Support at Home Changes Explained: Costs and Contributions for Current Care Recipients
- Omnicare Alliance
- May 5
- 3 min read
Changes starting 1 July 2025
Big changes are coming to aged care in Australia—but at Omnicare, we’re here to make the transition as easy and stress-free as possible for you and your loved ones.
From 1 July 2025, the new Support at Home program will begin, aiming to provide more services, reduce wait times, and help 300,000 more older Australians access the care they need over the next decade.
If you already receive a Home Care Package (HCP), here’s the good news:
Most things will stay the same, and you’ll continue receiving the care and services you rely on today.
What’s changing—and what’s staying the same
✅ You can keep your current care provider (no need to change if you don’t want to).
✅ Your funding level will stay the same. You won’t need a new assessment unless your care needs change.
✅ Any unspent Home Care Package funds will carry over to Support at Home and can still be used for your services.
✅ If you don’t currently pay out-of-pocket fees, you won’t start paying them under the new program.
These changes are designed to make sure that if you’re already receiving care, you won’t be worse off financially. This is called the “no worse-off” principle.
Will I pay more for my care?
No, if you are currently receiving a Home Care Package before the program starts, your out-of-pocket costs will stay the same—or may even be less.
• Previous HCP recipients who were not required by Services Australia to pay an income-tested care fee will continue to make no contributions for the remainder of their time in Support at Home. This group includes all grandfathered full rate pensioners.
• Previous HCP recipients who, based on the outcome of their income test were required to pay an income-tested care fee, will transition to Support at Home with discounted contribution arrangements.
Services Australia will notify these participants, and their provider of the grandfathered contribution amount payable. Grandfathered participant contribution arrangements also include maintaining the current lifetime cap.
What if my needs change?
If at any point your care needs increase, a reassessment can be done to make sure you’re receiving the right level of care and funding. If you qualify for a classification, it will be updated to match the new Support at Home classification.
How Support at Home fees will work
The new program makes paying for services simpler and fairer. What you contribute will depend on:
Your financial situation (for example, whether you receive a full or part pension).
The type of services you use.
Here’s a simple overview of what you might expect:
Service Type | Full Pensioner | Part Pensioner | Self-funded retiree |
Clinical supports (nursing, physiotherapy) | No cost | No cost | No cost |
Independence supports (personal care, home modifications) | Small % | 5–50% depending on income | Up to 50% |
Everyday living supports (cleaning, gardening) | 17.5% | 17.5–80% depending on income | Up to 80% |
Good to know:
No one will pay more than $130,000 in out-of-pocket costs across their lifetime for non-clinical care (including both home care and residential care).
Hardship provisions will continue to be available.
What happens to CHSP clients?
If you receive services under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), there’s no immediate change. CHSP will continue until 2027. As your needs grow or change, you may be reassessed to transition into Support at Home.
In summary
Key Facts for Existing Home Care Recipients | |
|---|---|
No change to your provider unless you choose | ✅ |
No new assessments (unless care needs change) | ✅ |
Funding level stays the same | ✅ |
Unspent funds carry over | ✅ |
No new fees if you don’t currently pay them | ✅ |
Income-tested contributions will stay the same or reduce | ✅ |
Lifetime cap on contributions | ✅ |
We’re here to help
We understand that change can feel overwhelming, but you are not alone.
Our team at Omnicare is committed to supporting you and your family through this transition. We’ll answer your questions, help you understand what the changes mean for your situation, and make sure you continue receiving the care you need without interruption.
If you’d like to talk to us or learn more about how Support at Home will work for you or your loved one, please contact our team at any time.
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