How Does the Support at Home Program differ from Home Care Packages?

You may or may not have heard about Support at Home, which is replacing the current Home Care Packages in Australia. There’s a lot of information to get through, so here’s a simple breakdown of the key differences between the Support at Home (SAH) Program and the existing Home Care Packages (HCP).

1. Purpose & Flexibility

Home Care Packages (HCP)	Support at Home (SAH)
Provide long-term, tailored support for older Australians with more complex care needs. Four levels (1–4) offering different funding amounts based on care requirements. Funds can be used flexibly for services like nursing, personal care, meals, and home modifications.	Eight levels (1–8) offering different funding amounts based on care requirements. Two short-term care pathways (Restorative Care Pathway and the End-of-Life Pathway) Three funding tiers for assistive technology and home modifications, under the Assistive Technology and Home Modification (AT-HM) Scheme.

2. Eligibility & Assessment

Home Care Packages (HCP)	Support at Home (SAH)
Aged 65 or older (50 or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people) and have care needs that cannot be adequately addressed through other means, requiring an assessment by My Aged Care.  https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/am-i-eligible	Aged 65 or older (50 or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people) and have care needs that cannot be adequately addressed through other means, requiring an assessment by My Aged Care.  Simpler assessment process, for access into aged care funding which will incorporate previous HCP (and CHSP funding by 2027).

3. Services Offered

Home Care Packages (HCP)	Support at Home (SAH)
Services and equipment to assist with age-related decline: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/HCP-inclusions-exclusions-faqs	A defined new service list: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/support-at-home-service-list Additional short-term supports, which may include a budget for assistive technology, home modifications, restorative care pathway (for example, intensive allied health services), end of life pathway.

4. Funding & Costs

Home Care Packages (HCP)	Support at Home (SAH)
Funds are allocated to the individual and managed by a provider. Funds are allocated monthly, with any unspent funds accumulated for following periods. Government-funded with a means-tested fee (some people contribute based on income).	Different service types require different participant contribution percentages. A maximum of $1000 or 10% of quarterly budget can be rolled over. For participants who were approved for a Home Care Package prior to 12th September 2024, a “no worse off” principle will apply – aka “grandfathered participants”.

5. Transition from HCP

The Support at Home program is expected to commence on 1 July 2025, with a full transition of CHSP (Commonwealth Home Support Programme) into the program expected by July 2027.

For more information contact us on (02) 8567 2811 or email us at info@assister.com.au.