With the Government move from Home Care Packages (HCP) to the new Support at Home (SAH) program on 1 November 2025, many older Australians approved for aged care funding are facing some uncertainty. It’s likely there will be a waiting period before funding actually becomes available.
If you or a family member is in this situation, you don’t have to put support on hold. By paying privately for in-home support in the short term, you can get help that suits your needs right now. It also means you’ll still have choice, flexibility and control.
Understanding the Support at Home program and wait times
Support at Home is Australia’s new aged care program. It replaces Home Care Packages (HCP) and was designed to provide a flexible, personalised and more supportive way to help older people live independently at home for longer.
If you currently have Support at Home funding – or when you’re approved for it – you’re placed into the Government’s priority system. This is a rating based on your needs with people in higher priority categories receiving funding more quickly.
Although the new system aims to reduce wait times, the demand for help at home is still very high.
Currently, the estimated Support at Home program wait times for ongoing funding range from 1 month for high priority cases, up to about 11 months for lower priority cases.
We understand this can be a stressful time, however there are ways to access in-home support while waiting for your funding. You could be eligible for interim funding which gives you up to 60% of your approved Support at Home budget early, or you can pay privately to start getting support right away. This can include booking independent support workers through a platform like Mable.
Why privately paying for support can make a big difference
Privately paying for aged care support means you don’t have to wait for Support at Home funding to get help. You or your loved one can get help straight away and keep living independently at home. These are some of the main benefits of paying privately through a platform like Mable:
- Immediate access to support, rather than waiting extended periods for Support at Home funding
- More affordable hourly rates, on average
- Choice and control over which support workers you book and what they help with
- Consistent relationships with a trusted team of support workers
- Flexibility in scheduling and tasks, as your needs change
- Simple changeover once funding is approved – you can generally keep working with the same workers
- Less stress on family carers, who can share caring responsibilities and take breaks when they need to.
Using Mable is one of the most flexible ways to privately pay for support and you’re always able to adjust the support as your needs change.
How Mable makes private support affordable and flexible
With traditional service providers, different fees and charges can be bundled into your invoices, so it’s not always clear what each hour of support costs. Those bills can also add up over time.
The difference with Mable is you’re dealing directly with verified independent support workers, giving you more control and visibility over what you spend.
Each independent support worker goes through a rigorous verification process with our team before they can offer their services – this includes checks on key documents and credentials.
Mable is also a registered Digital Platform Provider under the new Aged Care Act. This means we’re formally recognised and regulated as part of the aged care system. It’s a bit of extra reassurance that the support workers you find on Mable meet the right safety and quality standards.
It's easy to switch from privately paying to Support at Home when ready
One of the best things is that when your Support at Home funding becomes available, you don’t have to start again from scratch.
Mable works with many Registered Providers, so if you’re self-managed and have found support workers you’re happy with, you can generally keep working with them once funding starts. It helps make the transition from privately paying to funded support more straightforward, and means you can maintain relationships with as little disruption as possible.
Help with accessing support when you need
Remember, waiting for Support at Home funding doesn’t have to mean going without affordable aged care support. Privately paying through Mable is a cost-effective way to get help at home sooner, stay independent and even reduce the care load on family members. For many people, it’s a practical and reassuring answer to the question of how to get support while waiting for funding.
If you or a family member is waiting for Support at Home funding, now is a good time to explore your options.
Start searching for support workers on Mable and get the help you need now – while staying fully prepared for when your Support at Home funding becomes available.