"What home care level will my dad get?" Michael, 55, typed that into Google, researching care for his dad, Peter, 82. Half the websites said "Home Care Package level 3", others "level 1 to 4 funding", the government site eight classifications and quarterly budgets.

Michael's story is an illustrative scenario, not a real client testimonial.

Fair enough: the internet is still full of advice about a system that no longer exists.

Levels 1–4 are gone. There are now 8 classifications.

Government home care used to come as a Home Care Package at one of four levels: level 1 for basic needs through to level 4 for high needs. Googling "home care package level 3" finds the old system.

On 1 November 2025, Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages. The four levels were replaced by eight funding classifications, so funding sits closer to what your parent needs. People on a Home Care Package were transitioned across; for how an existing package maps, check with My Aged Care (1800 200 422).

Who decides the classification?

Not you, and not the provider. Your parent's needs are assessed through My Aged Care under the Single Assessment System, and the outcome places them in one of the eight classifications. So the assessment conversation matters: an honest picture of your dad's harder days, not just his good ones, gets it right first time.

Classifications set a quarterly budget

Each classification comes with a quarterly budget: funding arrives every three months, not as one annual bucket. What to know:

  • It's spent on services from the government's service list, set out in your parent's care plan: clinical supports, independence supports and everyday living supports.
  • Unspent funds of up to $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget (whichever is greater) carry over to the next quarter.
  • Care management is capped at 10% of the budget under Support at Home. How much of the rest reaches actual services depends on the provider's charges, so compare them.

The question families forget to ask: "Of Dad's budget, how much reaches him as actual care?" Our self-management support runs at around 10–15% of the package, versus the 30–40% common under traditional care management. The same classification buys more hours.

Needs change. Classifications can too.

A classification isn't set in stone. If your dad has a fall, a new diagnosis, or needs more help than a year ago, you can request a reassessment through My Aged Care (with his consent). See our for families page, or get in touch about an approval letter.