Support at Home (SaH)

Support at Home is the new Australian Government aged care program launching on 1 November 2025. It replaces Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC). The goal is to offer more flexible, tailored support to help older Australians stay independent at home for longer. It will replace the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) after 1 July 2027.

Home Care Packages will be phased out on 1 November 2025. If you have previously been approved for a Home Care Package, you’ll automatically transition to the new system without needing to do another Support at Home assessment.

Now is the ideal time to review your care plan, understand your funding level, and speak with a provider like Kanda to ensure a smooth transition. Acting early helps avoid last-minute confusion or delays.

You’ll continue to get the support you need, but there may be some changes to align with the new service categories. We will help make these changes smoothly. Services will be grouped into three categories: Clinical Care, Independence Support, and Everyday Living, but the types of support you access can remain the same.

Some costs will change. If you are already receiving Home Care Package services or if you were approved for a package before 12 September 2024 (grandfathered participant), your package subsidy will remain unchanged and you will continue to make the same contribution (if any) as you have under the Home Care Package program.

Under Support at Home, clinical care services are fully government funded. You will need to pay contribution for Independence Support and Everyday Living services. The costs of these services are based on your income.

If you were assessed after 12 September 2024, you’re known as a transitional participant. As a transitional participant your package subsidy will not change. However, there will be changes to your contributions towards the cost of your services. Services Australia will assess your fees and let you know what they are.

If you are a full-rate pensioner and you didn’t pay fees before the introduction of Support at Home, you still won’t pay fees.

If reassessed after 1 November 2025, your classification may change, and your contribution could be adjusted based on the services you receive.

Our team can help you understand the cost changes that Support at Home might bring.

Previously, you needed to do a RAS assessment if you wanted entry level support from the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) or an ACAT assessment if you needed aged care services like residential aged care, Home Care Packages (HCP), transition care or respite care.

Instead of multiple assessments, there will now be a Single Assessment System. It means the aged care assessment is all one process, so you can get support quicker and easier. Based on your assessment and eligibility, you will get an approved list of services to help you live more independently at home.

If you already have a Home Care Package or you have been approved for a Home Care Package, you will move to Support at Home and keep the same level of funding. If you’re on the National Priority System and are waiting for a Home Care Package, you will get a Support at Home classification when a place is available. However, if your care needs have changed significantly, you may need an updated My Aged Care assessment.

Your funding will now be allocated quarterly across eight levels, ranging from $2,750 to $19,500 per quarter. If you're already on a package, your funding level will remain consistent unless reassessed.

Yes, when you move to Support at Home (SaH) you can stay with the same provider. You will continue to receive your services under the Single Provider Model. Kanda will provide continuity, care plan review and communication throughout the change from Home Care Packages to Support at Home.
As a Kanda client, there will be absolutely no change to the care team engaged in delivering services to you. Existing management and coordination teams will remain the same under the new program. The Kanda team will contact you before the change to Support at Home to arrange a time to meet with you. They will review your care plan, explain the changes and answer your questions.

Support at Home services include nursing, personal care, transport, meal preparation, home maintenance, allied health, social support, assistive technology and more.

There are also three short-term pathways. The Restorative Care Pathway helps you maintain and improve your independence through multidisciplinary allied health services. The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme is for products, equipment and home modifications to meet your assessed needs. The End-of-Life Pathway provides dedicated funding to access services and remain at home in your last 3 months of life.

You can make the transition to Support at Home easier for your parents or loved ones by taking a few simple steps. Start early and stay informed by reaching out to their provider to discuss how their current Home Care Package will move across to the new system. Providers like Kanda are already preparing for this change and have helpful guides available. It’s also important to be an advocate and a partner by making sure your loved one understands what to expect. You can also support them by reviewing or updating their care plan together and asking questions about the services they receive. Finally, take some time to get up to date by reading the Support at Home booklet for older people, families and carers from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

We have a range of downloadable resources explain the changes that Support at Home will bring in the above resource section.

If you have any concerns or want to make a complaint about your Support at Home provider, your first stop should be the provider themselves. For example, if you are a Kanda client you can contact us on our Feedback & complaints page. If you don’t get a satisfactory answer from your provider you can lodge a complaint with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner. Complaints can be made online or via phone (1800 951 822), and you can choose to remain anonymous or confidential.

From 1 November 2025, if you are genuinely struggling to pay your Support at Home contribution, you can apply for hardship assistance through Services Australia. You will need to provide evidence to support your claim. They will assess your application and let you know what help you’re eligible for. There is more information about planning your finances for aged care on the My Aged Care website.

The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) will stay in place in its current form until at least 1 July 2027. This gives providers and clients time to prepare for the transition. In the meantime, you may notice some changes in the services your provider offers and in how they report to the government.

If you transitioned from a Home Care Package to Support at Home, any unspent HCP funds remain available for your care and support. These funds can be used for approved assistive technology, home modifications, or additional services once your full quarterly Support at Home budget has been used. There is no carryover limit on unspent HCP funds. If you change Support at Home providers, your remaining balance will transfer to your new provider.