Support at Home

Get the help you need at home. Explore VMCH’s Support at Home program.

An older lady and a home care support worker in the kitchen

What is Support at Home?

The Support at Home Program is a new aged care system introduced by the Australian Government. It was developed in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

Support at Home brings together several existing in-home aged care programs into one simpler, fairer system. It helps older people stay at home longer with the right support.

Key changes

Support at Home commenced 1 November 2025: Replaces the Home Care Package (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) programs.
From July 2027 (at the earliest): Will also include the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).

An older man sitting at the table on his phone and smiling

New Prioritisation and Assessment System

New prioritisation system

People are now prioritised based on their assessment results. This ensures those with the highest needs receive support faster.

Single Assessment System

Since 9 December 2024, aged care assessments are done through the Single Assessment System. This makes it easier to apply for aged care services and adjust your care as your needs change.

To apply, you’ll need to register with My Aged Care. If you need help, please call our team on 1300 698 624. We'd be happy to help.

Call us

A home care support worker helping an older man step down an outdoor step

Support at Home classifications

The program uses a new classification system to match services to your needs. This includes:

Eight ongoing Support at Home funding levels
Two short-term care pathways:
- Restorative Care Pathway – for temporary recovery
- End-of-Life Pathway – for palliative care

Reassessments are available over time to ensure your care matches your changing needs.

An older man sitting at a table with a VMCH support worker looking at paperwork

Support at Home funding

Ongoing Support

Eight service classifications, plus four for people transitioning from a Home Care Package
Each classification comes with a quarterly budget, giving you access to government-funded services tailored to your assessed care needs
Depending on your classification, you could receive between $11,000 and $78,000 per year in funding.

Short-Term Pathways

Restorative Care Pathway: approximately $6,000 for 12 weeks (may increase to $12,000)
End-of-Life Pathway: approximately $25,000 for 12 weeks
Assistive Technology & Home Modifications (AT-HM): Low: $500, Medium: $2,000, High: $15,000 (lifetime cap).

A young female allied health professional assisting an older lady with her crutches

Your transition to the Support at Home program

Your situation depends on your aged care status as of 12 September 2024:

Grandfathered participants: If you were already receiving aged care services, you’ve been transitioned to Support at Home with no major changes.
Hybrid participants: If you were assessed between 12 Sept 2024 and 31 Oct 2025, you’re considered a transitional ‘hybrid’ participant. You’ll need to co-contribute to your care costs under the new program.

Understanding Support at Home pricing

As part of the Support at Home program, you’ll be asked to contribute to the cost of services that support your independence and daily living, like help around the house or transport. You won’t need to contribute to clinical services, such as nursing care.

The price of each Support at Home service reflects the full cost of delivering that service, including things like administration and transport. This is a change from the previous Home Care Packages system, where administrative costs (known as ‘package management’) were charged separately from direct services.

Support at Home price list

Support at Home services are grouped into clinical care, independence, and everyday living.

You may be asked to contribute to the cost based on your income.