Support at Home and current home care recipients

Name: Villa Maria Catholic Homes
Address: 486 Albert Street, East Melbourne, VIC, 3002, Australia
Telephone: +1300 698 624
Price range: Contact Us

12 March 2025

12 Mar 2025

With the Support at Home (SAH) program set to launch on 1 July 2025, many current home care participants are wondering how the changes will affect them.

In summary:

The Australian Government’s Support at Home program is set to launch 1 July 2025
No changes to the Commonwealth Home Support Programme until at least 2027
Existing Home Care Packages will be grandfathered in
Current Short-Term Restorative Care clients will conclude at the planned date.

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With the Support at Home (SAH) program set to launch on 1 July 2025, many current home care participants are wondering how the changes will affect them.

The SAH program will replace the Home Care Package (HCP) program and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme, and from July 2027 at the earliest, it will also incorporate the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).

Are you approved for a Home Care Package or looking for a new provider? Get in touch about Home Care Packages and we’ll help you get started.

Read on as we break down the details.

I’m a Home Care Package recipient

The Australian Government has outlined plans to help HCP recipients transition to Support at Home from 1 July 2025 under their current funding levels:

If you’re an existing Home Care Package recipient, your current HCP funding will be grandparented into Support at Home
If you’ve been approved for a package prior to 12 September but have not yet been allocated funding, your Support at Home budget will match your approved HCP level
If you’re a HCP recipient with unspent Commonwealth funds, you’ll retain those funds under the program.

An older lady being shown something on a laptop by a Case manager at the kitchen table

I have entry-level support through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)

No changes for you until at least 2027
If you’re currently receiving CHSP services, the program will remain in place until at least July 2027, when it is expected to transition to Support at Home. Until then, CHSP will continue to support both new and existing clients who need low-level care
If you’ve been approved for an HCP, reach out to us – we can guide you through the process and help you get started.

I’m accessing / will be accessing support through the Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme

If you’re a current STRC client, you will conclude your STRC episode at the planned date
If you are assigned an STRC place before 1 July 2025, you will commence your STRC episode and conclude it in line with the planned end date. The commencement of Support at Home whilst you are receiving an STRC episode will not affect you
If you are allocated a Restorative Care level of support from 1 July 2025, you will receive it under the rubric of the new Support at Home model.

Want to discuss home care options?

Contact us to connect with a friendly expert for a relaxed, no-pressure conversation.

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Acknowledgement of Country

We here at VMCH respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we gather, and we would like to take a moment to honour the fact that we live on the lands of the oldest civilisation in the world. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.