How can I access care while on the Support at Home waitlist?

Key takeaways

• Waiting for Support at Home (previously Home Care Packages) funding may take several months, but you don’t have to put important support needs on hold.
• Through Mable, you can privately book local, verified independent support workers without joining a waitlist. You can book support as soon as your payment details are verified, which usually takes up to 2 business days.
• This checklist covers what to do while you’re on the Support at Home waitlist to help you stay safe and supported.
• Once your Support at Home funding arrives, HomeMade, which is part of the same group of companies as Mable, offers self-managed and fully-managed options to help with your Support at Home budget and administration. Which option you choose depends on how involved you’d like to be in managing your support.

Waiting for a Support at Home decision or funding allocation can be frustrating. It may feel encouraging to know that you’re in the system, but that doesn’t take away from your immediate support needs.

Daily tasks don’t stop, safety concerns at home may grow, and funding can feel a long way off. You or your loved one may still need help with personal care, meals, housework, transport or appointments while you wait.

This checklist provides clear, practical steps to help you prepare for funded care and access private support while you’re on the Support at Home waitlist.

How long is the Support at Home waitlist?

The Support at Home Program replaced the Home Care Packages Program on 1 November 2025 as the Australian Government’s main aged care funding pathway.

When you’re approved for Support at Home funding, you’re placed in one of 4 priority categories in the Support at Home Priority System: urgent, high, medium and standard. This is the national waitlist used to allocate ongoing funding.

Your estimated wait time depends on your priority category, approval date and the services you’ve been approved for. Current estimated wait times are:

• Urgent: Within one month
• High: 1–2 months
• Medium: 6–7 months
• Standard: 7–8 months.

If these national waitlist times are longer than expected, some people may receive interim funding equal to 60% of their approved ongoing Support at Home budget. The remaining 40% is allocated when it becomes available.

For many older Australians and their families, the wait for Support at Home funding is still significant. Having a plan for this waiting period can help address immediate support needs and reduce some of the pressure.

Can I pay for my own home care services while I wait?

Yes, you can self-fund your aged care while you wait for Support at Home funding. You don’t need to go without support.

You or your representative can arrange and pay privately for in-home aged care support at any stage of the government funding process through Mable.

Mable is an online platform that connects you with local, verified independent support workers. Using Mable offers 4 main advantages:

No waitlist

Using Mable doesn’t require an application, referral or waitlist to begin looking for support. Sign-up is free and you can begin your independent support worker search once Mable verifies your payment details, which is usually within 2 business days.

Genuine choice

On Mable, you can browse more than 23,000 independent support worker profiles using over 70 filters, including:

• Location
• Qualifications
• Cultural background
• Gender
• Language spoken
• Interests.

You can also read reviews before contacting support workers directly. Many independent support workers offer a free meet and greet, which may help you or your loved one decide whether the match feels right before committing to ongoing support.

Better value

There are no set hourly support rates on Mable. You agree on hourly rates directly with independent support workers. Independent support workers set their own rates which vary based on experience, qualifications and service complexity.

Transparency for representatives

Representatives can manage a loved one’s support remotely through the secure Mable platform. They can access:

• Upcoming and past support sessions
• Support notes
• Health and wellbeing notes
• Service agreements
• Payment records.

This may be especially helpful for adult children or other family members coordinating support from a distance, while keeping the older person’s choices and preferences central.

Checklist: What can I do while waiting for Support at Home funding?

1. Review current support needs

Listing what you or your loved one needs help with right now can help identify which private supports are most important while you wait for government funding. It may also prepare you for a more informed discussion with a Support at Home provider, such as HomeMade, which part of the same group of companies as Mable, when funding arrives.

Your list may include:

• Personal care
• Domestic tasks, such as cleaning or gardening
• Clinical support
• Transport to appointments or social outings
• Allied health support
• Companionship.

2. Prepare My Aged Care documents

Once you receive your My Aged Care Notice of Decision letter, keep it in a safe and accessible place along with your assessment outcome and support plan.

Having these documents ready may help make the transition to funded support smoother once your Support at Home budget is allocated.

3. Set up a free Mable account

Sign up to Mable for free and browse independent support worker profiles in your area.

As a part of your search, you can:

• Review independent support worker profiles.
• Read reviews from other clients.
• Contact support workers to discuss your needs before booking a support session.

4. Verify payment details

Add a credit or debit card to your Mable account. Mable usually verifies your payment details within 2 business days.

Completing this step early means you may be ready to accept a service agreement and book support once you find the right independent support worker.

5. Arrange short-term interim support

Use Mable to book one-off or regular support sessions for your most immediate needs. You may increase, reduce or adjust your sessions as your needs change during the Support at Home waiting period.

6. Investigate funding management options

After receiving Support at Home funding, you can choose between self-managed or fully-managed support, depending on how involved you or your loved one would like to be in managing care.

With self-managed support, you take a more active role in choosing your service providers, setting your support schedule and managing your budget. Fully-managed support offers more ongoing help with organising your care, booking support workers and day-to-day administration.

HomeMade specialises in helping older Australians manage their Support at Home funding and is part of the same group of companies as Mable. HomeMade may help you get more value from your Support at Home funding, with options that give you choice over your care and different levels of support with managing your budget and services.

Depending on the option you choose, Homemade can help with:

• Budget tracking
• Payments
• Care planning
• Administration.

Ready to get support now and prepare for Support at Home funding?

Waiting for Support at Home funding can be frustrating but with the right plan in place, you don’t have to go without support.

Paying privately for support through Mable may help you or your loved one maintain safety, independence and daily routines while you wait.

When your funding arrives, a provider such as HomeMade can help you self-manage or fully-manage your Support at Home budget and take care of administration. If the services are included in your approved support plan, you may be able to continue with the same independent support workers you found through Mable.

Sign up to Mable for free to browse independent support workers in your area.

Explore HomeMade to prepare for fully-managed or self-managed support when your Support at Home funding arrives.