Key points

  • AT-HM is the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications part of Support at Home
  • Funding is allocated upfront and is separate from your quarterly classification budget
  • There are three tiers for both assistive technology and home modifications: Low (under $500), Medium (up to $2,000), and High (up to $15,000, with more available if assessed need justifies it)
  • Your tier is decided by an assessment through the Single Assessment System
  • A provider helps you choose items from the approved AT-HM list, and for higher needs an occupational therapist helps specify what is needed
  • Funds are available for 12 months, with up to 24 months for High-tier needs, eligible progressive conditions, or complex home modifications
  • AT-HM funds do not carry over indefinitely
  • AT-HM is for Support at Home participants

What is the AT-HM scheme?

The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme is the part of Support at Home that pays for equipment and changes to your home that help you stay safe and independent.

It splits into two parts:

  • Assistive technology (AT): physical items you use day to day. Mobility aids, rails, shower chairs, and communication devices are common examples.
  • Home modifications (HM): changes made to your home itself. Ramps, bathroom modifications, and grab rail installation are common examples.

The point of AT-HM is to fund the one-off things that reduce risk and keep you living at home, rather than the ongoing weekly services (cleaning, personal care, nursing) that your classification budget covers.

For the bigger picture of how Support at Home fits together, see the Support at Home Program complete guide.

Source: Australian Government Department of Health

The three AT-HM funding tiers

The scheme uses three tiers. The same three tiers apply to both assistive technology and home modifications. Your assessment decides which tier you are allocated.

TierFunding amountWhat it typically covers
LowUnder $500Lower-cost items and minor changes
MediumUp to $2,000Mid-range equipment and modifications
HighUp to $15,000Higher-cost items and larger modifications, with more available if your assessed need justifies it

Source: Australian Government Department of Health

The key thing to understand: AT-HM funding is upfront and separate

This is what sets AT-HM apart from the rest of Support at Home. AT-HM funding is allocated upfront, and it is separate from the quarterly budget tied to your Support at Home classification.

In plain terms: buying a shower chair or having a ramp installed under AT-HM does not eat into the funding you rely on for ongoing services like personal care, cleaning, or nursing. The two budgets are kept apart. Your classification budget is paid in quarterly instalments for ongoing services. AT-HM sits alongside it as a separate upfront allocation for equipment and home changes.

This matters when you are planning. You do not have to choose between getting equipment now and keeping enough budget for weekly support later. They come from different places.

Plain-English examples per tier

The exact items you can get depend on your assessed need and the approved AT-HM list. As a rough guide:

Low tier (under $500) suits lower-cost assistive technology and minor changes. Think a shower chair, a basic mobility aid, or a single grab rail installed in the bathroom.

Medium tier (up to $2,000) suits mid-range equipment and modifications. Think a set of rails through the home, a communication device, or several grab rails plus minor bathroom changes.

High tier (up to $15,000, with more if assessed need justifies it) suits higher-cost items and larger home modifications. Think a ramp at the entrance, a full bathroom modification for accessibility, or more substantial assistive technology where your assessment supports it.

These are illustrations of the kind of thing each tier covers, not a fixed list. What you actually receive is specified from the approved AT-HM list during the application path below.

How to apply for AT-HM funding

AT-HM is available to people who are Support at Home participants. The path runs through the Single Assessment System.

  1. Assessment via the Single Assessment System. An assessor evaluates your needs. The assessment determines which AT-HM tier you are allocated. For background on how assessments work and who carries them out, see RAS vs ACAT assessment comparison.
  2. A provider helps you specify items. Once your tier is set, a provider helps you choose items from the approved AT-HM list that match your assessed need.
  3. An occupational therapist for higher needs. For higher needs, an occupational therapist helps specify what you require, particularly for High-tier equipment or complex home modifications where the right specification matters for safety.

Carevo is a connection platform. We connect Support at Home participants with vetted, registered providers and occupational therapists who can help specify and arrange AT-HM items. Carevo does not conduct assessments, supply equipment, or deliver the work itself.

Source: Australian Government Department of Health

Time windows: how long your AT-HM funding lasts

AT-HM funding is not open-ended. There are time windows for using it.

  • Standard window: 12 months. Your allocated funds are available for 12 months.
  • Extended window: up to 24 months. High-tier needs, people with eligible progressive conditions, and complex home modifications may be allocated up to 24 months.

The longer window for High tier and progressive conditions reflects the reality that larger modifications and changing needs take more time to plan and complete.

AT-HM funds do not carry over indefinitely

Because the funding sits inside these time windows, AT-HM funds do not carry over indefinitely. The allocation is meant to be used within its window. If you have been allocated AT-HM funding, plan with your provider so the items you need are specified and arranged inside the time you have.

How AT-HM differs from spending your ongoing services budget

It is easy to confuse AT-HM with your ongoing services budget, but they work differently.

Your classification budget is paid in quarterly instalments and covers ongoing services such as personal care, cleaning, transport, and nursing. For what that budget can and cannot pay for, see what you can spend Support at Home funding on.

Your AT-HM funding is a separate upfront allocation, split into the three tiers above, for equipment and home modifications. It does not reduce your quarterly budget, and it sits inside the 12 or 24 month windows described above.

In short: ongoing weekly support comes from your classification budget; one-off equipment and home changes come from AT-HM.

If you want help arranging the equipment or modifications your assessment supports, these connect you with vetted, registered providers and occupational therapists:

You can also estimate your Support at Home budget and contributions to plan around your ongoing services budget, which is kept separate from AT-HM.

Connect with a provider through Carevo

AT-HM funding only helps once the right items are specified and arranged. Carevo connects Support at Home participants with vetted, registered providers and occupational therapists who work with the approved AT-HM list. Carevo does not deliver care, supply equipment, or carry out assessments. We connect you with the people who do.

Call 1800 953 253 to be connected with a provider or occupational therapist for your AT-HM funding through Carevo.