What Support at Home Means for You
The Australian Government will introduce the Support at Home program on 1 July 2025, a major change in how aged care is delivered nationwide. This new program will replace the Home Care Package (HCP) program.
While the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) will remain in place, it is expected to transition to Support at Home no earlier than 1 July 2027.
At Catholic Homes, we’re committed to making this transition as smooth and stress-free as possible for all our Home Care clients and their families. We’ll keep you informed every step of the way.
What is Support at Home?
Support at Home is designed to help Australians maintain or regain their independence to live safely and comfortably in their homes for longer.
The Support at Home program will introduce changes to how services are delivered and funded, aiming to provide clients with greater clarity.
What You Need to Know as a Catholic Homes Home Care Client
You don’t need to reapply
If you receive a Home Care Package with Catholic Homes, you’ll automatically transition to Support at Home on 1 July 2025. Under the Government’s ‘no worse off’ guarantee, you’ll continue to receive the same level of funding you have now. Any unspent funds will carry over.
New clients on the waitlist
If approved for a Home Care Package before 30 June 2025, you will still enter Support at Home at the equivalent level of care.
What’s Changing Under Support at Home?
Client contributions
You may be asked to contribute to the cost of some services depending on your income and assets:
- No fees for clinical services (nursing, physiotherapy, allied health)
- Moderate fees for services that support independence (personal care, transport)
- Higher fees for everyday services (cleaning, light gardening)
Fees will be set as a percentage of the service cost, with the remainder subsidised by the Government.
New funding
Each client will be assessed and placed into one of eight new funding classifications based on care needs.
There are also two additional pathways of short-term support
- Restorative Pathway | can be alongside your package
- End-of-life pathway | separate higher level of funding
Your assistive technology and home modification needs will also be funded separately, and your team can apply for them.
Quarterly budgets
Instead of receiving one annual budget, your funding will be distributed in four quarterly amounts. You can roll over unused funds (up to $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget, whichever is higher).
Care management
A standard 10% care management fee will be applied to support your care planning and coordination. Package management fees will be removed and included in the overall service costs.
Services list and assessments
Support at Home introduces a clear list of available services. These fall into three main categories:
Category |
Example of Support at Home services |
| Clinical Support | Specialised services to maintain or regain functional and/or cognitive capabilities.
• Nursing care |
| Independence Support | Support to help manage daily activities and live independently.
• Personal care |
| Everyday Living Assistance | Support to assist people to stay independent in their homes.
• Domestic assistance |
A new single assessment system will help determine what level of care and services you’re eligible for.
What Happens Next?
At Catholic Homes, we are already preparing for this change and working closely with the Government and industry to ensure that your care continues without disruption.
We’ll be here to guide you every step of the way.
