Understanding Support at Home Funding Levels
Your breakdown of the 8 government funding tiers for in-home care
Understanding Support at Home Funding Levels
Your breakdown of the 8 government funding tiers for in-home care
What kind of support can I receive at home?
The answer depends on your individual needs and the level of funding you’re allocated through the Australian Government’s Support at Home program.
Support at Home is designed to help older Australians stay independent, safe, and connected to the people and places that matter to them. The more support you need, the more funding is available – so the right level of help is always within reach.
Every person’s situation is different, and your support plan will reflect your goals, your health, and the way you want to live.
Use the tabs below to explore the eight funding levels at a glance and get a sense of what each level typically looks like in practice.
- Level 1
- Level 2
- Level 3
- Level 4
- Level 5-6
- Level 7-8
Level 1: A little extra help around the home
Support at this level often includes:
General house cleaning and laundry
Meal delivery
Welfare check-ins
Transport to appointments
Shopping assistance
Meet Margaret:
Margaret lives independently but finds vacuuming and changing the bed linen increasingly difficult. A support worker visits weekly to help with household tasks, so she can continue living comfortably at home.
Level 2: A little more help with everyday activities, including some personal care
Support at this level often includes:
Showering assistance
Dressing assistance
Medication reminders
Transport and social outings
Meet John:
John has mild mobility challenges and wants support getting to community activities and appointments. Regular assistance helps him stay independent and socially connected.
Level 3: Support several times each week
Support at this level often includes:
Personal care
Meal preparation
Mobility assistance and transport
Allied health visits
Home safety support
At Level 3, support becomes more structured and frequent, suited to people who need help with daily living on a regular basis.
Meet Patricia:
After a hospital stay, Patricia receives support several days each week with meals, personal care, and getting to physiotherapy appointments.
Level 4: Daily assistance across multiple areas
Support at this level often includes:
Daily personal care, inc. showering and dressing
Domestic assistance
Meal support
Allied health services
Home modifications for safety
Level 4 is for people who need more frequent help across different aspects of daily life.
Meet George:
Following a decline in mobility, George needs daily support with personal care and household tasks. This assistance allows him to remain safely at home.
Level 5-6: Complex daily support
Support at this level often includes:
Daily personal care and continence support
Medication management
Nursing services
Physiotherapy
Dementia support and clinical monitoring
These levels are designed for people with more significant care needs, often involving a combination of clinical and personal support.
Meet Elaine:
Elaine lives with multiple health conditions and receives a combination of nursing, personal care, and allied health services throughout the week.
Level 7-8: Intensive support at home
Support at this level often includes:
Multiple visits throughout the day
Complex nursing care
Hoist transfers and mobility assistance
Palliative care support
Overnight support
Coordinated care from a multidisciplinary team
The highest levels of in-home support, for people with complex or high-care needs who wish to remain at home.
Meet Ron:
Despite significant health challenges, Ron wants to stay at home. A coordinated team of nurses, support workers, and allied health professionals helps him live comfortably in familiar surroundings.
We’re here to help you navigate it
At For Care Aged Care, we work alongside you and your family to develop a support plan that helps you live life the way you want to – at home, on your terms.
Not sure what level you might need? Our friendly team can walk you through:
How Support at Home funding works
Arranging a My Aged Care assessment
What services are available and how to access them
Current waiting lists
Transitioning from a Home Care Package
Making the most of your funding
How Funding & Assessments Work
Navigating aged care funding doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Learn what your budget covers, how flexible your services are, and what to expect during your home assessment.
What can my funding be used for?
Across all levels, your Support at Home budget can generally be directed toward three core categories:
Independence: Personal care (showering, dressing, toileting), respite care, social support, and transport.
Everyday living: Domestic assistance (cleaning and laundry), meal preparation and delivery, and home maintenance or gardening.
Clinical: Nursing support and allied health services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and podiatry.
Note: Funding for assistive technology and home modifications — such as grab rails, ramps, and mobility aids — is managed separately through the AT-HM (Assistive Technology and Home Modifications) scheme.
Is my support plan fixed or flexible?
Your funding level doesn’t lock you into a fixed list of services. It’s a flexible budget, and how you use it is shaped entirely by your goals, preferences, health needs, and lifestyle.
Some people prioritise domestic help and transport. Others focus on nursing care, personal support, or staying socially active. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and your plan can easily evolve alongside you as your needs change.
How does the assessment work?
Getting assessed is the first step to accessing Support at Home funding. Under the Single Assessment System, a trained aged care assessor visits your home for a conversation about how you’re going. You’re welcome to have a family member, carer, or friend with you.
The assessor will consider:
Physical function: How you move around your home, and whether you need support with bathing, dressing, or eating.
Cognitive function: Any changes to memory or decision-making that affect your daily life.
Daily living tasks: How you’re managing with cooking, cleaning, laundry, and shopping.
Chronic health conditions: Any ongoing clinical needs.
Social and emotional wellbeing: Your connection to others and the support around you.
Home safety: Whether your home environment is working for you, or whether modifications might help.
There’s no need to downplay how you’re going. Talk through both the good days and the difficult ones – it all helps your assessor build a true picture of your needs and make sure you get the support that’s right for you.
Can my funding level change?
Yes, a review is always available if your circumstances change.
Your classification can be reassessed if:
Health changes: Your health or functional ability changes noticeably.
Requested review: You, a family member, or your provider requests a review.
Chronic health conditions: Any ongoing clinical needs.
Scheduled check-in: A scheduled reassessment takes place (typically every 12–24 months).
You don’t need to wait until a scheduled review if something significant changes. Reach out to your assessor or provider and a new assessment can be arranged quickly.
What Happens If I Need a Reassessment?
If you were approved for a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024, you remain protected under the Australian Government’s No Worse Off Principle.
Moving to a higher Support at Home classification will not affect your existing fee protections.
Your eligibility for these protections is based on your original approval date and does not change if your support needs increase or if you are reassessed into a higher Support at Home classification.
Your Protections Continue
Fee-Free Guarantee If you paid no fees under your Home Care Package, you will continue to pay no participant contributions under Support at Home.
Capped Contributions If you previously paid an income-tested care fee, your Support at Home contributions will be the same or lower than they would have been under the previous Home Care Package arrangements.
Funding Continuity Your funding will transition into a corresponding Support at Home classification while maintaining your grandfathered protections.
Unspent Funds Remain Available Any unspent Home Care Package funds transfer with you and can continue to be used for eligible supports, including:
Assistive technology
Home modifications
Clinical supports
Approved care services
This ensures participants can continue accessing the support they need while transitioning into the new aged care system.
Are there price caps on Support at Home services?
The Australian Government had originally planned to introduce mandatory price caps for Support at Home services from July 2026. This reform has now been deferred, with no confirmed implementation date.
This means providers will continue to set their own service prices; however, stronger safeguards are now in place to protect older Australians.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) has expanded powers to:
Monitor provider pricing practices
Investigate potential overcharging
Require providers to issue refunds where inappropriate charges are identified
Increase transparency across aged care pricing and reporting
Our Commitment at For Care:Our values guide every decision we make. We believe older Australians deserve aged care that is transparent, respectful and focused on achieving their goals.We are committed to:
Clear and easy-to-understand pricing
Transparent statements and funding information
Helping participants maximise their available funding
Supporting informed choice and control
Delivering care that is person-centred, compliant and aligned to best practice
As aged care reforms continue to evolve, our team will keep you informed and supported every step of the way.
Need some help?
Contact us. We’d love to hear from you.
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