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Support At Home: Jargon-Free Explanations

The program which provides funds for in-home aged care was radically transformed on 1 November 2025. What it means for Brisbane households, the eight levels of funding, what you really pay, what care is really costing you per hour here, how to help your budget get further.

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What Support at Home means

The single most important thing to understand about in-home aged care since the system was established, and what you will read on the internet is still based on the old system.

In-home aged care is the Australian Government's Support at Home program. It started on 1 November 2025, replacing the Home Care Packages Program and Short-Term Restorative Care, and is part of the new Aged Care Act 2024.

This was no re-branding. The old system offered four different package tiers, annual subscription payments that could be lost through management fees, and little like-for-like pricing between providers. These issues have been detailed by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The answer is Support at Home.

It works in four ways. Eight funding classifications instead of four package levels, resulting in funding being closer to assessed need. Finances are received in quarterly budgets rather than as a large amount once a year, and carry-over is limited. There are three types of services to which different contribution rules apply. And, for the first time, care management will only be 10 percent of your budget, as opposed to an unlimited amount under the old scheme.

It's a national programme and it operates in the same way throughout the country, including in Brisbane. The market is the one that is different from place to place, the providers who actually have employees in your suburb, how much they charge per hour, and how long you wait. National guides ignore that local reality, and it determines what funding really buys you.

Who can get it

Specifically: age 65 and over (50 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people), residing in a chosen place (not residential care), Australian citizen or permanent resident, and assessed by My Aged Care as requiring assistance to maintain independence in their day to day activities. Eligibility rests on assessed care needs, not on income or assets, your means affect what you contribute, not whether you can access the program.

The Three Service Categories

This is the most important thing to know, because the category it is in determines the amount you will pay for its service.

Clinical care

You pay nothing

Nursing, wound care, medication administration, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, podiatry, dietetics and continence and nutrition support. This is a real improvement, whatever your income and assets, you will no longer be paying for clinical care.

Independence services

5% to 50%

Personal care (showering, dressing, grooming, continence and mobility support), plus respite, social support, therapeutic services, transport, and equipment and home modifications through the AT-HM scheme. The rates in that range will vary based on your means assessment.

Everyday living

17.5% to 80%

Domestic assistance and cleaning, meal preparation, gardening, minor home maintenance and shopping. These attract the largest contributions, given that they are farthest from health care and closest to general household expenses.

The logic is on purpose. Services that are closer to health will be paid for more by the government. The more it's close to home, the higher the cost.

A date worth marking: 1 October 2026

Personal care is no longer in Independence and now goes into Clinical, so everybody is fully funded at no contribution whatsoever. That's a big saving for a self-funded Brisbane retiree who pays 50 per cent towards showering care today. If low budget has been a reason for someone to cut back on personal care, this changes in October.

The Eight Classifications

Your classification is determined by an aged care assessment, and your annual budget is determined by your classification. The funding is made up of four quarterly payments.

Funding by classification (annual)

The difference between the lowest and the highest level is over 7 times. Effective 1 November 2025 and increases by 1 July.

1 $10,731 2 $16,034 3 $21,966 4 $29,696 5 $39,697 6 $48,114 7 $58,148 8 $78,106
Level Annual Quarterly Typical level of support
1 $10,731 $2,682.75 Mostly independent; occasional light domestic help and transport
2 $16,034 $4,008.61 Low-level support; help with dressing, showering, social activities
3 $21,966 $5,491.43 Regular personal care, mobility support, household tasks
4 $29,696 $7,424.10 Daily personal care plus domestic and community support
5 $39,697 $9,924.35 Substantial daily support with allied health involvement
6 $48,114 $12,028.58 Intensive daily support, several services coordinated
7 $58,148 $14,537.04 High needs; comprehensive daily care and clinical input
8 $78,106 $19,526.59 Complex, high-intensity needs including palliative support

Figures include the 10% allocated to care management. Check current amounts with My Aged Care.

There are two things about that table that matter more than they look.

The ceiling has become significantly higher than before. The approximate annual cost of a Home Care Package 4 was $62,000. Classification 8 sits at $78,106, roughly $16,000 more. That can be an added few hours of care per week for a Brisbane family if they are caring for someone who has advanced dementia or significant physical needs, and it can be the difference between being at home and living in a residential care home.

The first ten percent is lost before you get to the cashier. Care management is deducted from the quarterly budgets prior to the purchase of services. About $3,970 per year at Classification 5, which is approximately $992 per quarter. The real number is 90 percent of the headline, and figuring affordable hours should begin with that.

The quarterly rollover trap

No more than $1,000 or 10 percent of a quarter's budget can be carried over. Anything above that is returned to the government when the quarter ends.

If a person spends $7,000 on Classification 6, at $12,028 per quarter, they can carry approximately $1,203 and lose roughly $3,825 for good. It's the most costly and easiest avoidable error in the new system. Budgets reset in July, October, January and April, so if a quarter is below budget, bring services forward rather than waiting.

Which Group Are You In?

The amount you contribute will vary by your initial approval. There are three groups, and if you know your group you'll be able to determine what you pay.

Approved on or before

Grandfathered

12 September 2024

Covered by the ‘no worse off’ principle. Contributions remain as per your package. If you don't pay any fees now, you will never pay any fees, even if you are reassessed to a higher classification. Unspent package funds carried over in full.

Approved between

Transitional

13 Sep 2024 – 31 Oct 2025

During this timeframe, approval may have been granted for a Home Care Package. Not included in the no worse off principle. Standard Support at Home contribution rules apply, depending on income and assets, unless hardship support is granted.

Approved on or after

New participant

1 November 2025

Self-referred to Support at Home. Placed into one of the eight classifications with a quarterly budget, the full standard contribution framework taking effect from the beginning.

How to check which group applies to you

  • Identify the date you first received a Home Care Package or Support at Home, the date of approval, not when services began.
  • Sign in to your My Aged Care online account and view your history of approvals and status.
  • Look for letters from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing or Services Australia.
  • Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422, or your provider, to have this confirmed in writing.

Two similar phrases that mean different things

Transitional participant describes when you were approved, and therefore what you pay. Transitioned HCP Level indicates how much funding you receive, based on your previous package level. Seeing “Transitioned HCP Level 3” on your account tells you your budget and nothing about your contribution rate.

Transitioned package levels

Old package level Now shown as Quarterly Annual
Level 1 Transitioned HCP Level 1 $2,818.04 $11,272.15
Level 2 Transitioned HCP Level 2 $4,955.44 $19,822.76
Level 3 Transitioned HCP Level 3 $10,787.18 $43,149.74
Level 4 Transitioned HCP Level 4 $16,353.98 $65,416.91

You didn't lose all your money. Legacy balances of Home Care Packages are rolled over and held separately from your new quarterly budget, and they are not capped by the quarterly rollover limit. These are available to be used when the quarterly budget is depleted. Ask your provider to provide the exact amount in writing, for some families in Brisbane it's thousands of dollars of unused buying power.

What You Contribute

Your contribution is a percentage of the cost of each service, as determined by an income and assets assessment by Services Australia.

Contribution rates by circumstance

Rates for those approved after 12 September 2024. Part pensioners are on a sliding scale, the top of which is shown.

Clinical care Independence Everyday living Full pensioner 0% 5% 17.5% Part pensioner (upper end) 0% 50% 80% Self-funded, no health card 0% 50% 80%

Grandfathered rates, for comparison

Circumstance Clinical Independence Everyday living
Full pensioner 0% 0% 0%
Part pensioner or health card holder 0% 0–25% 0–25%
Self-funded retiree 0% 25% 25%

Do not skip the means assessment

If you do not provide Services Australia with details of your income and assets you are deemed “means not disclosed” and charged the maximum rate, irrespective of your true means. Some people forgo it for privacy, and end up paying self-funded-retiree rates on a pension income. It's a costly form to avoid.

If contributions are not affordable, some or all may be covered through hardship assistance via Services Australia. Raise it, rather than quietly reducing care services, because of cost.

What Care Actually Costs Per Hour In Brisbane

Your contribution is a percentage of the service provider's charge, so how far your funding goes depends on what the provider charges. This is virtually never released by an aged care website. Here it is.

Support for the same hour can be $58 or $85, depending on how the worker is engaged.

A support worker helping an older man prepare a meal in his Brisbane kitchen
The same hour of support can cost $58 or $85 depending entirely on how the worker is engaged.
Service Engaged directly Full-service agency
Personal care, weekday $40–$65/hr $65–$85/hr
Domestic assistance $40–$58/hr $60–$80/hr
Social support and community access $40–$60/hr $62–$82/hr
Overnight sleepover Flat rate, from ~$250 $250–$400/night
Registered nurse visit $90–$140/hr $110–$180/hr

Some indicative Brisbane ranges for 2026. Loadings are generally 25–50% on public holidays and weekends.

The most significant number on this page is the number between these two columns. All work is the same, someone helps with the shower, cooks the meal, does the washing. The difference is the structure that is paying for it. An agency rate is one that includes recruitment, rostering, supervision, office, coordinators, compliance and margin, and the worker gets $32 to $42 per hour of an $80 hour. Engaged directly, the majority of the rate goes to the worker and the amount is still lower.

Four costs that quietly reduce your care

  • Minimum shift lengths. With a minimum of two hours, that 40-minute morning visit becomes a two-hour charge. Across daily visits, that is a significant hidden cost.
  • Travel charges. Some providers charge for worker travel, that's relevant throughout a city as dispersed as Brisbane. Inquire whether it comes from your budget.
  • Cancellation terms. Discuss with them what happens if you are admitted to hospital. Some arrangements require the full fee for short notice.
  • Weekend loadings. Personal care doesn't take weekends off. Use the actual weekly rate, not the weekday rate.

What Happened To Price Caps

The information on most pages you will read on this is outdated. This one is not.

The government introduced price limits for all Support at Home services, due to come into effect from 1 July 2026. Caps limited providers to a maximum amount that could be charged for each service type.

The measure was postponed in May 2026. An independent pricing study is underway during the operation of the program, and a new start date has not been announced. Provider websites and comparison websites can still be found declaring that caps are in effect from July 2026. They are not.

The new rules that are in place: the provider must display a comprehensive pricing structure openly; they can't impose extra charges for administration, entry or exit; and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission can demand a refund should it be found that the provider has overcharged.

What this means for you

When providers are not capped, provider prices vary, sometimes significantly, and that variation translates into variations in hours of care received. As of now, the only safeguard is to compare published price lists. It's the most valuable 10 minutes you'll have throughout this process.

Getting More Hours From The Same Budget

Funding is set by Support at Home. What you do with it decides how much care you actually receive.

Take a Classification 5 participant: $39,697 a year, which amounts to $9,924 a quarter. The 10 percent care management allowance brings the quarterly amount available for services down to approximately $8,932.

Hourly rate paid Hours per quarter Hours per week
$80 — full-service agency 111.6 about 8.6
$58 — engaged directly 154 about 11.8

With the same money, that's an additional 42 hours every 90 days, or about 3.25 hours per week. On Classification 7 the same comparison produces nearly five extra hours a week.

This is what self management provides. It does not add to the funding, it simply takes the agency margin out of the hour, making the funding go further. A registered provider retains the money and handles compliance, claiming and payments. The difference is that you select your own support workers and you agree the rate directly.

It's not for all people. It asks for 30-45 minutes of light administrative tasks per week and a readiness to take part in worker selection. Many Brisbane arrangements are run by an adult son or daughter rather than the person receiving care, and that's okay. However, for those with meaningful hours, it is the most effective method of providing more care in people's lives without having to be reclassified.

Five other ways to stretch a budget

  • Take full advantage of clinical services, they are free. Nursing, physiotherapy, OT and podiatry cost you nothing and no contribution is touched. One of the outcomes of an OT home assessment is likely to be a recommendation for changes that can help decrease paid hours.
  • Finish your means assessment so you are not being charged the maximum amount by default.
  • Be aware of the quarterly rollover. If you spend less than the cap, you aren't saving. It is lost funding.
  • Use the AT-HM stream for equipment so walkers, rails and ramps don't eat into your service budget.
  • Check the minimum shift length. Sometimes, restructuring when help comes buys the same support for much less.

Support At Home Across Brisbane

The program is nationwide. The market it is supplied through is very local, and there are pressures in Brisbane that you will need to be aware of before you select your provider.

The state of Queensland relies on home care more than other states. Queensland has the highest rate of home care admissions in the nation, with approximately 26 home care admissions per 1,000 people over 65 years of age. But the demographic pressure is growing as well: there are anticipated to be almost 1.7 million people over 65 by 2053, a near doubling of the state's elderly population.

That's where Brisbane comes in. When demand is greater, you will have to compete for good support workers, and it's as much about do you have someone available in my suburb? as it is about the funding question most guides focus on.

A traditional Queenslander home on a leafy Brisbane street
The availability of workers is very unevenly distributed across the inner suburbs and the outer growth corridors.

How coverage varies across the city

The best served areas are the inner suburbs (New Farm, Kangaroo Point, Highgate Hill, West End, Toowong). There are more providers here and the number of workers is greater, which is why you have the luxury of comparing on price.

Northside, Chermside, Aspley, Kedron, has reasonable worker density. Look for providers with staff that come from further away, this could impact the timeliness of their service and travel expenses.

Southside, Sunnybank, Mount Gravatt, Carindale, is well covered and the most culturally and linguistically matched part of Brisbane, particularly for Chinese and Vietnamese-speaking workers.

Bayside, Wynnum, Manly, Lota, has sufficient coverage but fewer workers. Inquire if workers live in the area.

Outer growth corridors like Logan, Ipswich, Moreton Bay and Caboolture are where availability becomes the binding constraint. Demand has been outstripping the supply of staff, and a provider can claim to cover the region but have little or no real capacity. Be prepared for longer travel times and tougher questions.

Brisbane CBDNew FarmKangaroo PointWest End Highgate HillChermsideAspleyKedron SunnybankMount GravattCarindaleIndooroopilly ToowongKenmoreWynnumManly LotaLoganIpswichRedlands Moreton BayCabooltureNorth LakesSpringfield

Wait times

Most Brisbane families feel the system in the approval and funding gap. Nationally, waits are typically 3 to 6 months, and may be longer depending on assessed priority and place availability.

Two practical points. Begin before you need it, the most frequent mistake we hear is waiting till you need it. And if funding is delayed after approval, request interim funding, paid at 60 percent of your classification amount while you wait.

Meanwhile the Commonwealth Home Support Programme or privately funded hours can fill the gap, and it won't impact the amount of funding eventually received.

Why Demand Here Is Different

26

the highest rate of home care admissions per 1,000 Queenslanders aged over 65 years of age.

1.7m

Queensland's population over 65 in 2053 is estimated to be nearly double the current figure.

$78,106

maximum annual funding for Support at Home, approximately $16,000 over the previous package limit.

How To Apply In Brisbane

Six steps, in order. All of this is done through My Aged Care.

Contact My Aged Care

Contact 1800 200 422 or use the eligibility checker on myagedcare.gov.au. Do it even if you aren't sure you need help at this time, the clock is ticking and the process can be a lengthy one.

Complete the assessment

The assessor comes to your house. Usually takes 1 to 3 hours and focuses on managing daily activities, health and mobility, and the assistance needed to remain safely in the home.

Receive your Notice of Decision

This defines your classification, quarterly budget, approved services and any short-term pathway approvals, including equipment budgets or restorative care pathways.

Fill out income and assets assessment forms

Through Services Australia. If you opt out, you will pay the maximum rate of contribution by default.

Select a provider, compare appropriately

Request the complete published price list, the minimum shift length, whether they charge for travel, whether you will have a consistent worker, and whether they allow self-management. There are more variations in the answers than in the marketing.

Start services and monitor the budget

Monitor the first month's quarterly costs. If you underspend, the rollover cap will bite you hard, and turning around in week 6 will be a lot easier than week 12.

The most consequential advice on this page

Talk about the worst day of a typical week, not the best one. Assessments are sometimes at a good time. The person appears to be doing well, the family softens the picture out of protectiveness, and a classification is assigned based on a performance and not a life. The household is then forced to live on funding that is insufficient for their needs.

Measure the family's current efforts. The facts that determine a classification are things like “My husband gets up four times a night” and “I have dropped to three days a week at work”. If you have medical documentation from your GP or specialist, bring it.

Questions People Actually Ask

Is Support at Home available in Brisbane?

Yes. Support at Home is a national program supported by the Australian Government and is implemented the same way in Brisbane, in Queensland and throughout Australia. Your classification, budget and contribution rates are determined on a national basis. The only things that vary from suburb to suburb are the providers in your area, how much each provider charges per hour and how long they take to get to you.

How much is Support at Home funding in 2026?

The eight classifications range from $10,731 per year (Classification 1) to $78,106 per year (Classification 8). Unlike most other funds, the funding is released quarterly, and 10% of each quarter's funding is devoted to care management prior to services being purchased. Amounts increase on 1 July.

What does Support at Home cost me in Brisbane?

The clinical care provided, such as nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and podiatry, is fully paid for by the government, with income and assets not a factor. The contribution levels depend on your income and assets assessment, with 5% to 50% for independence services and 17.5% to 80% for everyday living services. The rates for a full pensioner are 5% and 17.5% respectively, while a self-funded retiree (without a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card) will pay 50% and 80%.

How long is the wait for Support at Home in Brisbane?

Wait times are determined by individual assessed priority and the availability of places, and are typically between three and six months or more, nationally. Demand is relatively high in Queensland compared to other states and territories, as the number of home care admissions is the highest. If you are not funded during the approval period, request interim funding, which may be available at 60% of the approved classification.

Did Support at Home price caps start on 1 July 2026?

No. Price caps were set to take effect on 1 July 2026 but were postponed in May 2026, and a new start date has not been confirmed. There are still plenty of websites out there that say caps apply, but not now. Providers must continue to display comprehensive price lists, are prohibited from billing extra administration, entry or exit fees, and can be required to refund if they are found to have overcharged.

What happens to my Home Care Package in Brisbane?

If you were receiving a Home Care Package it transitioned automatically to Support at Home on 1 November 2025 with equivalent funding. All your care continued uninterrupted. Unspent funds from your old Home Care Package are held separately from your new quarterly budget, remain available to you in full, and are not subject to the quarterly rollover cap.

Can I self-manage my Support at Home funding in Brisbane?

Yes. Self-management means selecting your own support workers and managing your budget, while a registered provider handles compliance, claiming and payments. Because engaging workers directly in Brisbane costs $40 to $65 an hour against agency rates of $65 to $85, the same quarterly budget commonly buys three to five additional hours of support each week.

When does personal care become free under Support at Home?

From 1 October 2026, personal care (showering, dressing, grooming, continence assistance) moves from Independence into Clinical, becoming fully government-funded, meaning no participant contribution is required for anyone, regardless of income or assets.

Am I eligible for Support at Home?

Generally you need to be aged 65 or over (50 or over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people), living at home rather than in residential aged care, an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and assessed through My Aged Care as needing support to keep living independently. Eligibility is based on assessed care needs, not on your income or assets.

What if I cannot afford my contributions?

Financial hardship assistance is available through Services Australia and can cover some or all of your contributions if you qualify. There is also a lifetime cap on total contributions. If cost is preventing you from accessing care you genuinely need, raise it with your provider or My Aged Care rather than going without.

Not Sure What Your Funding Will Pay For?

Every day we deal with Support at Home classifications and Brisbane hourly rates. Tell us your classification and what type of assistance you require, and we will let you know exactly what it covers, including where it may not be for you.

Call 1300 671 931

Monday to Friday. Free and no strings attached.

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