In this guide:
Support at Home is designed to help older Australians live independently at home, with the right care for their needs and personal goals. To make sure each participant gets the support they need, the program includes 8 levels of funding, known as ‘classifications’, as well as 3 short-term support pathways.
The higher your classification, the more funding you’ll receive. In this article, we’ll walk you through the funding classifications, as well as the extra short-term support pathways.
What is the Support at Home program?
Support at Home is a government-subsidised program that provides funding for older Australians to receive support services at home. It’s designed to help you stay safe, independent at home for longer, especially if you have more complex care needs.
Learn more about the Support at Home program, or find out how to access Support at Home funding.
What are the different Support at Home classifications?
There are 8 ongoing funding classifications under Support at Home. Each comes with a different annual amount, depending on the level of care you need. Annual budgets are broken into quarterly (3-monthly) budgets.
Classifications range from basic care needs (Classification 1) to high, complex care needs (Classification 8).
| Classification | Quarterly budget | Annual amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,682.75 | $10,731.00 |
| 2 | $4,008.61 | $16,034.45 |
| 3 | $5,491.43 | $21,965.70 |
| 4 | $7,424.10 | $29,696.40 |
| 5 | $9,924.35 | $39,697.40 |
| 6 | $12,028.58 | $48,114.30 |
| 7 | $14,537.04 | $58,148.15 |
| 8 | $19,526.59 | $78,106.35 |
The above funding amounts are correct as of the date of publishing this article and are effective from 1 November 2025 and are subject to change in July each year in line with indexation. Please check My Aged Care for accurate figures.
If you don’t use all of your budget in a quarter, you can carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of the amount (whichever is more) into the next quarter.
If your support needs change, you can be reassessed and moved to a different classification. Your Support at Home provider can guide you through this process.
What can Support at Home funds be used for?
Your Support at Home funding can cover a wide range of services, including:
- Personal care: help with showering, toileting, shaving, mobility, communication and other daily hygiene needs
- Everyday living: social support and domestic assistance like shopping, laundry, companionship, meal preparation and keeping your home clean
- Continence support: assistance with pads or continence aids, dementia support services and help with hearing or vision loss
- Transport: travelling to attend appointments, do shopping or join in community activities
- Mobility support: items like crutches, walking sticks, frames and mechanical mobility aids
- Nursing and allied health: including physiotherapy, podiatry, psychology or occupational therapy
Your provider can help you adjust the mix of approved services you receive at any time.
Learn more about what your Support at Home funding can be used for, or take a look at the full list of services.
What are the short-term care pathways available under Support at Home?
Sometimes, you might need a bit of extra help for a short period, for example, after a hospital stay or during rehabilitation. Support at Home includes short-term pathways that sit alongside your regular classification, which means that you won’t need to dip into your ongoing funding.
There are 3 short-term pathways, the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme, Restorative Care Pathway and the End-of-Life Pathway.
Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme
| Funding tier | Funding allocation cap | Time allocated to spend funding |
|---|---|---|
| Low | $500 | 12 months |
| Medium | $2,000 | 12 months |
| High | $15,000* | 12 months** |
*High funding tier for assistive technology only may be able to claim and amount higher than the cap if products and equipment with costs greater than $15,000 are available to participants with a prescribed need.
** In relation to the Home Modifications High funding tier funding period, funding may be extended for a further 12 months in order to complete complex home modifications (providing 24 months in total) upon providing evidence to Services Australia.
Please check My Aged Care for current and further information.
Funding must be used within 12 months and doesn’t roll over. Your provider can help you organise approved equipment, home changes and any related services.
See the full list of Assistive Technology and home Modification inclusions.
Support at Home participants may be required to provide contributions toward their assistive technology or home modifications.
Restorative Care Pathway
This short-term option is designed to help you build strength and confidence, so you can keep doing the things you enjoy.
Eligibility for the Restorative Care Pathway is assessed during an aged care assessment. If approved, you can receive an extra budget of about $6,000 (or up to $12,000 – the additional $6,000 [to equate to $12000] can be requested if required through a Support Plan Review) for allied health services like physiotherapy or occupational therapy.
Support under this pathway is delivered up to 16 weeks and can be accessed more than once, but no more than twice in a year and not in consecutive periods.
End-of-Life Pathway
For those wanting to spend their final months at home, this pathway provides extra care and support.
If eligible, participants will access the End-of-Life Pathway via a high priority Support Plan Review by an aged care assessor. It provides up to $25,000 for urgent and more comprehensive in-home support over a period of 3 months or less.
This option is available to all eligible older Australians, whether or not they’re already a Support at Home participant.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move to a different classification than the one I was assigned?
Yes. If your care requirements or health situation changes, your Support at Home provider can help organise a reassessment to make sure you are on the classification that meets your needs.
Do I need to contribute to my Support at Home funding?
It's free for eligible older Australians to access Support at Home, although you may need to contribute to the services you receive.
Your contributions will be calculated based on 2 overarching factors:
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- The type of services received. At the moment:
- Clinical care does not require a contribution
- Independence services require a moderate contribution
- Everyday living services require a higher contribution
- Your financial situation:
- This includes age pension status, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card status and means testing.
- The type of services received. At the moment:
Learn more about participant contributions in our Topic Library.
This article, and any of our linked documents or articles, provides our summary of Support at Home terms and is intended for general purposes only. Please contact My Aged Care for information specific to your circumstances.