Home Care Package Level 1: Funding and Hours (2026)
A Level 1 home care package was the entry level of the four Home Care Package levels, worth $30.10 a day (about $10,987 a year) when the program closed. If you held one on 1 November 2025, you are now a transitioned Support at Home participant with a Transitioned Level 1 budget of $11,294.22 a year. New applicants receive one of eight classifications instead. The nearest by budget is Classification 1 ($11,031.56).
Key points
- Home Care Packages closed to new entrants on 1 November 2025, when Support at Home started
- Transitioned Level 1 budget: $11,294.22 a year, or $2,823.56 a quarter, indexed each 1 July
- 10% of each quarterly budget goes to care management
- Hours are not fixed. At median prices the budget buys about 2 hours a week
- Clinical supports, including personal care, have no participant contribution
- New applicants need an aged care assessment through My Aged Care
What was a Level 1 home care package?
Level 1 was the Home Care Package level for people with basic care needs. It was the smallest of the four packages.
The program closed on 1 November 2025. Support at Home replaced it on the same day. Nobody can be assessed for Level 1 now.
| Your situation on 31 October 2025 | What you have now |
|---|---|
| Receiving a Level 1 package | A Transitioned Home Care Package Level 1 budget under Support at Home |
| Approved for Level 1 but still waiting | A place in the Support at Home Priority System. You receive the Transitioned Level 1 budget when funding is allocated |
| Not yet assessed | A new assessment and one of the eight Support at Home classifications |
You keep the transitioned budget until you are reassessed (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2026).
What is Support at Home Classification 1?
Classification 1 is the lowest of the eight Support at Home funding classifications for ongoing services. It is $11,031.56 a year. It is the classification a new applicant with similar needs is most likely to compare with Level 1.
The two are not the same thing. Level 1 recipients were given a separate Transitioned Level 1 classification, which is slightly higher at $11,294.22 a year. The department does not publish a conversion from levels to classifications. Our Classification 1 guide covers it in detail.
How much funding do you get?
| Budget | Annual amount | Quarterly budget |
|---|---|---|
| Transitioned Home Care Package Level 1 | $11,294.22 | $2,823.56 |
| Classification 1 (new applicants) | $11,031.56 | One quarter of the annual amount |
Both amounts include the 10% set aside for care management. The rest pays for the services in your support plan.
Budgets are indexed on 1 July each year, and the department can adjust them at other times. It did so on 1 October 2026 after a Nurses Award increase. The Schedule of Subsidies and Supplements for Support at Home shows the amount that applies today.
What the old package paid
| Date | Level 1 daily subsidy | Annual equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| From 1 July 2024 | $29.01 | About $10,589 |
| At 1 October 2025 (final rate) | $30.10 | About $10,987 |
Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Schedule of Subsidies and Supplements for Aged Care (Before 1 November 2025).
If you had unspent Home Care Package funds, you kept them. No carryover limit applies to those funds. Your ongoing quarterly budget can carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget, whichever is greater. At this budget, $1,000 is the greater amount.
What services does Classification 1 cover?
A Transitioned Level 1 or Classification 1 budget pays for services on the Support at Home service list that are in your support plan. The list has three contribution categories.
Everyday living
- Domestic assistance: essential light cleaning, laundry and shopping help
- Home maintenance and essential light gardening
- Meal preparation and meal delivery
Independence
- Transport, with a driver and car or through taxi and rideshare vouchers
- Social support, accompanied activities and cultural support
- Respite in your home or in the community
Clinical supports
- Personal care: showering, dressing, hygiene and help to self-administer medication
- Nursing care and allied health
- Care management
Funded separately
- Assistive technology and home modifications, through the AT-HM scheme. The tiers are $513, $2,052 and $15,390
The list is the same at every level. The budget is what limits you. A Level 1 budget will not stretch to regular nursing, frequent allied health or daily visits. If you need those, ask for a reassessment or read about the Level 2 home care package.
How many hours per fortnight?
There is no set number of hours for Level 1. Providers set their own prices, so the same budget buys different hours with different providers.
Here is a worked example. It uses the department’s indicative national median prices, which came from a provider survey and are not price caps.
Step 1. Transitioned Level 1 budget: $11,294.22 a year.
Step 2. Take off 10% for care management. About $10,145 a year is left for services, or about $195 a week.
Step 3. Divide by the price of the services you use.
- All domestic assistance at $95 an hour: about 2 hours a week, or 4 hours a fortnight
- One hour of personal care at $100 and one hour of domestic assistance at $95: $195 a week
A dearer provider, weekend visits or a transport trip (median $70) all reduce the hours. Put the budget into the one or two tasks that matter most.
Who is Classification 1 for?
Level 1 was for people with basic care needs. Under Support at Home, similar needs often lead to Classification 1. That usually means someone who:
- Is mostly independent
- Needs help with one or two tasks, such as cleaning or transport
- Wants a regular visit for safety or company
- Lives alone and is starting to find the house hard to manage
Your assessor decides the classification. If you already need help with showering or dressing most days, tell the assessor. Classification 1 is unlikely to be enough.
How to apply for Classification 1
You cannot apply for Level 1 any more, and you do not apply for a particular classification. You apply for an aged care assessment and the assessor sets the classification.
- Check you meet the requirements. You need care needs and must be 65 or older, or 50 or older if you are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person or are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
- Apply for an assessment. Use the form at myagedcare.gov.au or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
- Have the assessment. An assessment organisation contacts you, usually within 2 to 6 weeks, and visits you at home.
- Read your Notice of Decision. It lists your classification, your priority category and your support plan.
- Wait for funding. Funding is allocated through the Support at Home Priority System.
- Choose a provider. You have 56 days from your funding letter to sign a service agreement and start services. My Aged Care can give you 28 more days.
While you wait, ask about the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) for basic services.
More detail is in our guide to home care package eligibility.
Classification 1 vs higher classifications
| Budget | Annual amount |
|---|---|
| Classification 1 | $11,031.56 |
| Transitioned Level 1 | $11,294.22 |
| Classification 2 | $16,483.55 |
| Transitioned Level 2 | $19,860.56 |
| Classification 3 | $22,580.93 |
| Classification 4 | $30,528.15 |
| Classification 5 | $40,809.27 |
| Transitioned Level 3 | $43,233.21 |
| Classification 6 | $49,461.91 |
| Classification 7 | $59,776.80 |
| Transitioned Level 4 | $65,543.98 |
| Classification 8 | $80,294 |
Read about the other package levels: Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4. For all eight classifications, see our complete Support at Home guide.
From Level 1 to Support at Home
Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages Program on 1 November 2025. For someone who held Level 1, the main changes are:
- Budget. You keep a Transitioned Level 1 budget. It is released quarterly
- Care management. A flat 10% of the quarterly budget
- Contributions. You pay a percentage of each service you receive, with none for clinical supports
- Personal care. No participant contribution since 1 October 2026
- Equipment and modifications. Funded through the separate AT-HM scheme, using unspent package funds first
- Prices. Providers set their own. Government price caps were deferred in May 2026
What you pay
| Your assessment outcome | Clinical supports | Independence | Everyday living |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full pensioner | 0% | 5% | 17.5% |
| Part pensioner or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holder | 0% | Between 5% and 50% | Between 17.5% and 80% |
| Self-funded without a Seniors Health Card, or means not disclosed | 0% | 50% | 80% |
Most Level 1 spending is on everyday living services, which carry the highest contribution rates. A full pensioner paying 17.5% on a $95 hour of cleaning pays about $16.60.
If you were receiving or approved for a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024, the no worse off principle applies:
- If you were assessed as having to pay an income-tested care fee at 31 October 2025, you pay the same or less under Support at Home
- If you were assessed as not having to pay one, you will never be asked to pay contributions under Support at Home
The lifetime cap on contributions is $140,652.80, or $88,934.57 if the no worse off principle applies (as at 20 September 2026, indexed each 20 March and 20 September).
For more, read our Support at Home program guide.
Making the most of Classification 1
- Compare price lists. Every provider must publish one. A $10 difference in the hourly price matters when you only have about $195 a week
- Avoid weekend visits unless you need them. They usually cost more
- Focus the budget. Pick the one or two tasks that keep you safe at home
- Use community services for social activities where you can
- Ask for a reassessment when your needs change
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Level 1 home care package?
A Transitioned Level 1 budget is $11,294.22 a year, paid as $2,823.56 a quarter. The last Level 1 subsidy under the old program was $30.10 a day, about $10,987 a year. New applicants cannot get Level 1.
How much funding does Classification 1 provide?
Classification 1 is $11,031.56 a year. A Transitioned Level 1 budget is $11,294.22 a year. Each includes 10% for care management.
How many hours of care do you get?
It depends on your provider’s prices. At the department’s indicative median of $95 an hour for domestic assistance, a Transitioned Level 1 budget buys about 2 hours a week after care management.
Can I move to a higher classification?
Yes. Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and ask for a reassessment. A transitioned participant who is reassessed at a higher need moves to a Support at Home classification.
Do I have to pay anything?
You pay a percentage of independence and everyday living services. Full pensioners pay 5% and 17.5%. Clinical supports, including personal care, have no contribution.
How long is the wait?
It depends on your priority category. My Aged Care’s estimates at 30 June 2026 ranged from within 1 month for urgent priority to 7 to 8 months for standard priority.
What is the difference between Classification 1 and CHSP?
The Commonwealth Home Support Program funds individual entry-level services through separate providers. Support at Home gives you a quarterly budget, a care partner and one provider that coordinates your services. CHSP continues until at least 1 July 2027.
Resources
- Funding classifications for Support at Home - Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
- Support at Home costs and contributions - My Aged Care
- Assessment outcome: Support at Home - wait times and priority categories
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission - complaints about a provider
Find a Classification 1 provider
Carevo is a connection platform. We do not deliver care. We connect you with aged care providers so you can compare price lists, services and availability before you sign a service agreement.
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.
