Support at Home Eligibility: Who Qualifies (2026)
Andre Smith
Co-founder & CEO
Key points
- You must be 65+ (50+ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) and an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- An assessment under the Single Assessment System determines your eligibility and funding classification
- The means assessment affects how much you contribute, not whether you qualify
- Anyone can start the process by calling My Aged Care on 1800 200 422
- After approval you join the national priority system, and you have 56 days to choose a provider once a place is released
- Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025, and assessors use the Integrated Assessment Tool
Who qualifies for Support at Home?
The eligibility requirements for Support at Home are straightforward on paper:
Age: Generally 65 years or older. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, 50 years or older. There is no strict cutoff, and younger people with age-related conditions may qualify in some cases.
Residency: You must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or hold a special category visa.
Care needs: You must have ongoing care needs that can be appropriately met through services delivered in your home. This is the part that gets assessed formally.
Preference for home care: You need to want to remain living at home. If your needs are better suited to residential care and you agree, you may be directed there instead.
That is it for the basic criteria. The real question is not whether you are eligible in principle, but which funding classification you qualify for, and that is determined by your assessment under the Single Assessment System.
The Single Assessment System explained
The Single Assessment System replaced the old ACAT, RAS and ACAS arrangements on 9 December 2024. A team of health professionals, usually nurses, social workers, and allied health professionals, assess your care needs using the Integrated Assessment Tool and recommend the support you require.
Depending on your needs, you receive either a comprehensive assessment (for higher needs) or a home support assessment (for lower needs). The Single Assessment System is the gateway to government-funded aged care, including Support at Home, residential care, and respite care.
How to get referred
You can be referred for an assessment in several ways:
- Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 (the most common route)
- Visit myagedcare.gov.au and use the online eligibility checker
- Ask your GP to refer you
- Hospital referral if you are being discharged and need ongoing care
- Family member or friend can call on your behalf (with your consent)
After you contact My Aged Care, they will conduct an initial screening over the phone (about 15 to 20 minutes). If the screening suggests you need a comprehensive assessment, they will refer you to an assessor.
What happens during the assessment
An assessor visits you at home. The assessment takes about 1 hour and covers:
Physical health and function
- Mobility (walking, balance, falls history)
- Personal care ability (showering, dressing, toileting)
- Medication management
- Pain and symptom management
- Nutritional status
- Sensory function (vision, hearing)
Cognitive and mental health
- Memory and thinking (they may ask you to do simple memory tests)
- Mood and emotional wellbeing
- Behavioural changes
- Decision-making capacity
Daily living and home environment
- Ability to manage household tasks (cooking, cleaning, laundry)
- Home safety (trip hazards, bathroom setup, stairs)
- Ability to shop and manage finances
- Driving and transport needs
Social connections
- Support network (family, friends, neighbours)
- Social activities and community involvement
- Carer availability and carer stress
- Cultural and language needs
What the assessor recommends
After the assessment, the assessor recommends one of the following:
- No Support at Home funding needed (you may be referred to CHSP for basic services)
- A Support at Home classification between 1 and 8, set according to your assessed needs
- Residential aged care if your needs cannot be safely met at home
The eight classifications carry annual budgets from about $10,731 (Classification 1) to $78,106 (Classification 8). You receive confirmation from My Aged Care within 2 to 4 weeks of the assessment outcome.
How to prepare for your assessment
Preparation makes a real difference to the assessment outcome. Here is what people who have been through it recommend:
Do not downplay your difficulties. This is the single most common mistake. Many older Australians are proud and independent, and they instinctively minimise their struggles. The assessor can only work with what you tell them. If you say you are managing fine, they will assess you at a lower level.
Have someone with you. A family member, friend, or carer who knows your daily routine can provide information you might forget or downplay. They can describe the help they already provide, which demonstrates the level of support you need.
Show your worst days, not your best. If your pain is worse in the morning, schedule a morning assessment. If you have more difficulty in the afternoon, choose an afternoon appointment. The assessor needs to see the reality of your situation.
Gather your documents:
- Medicare card and another form of ID
- List of all medications (including dose and frequency)
- Letters from your GP or specialists about your conditions
- Hospital discharge summaries (if recent)
- List of tasks you struggle with (write this down beforehand)
Walk the assessor through your home. Show them areas of concern: the bathroom you struggle with, the stairs that worry you, the kitchen where you have had near-misses.
Talk about your carer’s situation. If a family member is providing care, describe what they do. If they are stressed, tired, or struggling, say so. Carer burnout is a legitimate factor in the assessment.
The means assessment
This is where many people get confused. The means assessment for Support at Home determines how much you contribute to the cost, not whether you get funding.
Everyone who is assessed as needing Support at Home is eligible, regardless of income or assets.
How it works
Services Australia (Centrelink) or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) conducts a means assessment. There is no basic daily fee under Support at Home. Instead, your contributions depend on the type of service. Clinical care is free for everyone. You contribute toward independence and everyday living services on a sliding scale based on your means.
| Service group | Full pensioner | Self-funded retiree |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical care (nursing, allied health) | 0% | 0% |
| Independence (personal care, assistive technology, home modifications) | 5% | up to 50% |
| Everyday living (cleaning, meals, transport, social support) | 17.5% | up to 80% |
Part pensioners contribute somewhere between the full pensioner and self-funded rates.
What is included in the assessment
- Your Age Pension payments
- Superannuation income streams
- Investment income (shares, term deposits)
- Rental income
- Employment income (if any)
What is NOT included
- The value of your home (your principal residence is excluded)
- Your car
- Funeral bonds up to the allowable limit
- Personal effects
Lifetime contribution cap
Your contributions are capped over your lifetime at around $130,000 (indexed), across both Support at Home and any later residential care. Once you reach the cap, you contribute nothing further. For current rates and the cap, visit Services Australia.
The national priority system
After approval, you are placed in the national priority system, which ranks people as Urgent, High, Medium or Low. Places are released according to priority rather than a simple first-in queue.
When a place at your classification is released, you have 56 days to choose a registered provider, with a possible 28-day extension if you need more time.
What affects your wait
Waiting time before a place is released depends on your priority ranking, your classification, and demand in your area. Higher-need classifications and urgent priority are released sooner. For current waiting list information, see myagedcare.gov.au.
What to do while waiting
Take a place at a lower classification if offered sooner. If you are approved for a higher classification but a place at a lower one is released first, you can take it and continue working toward your assessed level.
Access CHSP services. The Commonwealth Home Support Programme provides entry-level services like cleaning, transport, and meals while you wait.
Request priority if your situation is urgent. If you are at risk of hospitalisation, your carer is at breaking point, or there are safety concerns, contact My Aged Care to discuss priority access.
Keep My Aged Care updated. If your condition changes while waiting, tell them. You can request a reassessment if your needs have increased.
The Support at Home assessment
Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025, and the Single Assessment System (introduced 9 December 2024) is the way new applicants are assessed. Assessors use the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT).
What the assessment determines
The Integrated Assessment Tool helps determine your funding classification (1 to 8 under Support at Home, which replaced the old Levels 1 to 4). It is designed to make assessments more consistent nationally.
Concerns about the assessment process
The transition has not been smooth. In February 2026, ABC News reported that advocacy groups raised concerns about the new assessment approach, with calls to aged care advocacy services surging after the changes. Some assessors reported that a heavily standardised tool can underestimate care needs and limit clinical judgment.
The government has said it is monitoring the system and will refine it. If you feel your assessment does not accurately reflect your needs, you have the right to request a review.
What to do about it
If you are being assessed under the new system:
- Be as detailed as possible about your difficulties
- Bring documentation from your GP and specialists
- Have your carer or family member present to provide their perspective
- If the outcome does not seem right, request a review immediately
For more on the Support at Home program, read our Support at Home guide.
Support at Home Eligibility: The Assessment Process
Since the Support at Home program replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025, the eligibility and assessment process has settled into a single pathway. If you are applying for aged care support now, here is what you need to know.
Who Qualifies for Support at Home
The basic eligibility criteria are:
- Age: 65 years or older (50 years or older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
- Residency: Australian citizen, permanent resident, or special category visa holder
- Care needs: You need ongoing support that can be delivered at home
- Preference: You want to remain living in your own home
The Integrated Assessment Tool
The Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) is the standardised assessment used under the Single Assessment System to determine your Support at Home classification (1 to 8).
What the assessment looks at:
- Your physical function (mobility, balance, personal care ability)
- Cognitive function (memory, thinking, decision-making)
- Psychological and emotional wellbeing
- Social connections and support networks
- Your home environment and safety
- Current informal care arrangements
The assessment is conducted in your home by a trained assessor. Higher-needs applicants receive a comprehensive assessment and lower-needs applicants a home support assessment.
How to Prepare for Your Assessment
- Be honest about your worst days. The assessment reflects what you report. If you downplay your difficulties, you may receive a lower classification and less funding.
- Bring documentation. Letters from your GP, specialist reports, hospital discharge summaries, and a written list of tasks you struggle with all help the assessor understand your situation.
- Have a family member or carer present. They can describe the support they already provide and fill in details you may forget.
- Give specific examples. Instead of saying “I have trouble with mobility,” say “I fell twice last month getting out of the shower, and I cannot walk to the letterbox without resting.”
- If the result does not seem right, request a review. You have the right to challenge your assessment outcome. The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) on 1800 700 600 can help.
How to Apply
- Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or visit myagedcare.gov.au
- Complete the initial screening (about 15 to 20 minutes over the phone)
- If the screening indicates you need support, you will be referred for an assessment under the Single Assessment System
- An assessor visits your home to conduct the assessment (about 1 hour)
- You receive your classification and can then choose a registered Support at Home provider
For more on the Support at Home program, see our complete Support at Home guide.
Special eligibility situations
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
The age threshold is lower: 50 years and over (compared to 65 for the general population). Culturally appropriate care should be part of your care plan. You can request an assessor who understands your cultural needs, and your provider should work with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations where available.
Veterans
If you are a veteran receiving DVA services, you may be eligible for both DVA and home care package support. The DVA can conduct your income assessment instead of Services Australia. Contact DVA on 1800 555 254 for guidance on how these programs interact.
People with younger onset dementia
Younger people with dementia (under 65) may be eligible for Support at Home if their needs are better served by the aged care system than by the NDIS. This requires discussion with both My Aged Care and the NDIS to determine the best pathway.
Hospital discharge
If you are being discharged from hospital and need home care, the hospital social work team can fast-track your assessment. Hospital-initiated assessments often receive priority, especially if discharge is delayed due to lack of home support.
Reassessment
If you already receive Support at Home and your needs have changed, you can request a reassessment at any time. Contact My Aged Care or ask your provider to initiate the reassessment. You continue receiving your current level of support while the reassessment happens.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for Support at Home?
You must be 65+ (50+ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people), an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and have care needs that can be met through home-based services. An assessment under the Single Assessment System confirms your eligibility and determines your funding classification.
What is the Single Assessment System?
An in-home evaluation by a health professional, using the Integrated Assessment Tool, that assesses your physical, cognitive, and social care needs. It replaced ACAT, RAS and ACAS on 9 December 2024 and determines which Support at Home classification you qualify for.
How long does the process take?
From first contact with My Aged Care to receiving your assessment results: typically 2 to 6 weeks. After approval, you join the national priority system, and the time before a place is released varies with your priority and demand in your area.
Do I need to pass an income test?
No. The means assessment determines how much you contribute, not whether you qualify. Everyone assessed as needing care is eligible, regardless of income. Clinical care is free for everyone, while contributions toward independence and everyday living services depend on your means.
Can my family member apply for me?
Yes. Anyone can contact My Aged Care on your behalf with your consent, including family members, friends, GPs, and hospital staff.
What if I disagree with the assessment?
You can request a review of the assessment decision. If your needs change over time, you can also request a full reassessment. Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to start the review process.
Is there a means test?
The means assessment looks at your income (pension, superannuation, investments) but not the value of your home or most personal assets. It only affects the contributions you pay, not your eligibility. A lifetime contribution cap of around $130,000 applies.
What if I am under 65?
If you are under 65, you may still be eligible in some circumstances, particularly if you have age-related conditions or younger onset dementia. The NDIS covers disability support for people under 65. Contact both My Aged Care and the NDIS to discuss your situation.
Resources
- My Aged Care - start your application here
- My Aged Care eligibility checker - online screening tool
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission - complaints and quality information
- Services Australia: aged care - means assessment and contributions
- Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) - free advocacy support
Need help with the application process?
The eligibility and assessment process can feel overwhelming, especially when you are already managing health concerns. Carevo connects you with aged care providers who can guide you through the application, help you prepare for your assessment, and support you in choosing the right classification and provider.
Get matched with the right provider or call 1800 953 253 to get started.
For a complete overview of the eight Support at Home classifications and what they cover, read our Support at Home complete guide.
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Co-founder & CEO · Updated
Andre is the co-founder and CEO of Carevo. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Marketing, and a Bachelor of Arts from UNSW Sydney, where his majors were International Relations, Politics, Information Systems, and Media and Communications, graduating in 2014, and went through the UNSW 10x Founders accelerator in 2023.
