Key points
- Home Care Packages closed to new applicants on 1 November 2025 and were replaced by Support at Home, which uses eight classifications instead of the old four levels. New applicants now apply for Support at Home through My Aged Care.
- Existing Home Care Package recipients transitioned automatically on 1 November 2025, with no new assessment required simply because the programme changed. They moved to transitioned HCP classifications 1 to 4, which preserve equivalent funding.
- Unspent Home Care Package funds were kept, are held separately from the quarterly budget, and have no carryover limit. Unspent Support at Home quarterly budget, for new and transitioned participants alike, carries over only up to $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget, whichever is greater.
- From 1 July 2026, transitioned Home Care Package classifications are worth $11,272.15 a year at Level 1, $19,821.76 at Level 2, $43,148.74 at Level 3 and $65,415.91 at Level 4. From 1 October 2026 they rise to $11,294.22, $19,860.56, $43,233.21 and $65,543.98. These amounts apply only to people who transitioned from the former programme, including people approved for a package who were still waiting for one on 31 October 2025.
- Former Home Care Package recipients moved to transitioned levels with the same funding as their old package; the Department does not map the four old levels to the eight Support at Home classifications.
- The no worse off principle protects contribution rates for people who were receiving, or had been approved for, a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024.
Can you still get a Home Care Package?
Not as a new applicant. Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages Program on 1 November 2025, along with the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme. CHSP was not replaced and continues separately.
If you are applying now, you are applying for Support at Home. See Support at Home explained.
If you already had a package
Existing recipients transitioned automatically on 1 November 2025. No new assessment was required simply because the programme changed. They moved to transitioned HCP classifications 1 to 4, which preserve equivalent funding.
Your unspent funds were kept
Unspent Home Care Package money was kept when people moved to Support at Home. It is held separately from the quarterly budget, and no carryover limit applies to it. They can be used for assistive technology and home modifications, and for extra services once the quarterly budget is spent.
Unspent Support at Home quarterly budget carries over only up to $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget, whichever is greater. This cap applies to new and transitioned participants alike; only the old Home Care Package balance is unlimited.
The no worse off principle protects contribution rates for people who were receiving, or had been approved for, a package on or before 12 September 2024. Among them, people who were receiving a package and were not required by Services Australia to pay an income tested care fee will make no contributions under Support at Home.
What the transitioned levels are worth
Transitioned Home Care Package classifications
| Former HCP level | Quarterly budget | Annual amount |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $2,818.04 | $11,272.15 |
| Level 2 | $4,955.44 | $19,821.76 |
| Level 3 | $10,787.18 | $43,148.74 |
| Level 4 | $16,353.98 | $65,415.91 |
Old package levels were not converted to the new classifications
The eight Support at Home classifications are a finer grained assessment scale. They are not a renaming of the four old levels. The Department's table maps each old package level only to a transitioned level with the same funding, such as HCP Level 2 to Transitioned HCP Level 2, not to one of the eight Support at Home classifications.
Existing recipients, and people already approved for a package who were still waiting on 31 October 2025, receive separate transitioned classifications, shown above. New applicants are assessed directly under the eight classification system.
So how much is a Level 4 package now?
For someone who transitioned from the old programme, the transitioned Level 4 equivalent is $65,415.91 a year from 1 July 2026, rising to $65,543.98 from 1 October 2026.
That is not something a new applicant can apply for. A new applicant is assessed for one of the eight Support at Home classifications, where the highest is $80,137.12 a year from 1 July 2026, rising to $80,294.00 from 1 October 2026.
Frequently asked
Can I still apply for a Home Care Package?
What happened to my unspent home care package funds?
How much is a Level 4 home care package?
Do I need a new assessment?
Will I be worse off under Support at Home?
How do the four old levels map to the eight classifications?
What happened to Short-Term Restorative Care?
Sources
This guide is general information, written from the published sources below. It is not a substitute for advice about your own circumstances.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2026
Support at Home programDepartment of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2026
Funding classifications for Support at HomeDepartment of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2026
Support at Home program: classifications and budgets
