• you or your family contact My Aged Care to request an assessment
• an assessor visits to talk through your needs, your home, and what support would help most
• you receive an approved budget and service list based on that assessment
• you then choose a provider, such as STA, to deliver the approved services

What is being changed from 1 October 2026

From 1 October 2026, personal care services under Support at Home — things like showering, dressing, continence support and help taking your own medications — move into a fully government-funded category. That means if your plan has personal care approved, you will not pay a contribution for that part of your services delivered from that date, though it still draws on your approved Support at Home budget. See the My Aged Care news on the personal care contribution change and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing page on the change for the official details, as this is a recent change.

Other contributions

For other services, such as domestic assistance or social support, you may still be asked to contribute based on what you can afford, and Services Australia may need information about your income and assets to work this out. Our funding options page has an overview, and our Support at Home service page explains what STA can help with.

What we can help with

Once you have an approved budget, we can help you understand what it covers and build your personalised care plan around it, whether that is personal care, nursing, cleaning or companionship.

Waiting on an assessment, or already approved and looking for a provider? Call 1300 782 227 or start your journey online and we will explain your options.