Support at Home pricing 2026-27
There is no government price cap on Support at Home services right now, so what a fair price looks like matters more than ever. This guide has the advised price for every service, the rules provider prices must follow, what you contribute, and how to read a price list. For what each service actually covers, see the full service list.
Caps due 1 July 2026 were deferred in May 2026. Providers set their own prices.
One unit price per service. No separate admin, travel, package management or exit fees allowed.
Prices must be on My Aged Care, reviewed at least every two months, and agreed with you first.
0% of clinical care, 5% to 50% of independence, 17.5% to 80% of everyday living, by means test.
The advised price list
IHACPA, the independent authority that prices public hospital care, published advised prices for 41 Support at Home services for 2026-27, built from cost data covering more than 35,000 clients. They are advice to government, not caps, but they are the best benchmark available for comparing a provider's price list. Each service links to its own page with inclusions, contribution math and history. Use Add to estimate on any row to build a multi-service estimate against a classification budget.
Clinical supports (you pay 0%)
| Service | Weekday | After hours | Saturday | Sunday | Public holiday | Per | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse clinical care | $184.55 | $200.76 | $243.49 | $272.96 | $302.42 | hour | |
| Enrolled nurse clinical care | $172.34 | $185.58 | $220.49 | $244.56 | $268.63 | hour | |
| Nursing assistant clinical care | $103.11 | $112.02 | $135.50 | $167.89 | $200.28 | hour | |
| Allied health assistance (allied health therapy assistant) | $152.85 | $169.31 | $207.74 | $207.74 | $317.52 | hour | |
| Counselling or psychotherapy | $197.35 | $220.09 | $273.15 | $273.15 | $424.75 | hour | |
| Diet or nutrition (dietitian or nutritionist) | $216.53 | $241.18 | $298.71 | $298.71 | $463.07 | hour | |
| Exercise physiology | $203.10 | $226.57 | $281.34 | $281.34 | $437.80 | hour | |
| Music therapy | $146.49 | $162.61 | $200.23 | $200.23 | $307.71 | hour | |
| Occupational therapy | $230.31 | $257.16 | $319.79 | $319.79 | $498.74 | hour | |
| Physiotherapy | $209.38 | $232.76 | $287.31 | $287.31 | $443.15 | hour | |
| Podiatry | $174.86 | $194.52 | $240.38 | $240.38 | $371.42 | hour | |
| Psychology | $285.20 | $316.16 | $388.41 | $388.41 | $594.82 | hour | |
| Social work | $204.04 | $227.63 | $282.67 | $282.67 | $439.91 | hour | |
| Speech pathology | $251.46 | $280.48 | $348.18 | $348.18 | $541.60 | hour | |
| Home support care management | $118.40 | $130.21 | $161.34 | $199.75 | $238.15 | hour | |
| Home support restorative care management | $126.83 | $139.01 | $171.11 | $193.25 | $215.40 | hour |
Independence (you pay 5% to 50%)
| Service | Weekday | After hours | Saturday | Sunday | Public holiday | Per | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistance with self-care and activities of daily living | $103.11 | $112.02 | $135.50 | $167.89 | $200.28 | hour | |
| Assistance with the self-administration of medication | $103.11 | $112.02 | $135.50 | $167.89 | $200.28 | hour | |
| Continence management (non-clinical) | $103.11 | $112.02 | $135.50 | $167.89 | $200.28 | hour | |
| Group social support | $106.03 | $115.14 | $139.17 | $172.30 | $205.44 | hour | |
| Individual social support | $101.41 | $110.78 | $135.48 | $169.55 | $203.62 | hour | |
| Accompanied activities | $101.41 | $110.78 | $135.48 | $169.55 | $203.62 | hour | |
| Cultural support | $101.41 | $110.78 | $135.48 | $169.55 | $203.62 | hour | |
| Digital education and support | $101.41 | $110.78 | $135.48 | $169.55 | $203.62 | hour | |
| Assistance to maintain personal affairs | $101.41 | $110.78 | $135.48 | $169.55 | $203.62 | hour | |
| Acupuncture | $159.59 | $178.30 | $221.95 | $221.95 | $346.67 | hour | |
| Chiropractics | $146.12 | $163.10 | $202.74 | $202.74 | $316.00 | hour | |
| Diversional therapy | $146.49 | $162.61 | $200.23 | $200.23 | $307.71 | hour | |
| Remedial massage | $159.59 | $178.30 | $221.95 | $221.95 | $346.67 | hour | |
| Art therapy | $146.49 | $162.61 | $200.23 | $200.23 | $307.71 | hour | |
| Osteopathy | $159.91 | $179.18 | $224.13 | $224.13 | $352.58 | hour | |
| Flexible respite | $110.75 | $120.89 | $147.62 | $184.49 | $221.36 | hour | |
| Community and centre based respite | $110.75 | $120.89 | $147.62 | $184.49 | $221.36 | hour | |
| Direct transport (driver and car provided) | $130.85 | $140.36 | $165.43 | $200.01 | $234.59 | one-way trip |
Everyday living (you pay 17.5% to 80%)
| Service | Weekday | After hours | Saturday | Sunday | Public holiday | Per | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General house cleaning | $111.87 | $121.13 | $145.55 | $179.23 | $212.91 | hour | |
| Laundry services | $111.87 | $121.13 | $145.55 | $179.23 | $212.91 | hour | |
| Shopping assistance | $111.87 | $121.13 | $145.55 | $179.23 | $212.91 | hour | |
| Gardening | $116.11 | $127.92 | $159.05 | $201.98 | $244.91 | hour | |
| Assistance with home maintenance and repairs | $118.57 | $130.73 | $162.78 | $206.99 | $251.20 | hour | |
| Meal preparation | $114.84 | $124.16 | $148.75 | $182.67 | $216.59 | hour | |
| Meal delivery | $18.18 | $19.71 | $23.72 | $29.27 | $34.81 | meal |
Services without an advised price (consumables, billable expenses, AT-HM products, taxi vouchers) are claimed at cost or at the provider's published price; they are all covered on the service list. Source: IHACPA Pricing Advice 2026-27, released 20 May 2026.
What happened to the price caps
Support at Home launched on 1 November 2025 without price limits: the plan was for government price caps on every service from 1 July 2026, recommended annually by IHACPA. On 19 May 2026 the government deferred the caps, with no new start date, citing the need to get the settings right rather than lock in caps built on incomplete cost data.
What exists instead is a set of pricing rules. A provider's price must be reasonable and cost-based, published on My Aged Care and on their own website, reviewed at least every two months, agreed with you before you are charged, and all-inclusive. That last rule does real work: under Home Care Packages, providers charged separate care management and package management fees (package management medians ran $50.00 to $295.00 a fortnight by level). Under Support at Home those costs must live inside the unit price, and separate administration, travel or exit fees are banned.
Enforcement sits with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, which can direct providers to refund overcharging, and the government publishes a quarterly National Summary of Support at Home Prices showing the median and range of published prices, so out-of-line pricing is visible.
What you pay: contribution rates
The government subsidises every service; you contribute a percentage of the price based on a Services Australia means assessment. The rate depends only on the service category and your means status.
| Category | Full pensioner | Part pensioner / CSHC | Self-funded retiree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical supports (nursing, allied health) | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Independence (personal care, respite, transport) | 5% | 5% to 50% | 50% |
| Everyday living (cleaning, gardening, meals) | 17.5% | 17.5% to 80% | 80% |
From 1 October 2026 personal care moves to clinical supports (0% for everyone). Home Care Package holders as at 12 September 2024 pay the same or less than under their package. Lifetime cap: $140,652.80 indexed, $88,934.57 grandfathered. Run your own numbers with the funding calculator.
Care management: the 10%
You do not get billed by the hour for care management. Instead, 10% of your quarterly budget is set aside for it automatically and pooled by your provider, who must deliver care management to every participant at least monthly. On a Level 5 budget of about $10,182 a quarter, that is roughly $1,018 for care planning, coordination and check-ins, leaving about $9,164 for services.
For the underlying work, IHACPA advises $126.83 an hour for clinical (restorative) care management and $118.40 for team-based home support care management. Rostering, scheduling, recruitment and travel are not claimable as care management: providers must build those costs into their service prices.
How to read a provider price list
- 1 Compare the same time of day. Most providers price weekday daytime, evenings, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays separately. Compare the rate for the hours you will actually use, not the headline weekday rate.
- 2 Check it is all-inclusive. Any separate administration fee, travel charge, package management fee or exit fee is against the rules. If a price list shows one, ask, and if unresolved raise it with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
- 3 Benchmark against the advised price. A rate near IHACPA's advice is in the normal range. Well above it, ask what justifies the difference: specialist staff, remote travel and short shifts are legitimate reasons; "that is our rate" is not an answer.
- 4 Mind the 15-minute increments. Hourly services are claimed in 15-minute blocks. Ask how the provider rounds short visits, and whether a minimum visit length applies.
- 5 Recheck every couple of months. Providers must review prices at least every two months, and can change them with notice. The quarterly National Summary of Support at Home Prices shows how your provider compares nationally.
Downloads and related guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Support at Home price list?
There is no single government price list with fixed prices. Each provider sets their own prices and must publish them on My Aged Care. The closest thing to an official benchmark is IHACPA's Pricing Advice 2026-27, which recommends a unit price for most services based on real provider cost data. This page shows those advised prices for every service, alongside the rules provider prices must follow.
Why were the Support at Home price caps deferred?
Price caps were legislated to start 1 July 2026, but in May 2026 the government deferred them as part of its Strengthening Consumer Protections package, with no new start date. In their place, providers must set prices that are reasonable and cost-based, publish them on My Aged Care, review them at least every two months, and include everything in the unit price with no separate administration or travel fees. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission can order refunds for overcharging.
What is a fair price for home care under Support at Home?
IHACPA's 2026-27 advice is the best available benchmark: for example $103.11 an hour for personal care, $111.87 for cleaning, $184.55 for registered nursing and $116.11 for gardening on a weekday. These are advised prices, not caps: a provider can charge above them, but a price well above the advice with no explanation is worth questioning, and you can compare every provider's published prices on My Aged Care.
What are the Support at Home contribution rates?
You pay a percentage of each service's price based on your means assessment: nothing for clinical supports, 5% (full pensioner) to 50% (self-funded) for independence services, and 17.5% to 80% for everyday living services. From 1 October 2026 personal care becomes a clinical support, so contributions toward it stop. Contributions are capped at $140,652.80 over your lifetime (indexed), or $88,934.57 for grandfathered Home Care Package recipients.
What are the care management fees under Support at Home?
Care management is not billed per hour to you: 10% of your quarterly budget is set aside for it automatically and pooled by your provider. IHACPA's advised rates for the underlying service are $126.83 an hour for clinical care management and $118.40 for team-based care management. Providers cannot charge separate package management or administration fees on top: those costs must be inside the unit prices.
Why are Support at Home hourly prices higher than Home Care Package prices were?
Partly structural. Home Care Package providers charged separate care and package management fees (package management alone had a median of $50 to $295 a fortnight by level), so their hourly rates looked lower than the true cost. Support at Home prices must be all-inclusive, with management and administration built into the hourly price. The median HCP personal care rate was $80 an hour in the final HCP quarter; IHACPA's advised all-inclusive Support at Home price is $103.11.
Are there different prices for evenings and weekends?
Often, yes. IHACPA's advice includes separate rates for weekday daytime, weekday outside hours, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, and many providers price the same way. A provider offering only one flat rate is not doing anything wrong, but when comparing price lists make sure you compare the rate for the time of day you will actually use.
Sources
- Support at Home program, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Pricing rules, program manual and the May 2026 price cap deferral.
- IHACPA Pricing Advice 2026-27, Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority, released 20 May 2026.
- National Summary of Home Care Package prices, Department of Health quarterly medians (June 2024 and September 2025 quarters), used for the Home Care Package comparison.
Data last updated . Read how we research and check our content.
Build a cost estimate from the services you are considering, then check it against a classification budget. Totals use IHACPA's advised weekday prices; your provider sets the real price and may charge more or less.
Personal care services in this estimate become fully government funded from 1 October 2026.