Support at Home Program Brisbane: What Changed and What It Means for You

If you or someone you care for received a Home Care Package before November 2025, you may have noticed that your program name has changed.

This does not mean your care has suddenly stopped.

On 1 November 2025, the Australian Government started a new program called Support at Home. It replaced two older programs: Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care.

People already using Home Care Packages did not need to reapply. They were automatically moved to the new program.

This change matters a lot for Queensland families using Brisbane aged care providers. The new program works differently in several ways. Funding is now based on categories and paid out every three months. Contributions have also changed. Provider pricing now plays a bigger role when comparing your options.

If you are a carer trying to understand what the Support at Home Brisbane Program means for you, here is what you need to know.

What Support at Home means for Brisbane families

Support at Home is the Australian government’s current in-home care program for Older Australians, which aims to enable them to remain independent and healthy and enjoy life at home for as long as possible.

The basic idea is familiar if you have used home care before. You receive an assessment, are approved for services based on your Care needs, receive a funding allocation when funding becomes available, and choose a provider to deliver the services in your support plan.

What has changed is how that support is organised.

Instead of the previous Home Care Package levels, ongoing Support at Home uses eight funding classifications. Your classification reflects the level of support you have been assessed as needing.

The program also uses a quarterly budget.

What this means is that your funding is now set per quarter and not a lump sum that you can use as you like.

Therefore, it is important to manage your spending wisely and understand the rules around carrying unused funds from one quarter to the next.

Your Home Care Package did not simply disappear

One of the biggest concerns during the transition was what would happen to people who already had Home Care Packages.

Existing participants were automatically moved into Support at Home. Your old package was not simply cancelled and replaced with nothing.

If you were already receiving support, your transition arrangements are different from those applying to someone entering the system for the first time. Some people also have additional protections based on their circumstances before the transition.

This is why you should check your own funding details. Don’t assume your experience with Support at Home will be the same as someone else’s.

Your provider should be able to explain your current budget, services, and contributions. They should also explain what happened to your old Home Care Packages funding.

If you’re unsure about anything, you can contact My Aged Care. They can explain your assessment and funding.

How your Support at Home funding works

If you are approved for ongoing Support at Home, you are assigned one of eight funding classifications based on your assessed needs.

The current published quarterly budgets are:

These figures are the current published amounts and can change when government funding rates are updated. Under the previous Home Care Packages system, the highest package level provided around $62,000 a year.

There is also a care management component. For ongoing services, 10% of the quarterly budget is allocated to care management.

The important point is that your classification is not a price list for individual services — it is the level of government funding available to support your assessed needs.

Your experience will depend on the services in your support plan, the prices charged by your provider and any contribution you are required to make.

Why the quarterly budget matters

The move to quarterly funding can feel confusing if you are used to the Home Care Packages system. Support at Home allocates your funding every quarter, giving you a set amount to plan around for that period.

For example, a Classification 4 participant has $7,424.10 to work with each quarter. If Home Care Services, Allied Health appointments and some home maintenance use most of that in the first six weeks, there may be little left for the final month unless the rest of the budget is planned out in advance. Your provider should help you see this before it happens, not after.

You should also receive information showing what has been delivered, what you have paid and what remains available.

For ongoing participants, some unused funding can carry over into the next quarter, subject to the program’s carry-over rules. This does not mean you should ignore your budget, but it can provide some flexibility when your needs change from one quarter to another.

For example, if your quarterly budget is $8,000, 10% is $800. You can carry over up to $1,000, or 10% of your quarterly budget, whichever is greater.

Your provider should give you an individualised budget so you can see how your funding is being used.

What can you use Support at Home for?

Support at Home covers a range of services. The exact services available to you depend on your assessment and support plan.

The services are broadly grouped into clinical supports, independence services and everyday living services.

Clinical support

Clinical care includes services that require professional health expertise.

Depending on your approved needs, this may include Nursing Care, clinical nursing, Allied Health and other Clinical Support.

For instance, individuals requiring wound management, catheter care, blood pressure monitoring or other types of services may require home nurses or other appropriately qualified professionals to provide these services.

Occupational therapy can help a person cope with practical matters so that they are able to live independently and safely.

Clinical services follow different contribution rules from other types of support.

Independence services

Independence services are designed to help you maintain your ability to manage everyday life.

Personal Care is one example. This may involve assistance with showering, dressing, eating, personal hygiene and some continence care. Other support may include transportation, respite care and services that enable you to remain independent and socially integrated in your community.

Social Support can be helpful to a person who is becoming more isolated or having difficulty remaining active in the community.

Everyday living services

Everyday living services help with practical tasks around the home.

Depending on your approved support, this may include meal preparation, Grocery shopping, domestic assistance and home maintenance.

Home Modifications can also help make a home safer or more suitable for someone’s needs.

The aim is not simply to provide someone with a list of tasks. The support should relate to your individual needs and help you remain safe, independent and connected at home.

What will you have to pay?

Support at Home does not mean every participant pays the same amount.

Your contribution depends on the type of service you receive and your financial circumstances.

Clinical support has a 0% participant contribution. Independence services range from 5% to 50%, while Everyday living services range from 17.5% to 80%, depending on your circumstances.

There is also a lifetime cap on Support at Home contributions. The current cap is $137,917.01, and it is indexed twice a year.

Your income and assets assessment is used to determine what you may need to contribute. Services Australia manages this part of the process.

For instance a full pensioner might pay 0% towards Clinical supports, 5% towards independence and 17.5% towards Everyday Living services. Similarly a self-funded retiree who has no Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card might pay 0% towards clinical support services, 50% towards independence services and 80% towards everyday living services.

This is one reason it is important not to compare your contribution with a friend or family member and assume yours should be identical.

Two Older Australians receiving similar services may have different contribution arrangements because their financial circumstances are different.

If you are experiencing financial hardship, assistance may also be available depending on your circumstances.

Your provider should explain what you are expected to pay before services are delivered.

A major change coming on 1 October 2026

Brisbane families receiving Personal Care should know about an important change.

Starting 1 October 2026, Personal Care will move to a different funding category. It will move from Independence to Clinical Support.

This means eligible people will no longer pay for approved Personal Care after that date. This applies if the service is in their support plan and they still have Support at Home funding available.

Personal Care can include help with showering, dressing, eating, and personal hygiene. It can also include non-clinical continence care and help taking medication.

This change doesn’t mean Personal Care is unlimited. You still need to be assessed and approved for the service. It still comes out of your available Support at Home budget.

Services provided before 1 October 2026 will follow the old contribution rules — the rules that applied at the time.

If Personal Care makes up a big part of your current supports, it’s a good idea to contact your provider. Ask them how this change might affect your budget and services.

Provider prices matter more than many people realise

Government funding does not mean every provider charges the same price.

Under Support at Home, providers set their own prices, but prices must be reasonable, transparent and all-inclusive. Providers must also publish commonly charged prices on their website and My Aged Care.

That makes it important to look beyond a provider’s name or general promise of quality.

Ask what you will actually receive for your funding.

For example, two service providers may offer the same type of support but charge different amounts. One provider’s pricing may allow you to receive more hours of support from your budget than another.

Ask for a clear explanation of:

• the hourly or unit price of services
• what is included in the price
• whether there are additional charges
• how care management is handled
• how your quarterly budget will be monitored
• what happens if your needs change
• how you will receive statements about your spending

The Australian Government has also paused the implementation of Support at Home price caps while further consumer protections and market arrangements are put in place.

That means families should not assume that a government-set price cap is currently limiting every provider’s charge.

Choosing a provider in Brisbane

Finding the right provider can make all the difference to your experience with Support at Home.

Brisbane is a big region, and there are practical considerations to keep in mind. A provider may be a good fit according to their website but have no vacancies in your local area or may not offer the specific services you require.

You might live in Brisbane CBD, the northern suburbs, the southside or another part of the Brisbane region. The provider’s ability to consistently deliver services in your area matters.

Begin by examining the types of services that your provider offers.

Depending on the identified preferences, it may be essential to focus on agencies that can provide home care, clinical services, services for people with dementia, personal care, social support services, meal assistance, or aid with daily living activities.

Moreover, it may be crucial to pay attention to the organisation’s expertise or specialisation in a specific sphere.

Among the list of the mentioned care providers, one may find such names as Sensible Care, The CareSide, HenderCare Queensland, Easy Community Services, Just Better Care, Roaming Therapy, and many others.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned examples are not meant for recommendation purposes. They are just options to research. Before choosing one, check their current services, locations, prices, and registration details. Make sure they can meet your specific support plan.

A provider’s ability to offer a service in Brisbane does not necessarily mean that it is the right fit for you.

What should you ask before choosing a provider?

The right provider offers you a range of options that are tailored to you rather than a one-size-fits-all package. This means you don't have to make a choice based on a sales conversation before signing a service agreement, ask questions that will help you understand what the provider is really like.

1. What services do you provide?

Make sure the provider offers the services you currently need. If you require clinical nursing, Occupational therapy, dementia support or regular Personal Care, ask specifically about those services.

2. What do you charge?

Ask for the actual prices rather than a general statement that the service is covered by Support at Home. You should understand how the price will affect your available budget.

3. How will you manage my budget?

Ask how often your provider reviews your spending and how they will tell you if you are using your funding faster than expected.

4. Who will be my main contact?

Having a clear Care Partner or another person you can contact can make it much easier to deal with changes or concerns.

5. What happens if my needs change?

Your needs may increase, decrease or change completely. Ask how the provider will respond if your current services are no longer enough.

6. What happens if I want to change providers?

You are not permanently tied to your first choice. If your circumstances change or the provider is no longer meeting your needs, you can explore changing providers under the program arrangements.

Support at Home is not the same as disability support

It is also important to understand the difference between aged care and disability support.

Support at Home is part of Australia’s government-funded aged care system for older people. The NDIS, on the other hand, is designed for eligible people with permanent and significant disability.

Someone may interact with both systems at different stages of life, but they are not interchangeable.

A Registered NDIS Provider does not automatically become your Support at Home provider simply because it offers disability support.

If you are unsure which system applies to you, seek advice before assuming that a service will be funded. This is especially important for families who are already using disability support and are now exploring aged care.

Could self-management work for you?

Some people want their provider to organise everything. Others prefer to have more control over how parts of their support are arranged.

Support at Home enables some participants to self-manage their care, based on their needs, preferences and abilities.

Self-management can provide you with a higher degree of say in how your support should be provided, but it also has its responsibilities.

You might need to become more involved in the management of support services, how to contact your workers and have knowledge of your own budget.

For a self-sufficient person, it may provide a very useful degree of flexibility. For someone whose strength is not administration, a provider-managed arrangement may be considerably less stressful.

It is hard to say which is the best option, as it can differ depending on what each individual requires, their confidence and level of support.

The numbers can also matter. The Australian Government gives an example where a provider charges $55 for a service, while a self-managed arrangement could involve a $50 third-party service cost plus a $5 provider overhead.

The total amount charged to the Support at Home budget is still $55 in that example, but the self-managed option gives the participant more control over who delivers the service and how the underlying service cost is arranged.

Have someone you trust involved

As many aspects of aged care can be complicated, it is best to have someone there to remind you of what you want to ask, how much you are spending or how much you can spend, and keep track of what has changed and what is changing.

This is especially helpful if you have various support needs, or your carer or Care Partner is managing multiple services.

You should be the one making decisions regarding your care, but you do not always have to understand everything that goes into it.

What if your care needs change?

Your Support at Home arrangements are based on your assessed needs, but life does not always follow an assessment.

You might recover from an illness and need less support. You might have a fall, develop a new health problem or find that existing services are no longer enough.

If your Care needs change, speak with your provider and My Aged Care about whether your support should be reviewed.

Do not simply add services and hope the funding will cover them. Your support plan and available funding need to line up with the services you receive.

Good communication with your provider matters here too — you want to understand your budget before a problem appears, not after.

What about the Commonwealth Home Support Program?

If you have heard about the Commonwealth Home Support Program, or CHSP, it is worth knowing that it has not simply disappeared overnight.

CHSP is still separate from Support at Home for now. The Australian Government has said the CHSP transition to Support at Home will occur no earlier than 1 July 2027.

So if you currently receive community care services through CHSP, do not assume that you have already been moved to Support at Home.

Your provider or My Aged Care can explain what applies to your circumstances.

Other government-funded aged care programs may also be relevant if Support at Home does not cover a particular service you need.

The Queensland Community Support Scheme may also be relevant for some Queensland residents, depending on eligibility and the type of assistance required.

Where Brisbane families can get help

You do not have to rely only on a provider to understand your rights.

My Aged Care is the main starting point for information about aged care assessments, eligibility and finding local providers.

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing also publishes information about Support at Home, including funding, aged care services, participant contributions and changes to the program.

Services Australia is responsible for assessments of income and assets that relate to a person's contribution.

Independent advocacy and assistance in understanding one's rights is available through the Older Persons Advocacy Network.

Seeking independent information can be helpful if you are confused by the information about your funding, dissatisfied with your provider, or unsure whether a service should be included.

Is Support at Home better than Home Care Packages?

There is no simple yes or no answer.

Support at Home was introduced to reform Australia’s in-home Aged Care system, but whether it feels better depends on your circumstances.

The new system gives participants a classification and quarterly budget. It also changes how services are grouped and how contributions work.

For some people, the new arrangements may make funding and services easier to understand. For others, the quarterly budget and new contribution rules may take some getting used to.

Provider prices also remain something to watch, since pricing affects how much support your funding can actually buy.

So rather than asking whether Support at Home is simply “better”, ask whether your current arrangement is giving you the right services, at reasonable prices, with enough flexibility to meet your needs.

What Brisbane families should do now?

If you already receive support at home, start by finding out exactly where you stand.

Check your current Support at Home classification and quarterly budget. Look at the services you are receiving and how much they cost.

Then check your contribution arrangements.

If you receive Personal Care, make sure to note the 1 October 2026 change and ask your provider how this will affect your services.

And when considering a provider change, compare the price and services instead of basing your decision on advertising.

And if your support is no longer reflecting your needs, speak to your provider or My Aged Care about what options are available.

For those new to the system, the first step is generally to contact My Aged Care and arrange the correct assessment.

The bottom line for Support at Home Brisbane

The move from Home Care Packages to Support at Home is more than a name change.

For Brisbane families, the most useful thing you can do is understand your own arrangement rather than relying on general information — your classification, your budget, what is approved, and what you are expected to contribute. If your needs change, speak up early.

And if you are receiving Personal Care, bear in mind that Personal care services that have been approved will move to the Clinical Supports contribution category and be fully government funded from 1 October 2026, if you have available Support at Home funding.

Support at Home services can seem overwhelming at first, but you don't have to face it alone. With the right information, a good provider and an understanding of your funding, you can make informed decisions about your independence and the support you need to keep you safe at home.