Dorothy's daughter searched "home care package changed to support at home what happens now" more than once. Dorothy, 79, had her Level 3 Home Care Package humming along: a cleaner on Tuesdays, physio on Thursdays, a gardener once a month. Then November 2025 arrived, with letters about "Support at Home", "classifications" and "quarterly budgets". She didn't want a new system; she wanted her Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Dorothy's story is an illustrative scenario, created to show how Support at Home works in practice. It is not a real client testimonial.
On 1 November 2025, Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages across Australia, alongside the new Aged Care Act and strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.
What carried over
People already receiving a Home Care Package were moved across. The goal is the same: helping you stay in your own home. Dorothy's Tuesdays and Thursdays didn't need to change; the framework around them did.
Four levels became eight classifications
Home Care Packages came in four levels. Support at Home uses eight funding classifications, so funding can be matched more closely to your assessed needs. Your classification comes from your assessment through the Single Assessment System; the entry point is still My Aged Care (myagedcare.gov.au, 1800 200 422).
Annual budgets became quarterly budgets
Your funding is now released every quarter, not annually. Unspent funds don't accumulate indefinitely: up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget (whichever is greater) carries over. Steady, paced spending beats stockpiling.
A defined service list
The government service list groups everything into clinical supports (fully government funded), independence supports, and everyday living supports (where participant contributions can apply, depending on your means). It's clearer than the old arrangements.
Care management is capped
Care management is capped at 10% of your budget. Under the old system, fees varied enormously between providers, and every dollar spent on management is a dollar not spent on care.
Same home, same goal, same right to choose. Only the plumbing behind it changed. If your own transition looks odd, check with My Aged Care (1800 200 422) or ask your provider to explain it plainly.
What stayed the same
Self-managing your Support at Home budget is still an option: a registered provider like Partner with Care handles claiming and compliance. For Dorothy, the change was less about losing her routine and more about finally seeing where every dollar goes.