Support at Home Funding Calculator 2026
Estimate your Support at Home classification budget and what you would contribute toward each service category. Pick your level (or let us estimate it from your needs), choose your means status, and see the government-funded versus your-contribution split before you speak with providers.
Classification Levels
8
Level 1 to Level 8
Budget Range
$11,032 to $80,294
Annual, indexed 1 July
Clinical Care
0%
Fully government funded
Lifetime Cap
$137,917
$84,572 grandfathered
How to Use This Calculator
- 1. Pick your classification level, or estimate it from your care needs.
- 2. Choose the means status that best matches your situation.
- 3. Review your budget and the government versus contribution split by category.
Contribution Reference
Clinical care: 0% for everyone
Independence: ~5% to ~50%
Everyday living: ~17.5% to ~80%
Part-pensioner rates are tapered between the two ends.
Disclaimer: All contribution figures are estimates only, not financial advice. Your exact rate is means-tested by Services Australia, and your funding letter determines your available budget.
Your Classification Level
Your level is set by a comprehensive assessment under the Single Assessment System. Levels 3 to 7 budgets are indicative.
Support at Home in Plain English
Support at Home is the Australian Government in-home aged care program that commenced on 1 November 2025 under the new Aged Care Act 2024. It replaces Home Care Packages and brings together help that lets older people stay in their own homes for longer. Instead of four package levels, there are now eight classification levels, each with a set annual budget. Carevo is a connection platform: we help you find Support at Home providers, we do not deliver the care ourselves.
How the Eight Classification Levels Work
Your classification level is set by a comprehensive assessment under the Single Assessment System, based on your care needs rather than your income. The annual budget runs from $11,032 at Level 1 and $16,484 at Level 2, through the indicative mid-levels, up to $80,294 at Level 8. Budgets are indexed each year on 1 July, so the figures above apply to the current settings and will rise over time. Your budget is released in quarterly amounts, which is roughly the annual figure divided by four, and a limited amount of unspent funds can be carried into the next quarter.
How Your Contribution Is Worked Out
Support at Home splits services into three groups, and your contribution depends on the group and on your means status. Clinical care, which covers nursing and allied health, is fully government funded for everyone, so you pay nothing toward it. For independence services, full pensioners contribute around 5% and self-funded retirees around 50%. For everyday living services, full pensioners contribute around 17.5% and self-funded retirees around 80%. Part-pensioners and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders fall on a tapered rate between those two ends. Every figure here is an estimate: Services Australia sets your exact rate from your income and assets.
Personal Care and Price Caps: Two Dated Changes
From 1 October 2026, personal care is fully government funded. It moves into the clinical supports category, so participants stop contributing toward it. For services before 1 October, include personal care in independence services; the later policy is not a current exemption. Separately, government price caps on Support at Home services were scheduled for 1 July 2026 but were deferred in May 2026, with no confirmed new date. Until caps apply, providers set their own prices within the program rules, so the same service can cost more with one provider than another. It is worth comparing a few providers before you commit.
The No Worse Off Guarantee and Lifetime Caps
If you were receiving a Home Care Package, or were assessed as eligible for one, on or before 12 September 2024, the "no worse off" principle applies. You keep at least your prior funding level and pay the same or lower contributions under Support at Home. There is also a lifetime contribution cap, which is $140,652.80 for new entrants and $88,934.57 for grandfathered Home Care Package recipients. Once you reach your cap, you stop making contributions toward independence and everyday living services. Use this calculator as a starting point, then confirm the detail with Services Australia and a provider.
Sources and effective dates
Fees as at: Support at Home settings 1 November 2025; classification budgets indexed each 1 July. Official sources:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Support at Home program?
Support at Home is the Australian Government in-home aged care program that commenced on 1 November 2025 under the new Aged Care Act 2024. It replaces Home Care Packages and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.
- Eight classification levels with set annual budgets, from $11,032 at Level 1 to $80,294 at Level 8
- Clinical care fully government funded for everyone
- You contribute toward independence and everyday living services based on a means assessment
Published budgets are indexed each year on 1 July. A needs-based level selection here is only an illustration, not an assessment.
How much do I contribute under Support at Home?
Your contribution depends on your means status and the service category:
- Clinical care: 0% for everyone (fully government funded)
- Independence services: around 5% for full pensioners, around 50% for self-funded retirees
- Everyday living services: around 17.5% for full pensioners, around 80% for self-funded retirees
- Part-pensioners and CSHC holders: a tapered rate between those two ends
All figures are estimates. Services Australia sets your exact rate from your income and assets.
Are personal care services included in my contribution?
From 1 October 2026, personal care is fully government funded. It moves into the clinical supports category, so participants do not contribute toward it.
For services delivered before 1 October 2026, personal care remains in independence services and a contribution may apply. Use the category applicable on the service date.
Have Support at Home price caps started?
No. Government price caps on Support at Home services were scheduled for 1 July 2026 but were deferred in May 2026, with no confirmed new start date.
Until caps apply, providers set their own prices within the program rules, so the price you pay for a service can vary between providers. It is worth comparing a few before you commit.
What is the no worse off principle?
People who were receiving a Home Care Package, or were assessed as eligible for one, on or before 12 September 2024 keep at least their prior funding level and pay the same or lower contributions under Support at Home.
Grandfathered recipients also have a lower lifetime contribution cap of $88,934.57, compared with $140,652.80 for new entrants.
Related Tools
Aged Care Means Test Calculator
Estimate the means-tested fee that shapes your aged care contributions.
Support at Home Service List
Every funded service with codes, advised prices and what each one includes.
Support at Home Pricing Guide
Advised prices for every service and how to read a provider price list.
Related Articles
July 26, 2026 · Andre Smith
Support at Home Program 2026: Complete Guide
The Support at Home Program replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025 (CHSP transitions later, no earlier than 1 July 2027). Covers the 8 classification levels, eligibility, fees, and how the transition works.
August 14, 2026 · Andre Smith
Support at Home for Full Pensioners: What You Pay (2026)
Full pensioner contribution rates under Support at Home: 0% clinical, 5% independence, 17.5% everyday living. Plus the lifetime cap and pension changes.
August 11, 2026 · Andre Smith
Support at Home 'No Worse Off' Principle (2026)
The 'no worse off' principle protects transitioned HCP recipients under Support at Home. Covers contribution rates, funding levels, and the grandfathered cap.
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