Home Care Packages are now Support at Home
Home Care Packages (HCP) closed to new entrants on 1 November 2025 and were replaced by the Support at Home program under the Aged Care Act 2024. If you are planning in-home aged care today, use the Support at Home calculator. The old HCP funding figures below are kept for reference only.
Use the current tool: Support at Home calculator
Estimate your Support at Home classification budget and what you would contribute for clinical care, independence, and everyday living services. This is the current in-home aged care program.
Four levels became eight
HCP had four package levels. Support at Home has eight ongoing classification levels with set annual budgets, set by a comprehensive assessment under the Single Assessment System.
No basic daily fee
Support at Home has no basic daily fee. Clinical care is fully government funded, and you contribute toward independence and everyday living services based on a means assessment.
No worse off protection
People who held, or were assessed as eligible for, a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024 keep at least their prior funding and pay the same or lower contributions.
The 8 Support at Home classifications
Annual budgets for the current program. Budgets are indexed each 1 July. Levels 3 to 7 are indicative per health.gov.au.
| Classification | Annual budget | Typical support |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $10,731 | A little help at home |
| Level 2 | $16,034 | Low-level support |
| Level 3 | $21,966 | Regular support (indicative) |
| Level 4 | $29,696 | Moderate support (indicative) |
| Level 5 | $39,697 | Substantial support (indicative) |
| Level 6 | $48,114 | High support (indicative) |
| Level 7 | $58,148 | Complex support (indicative) |
| Level 8 | $78,106 | High-intensity support |
Former Home Care Package levels (history)
These are the four old HCP levels and their approximate annual funding. They are kept for reference and are no longer used to set funding for new applicants.
| HCP level | Approx. annual funding | Care needs |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $10,588 | Basic care needs |
| Level 2 | $18,622 | Low-level care needs |
| Level 3 | $40,675 | Intermediate care needs |
| Level 4 | $61,826 | High-level care needs |
What happened to Home Care Packages
The Home Care Package program was the main in-home aged care funding model for years. On 1 November 2025, the Aged Care Act 2024 commenced and Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages for new entrants. The change moved from four package levels to eight ongoing classification levels and introduced a contribution model split by service category.
If you already had a Home Care Package, you moved across to Support at Home. The no worse off principle protects transitioned recipients, so you keep at least your prior funding level and your contributions do not increase because of the change.
How Support at Home funding works now
Your classification level is set by a comprehensive assessment under the Single Assessment System, which started on 9 December 2024 and replaced the older ACAT and Regional Assessment Service arrangements. The level decides your annual budget, released in quarterly amounts. There is no basic daily fee. Clinical care is fully government funded, and you contribute toward independence and everyday living services on a means-tested basis.
From 1 October 2026, personal care also becomes fully government funded as part of clinical supports. Government price caps on Support at Home services were scheduled for 1 July 2026 but were deferred, with no confirmed new start date.
Carevo connects you with providers
Carevo is a connection platform. We help you find and compare Support at Home providers in your area. We do not run assessments, set your funding, or deliver care ourselves. Start with the Support at Home calculator to understand likely budgets and contributions, then use the Carevo directory to shortlist providers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Home Care Packages still exist?
No. Home Care Packages closed to new entrants on 1 November 2025 and were replaced by the Support at Home program under the Aged Care Act 2024.
People who were already receiving a Home Care Package transitioned to Support at Home and are protected by the no worse off principle, so they keep at least their prior funding and pay the same or lower contributions.
What replaced Home Care Packages?
Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025. Instead of four package levels, it has eight ongoing classification levels with set annual budgets from $10,731 (Level 1) up to $78,106 (Level 8).
Clinical care is fully government funded, and you contribute toward independence and everyday living services based on a means assessment by Services Australia. There is no basic daily fee.
How do the old Home Care Package levels compare to Support at Home?
Home Care Packages had four levels (Level 1 about $10,588, Level 2 about $18,622, Level 3 about $40,675, Level 4 about $61,826 per year). Support at Home has eight classification levels with a wider budget range, so the mapping is not one to one.
Your Support at Home classification is set by a comprehensive assessment under the Single Assessment System.
Which calculator should I use now?
Use the Support at Home funding calculator. It estimates your classification budget and your contribution by service category under the current program.
Related Tools
Support at Home Calculator
Estimate your classification budget and contribution under the current program.
Aged Care Fees Calculator
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Assessment Level Quiz
Estimate which Support at Home classification you may align with before assessment.
Related Articles
March 2026
Support at Home Program: Complete Guide
The program that replaced Home Care Packages: eight classification levels, eligibility, and fees.
April 2026
Support at Home 'No Worse Off' Principle
How transitioned Home Care Package recipients keep their funding under the new program.
March 2026
Aged Care Fees Calculator Guide
See how major aged care fee components affect planning across different care pathways.
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