Transitioned customers

Information for customers receiving or approved for a Home Care Package or on the National Priority System between 13 September 2024 and November 1 2025

The new Support at Home started on 1 November 2025.

Support at Home has replaced the Australian Government’s Home Care Package (HCP) program and provides home care services focused on wellness and reablement, helping older Australians regain or maintain independence and live comfortably at home for longer.

Support at Home: What’s the difference?

There are some key funding and service differences between the HCP and Support at Home programs.

New funding classifications

Under Support at Home, a new transitioned classification has been introduced:

If you are reassessed, you will move to one of the eight new Support at Home ongoing funding classifications.

Short term funding classifications

Along with the eight ongoing funding classifications, there are three short-term classifications:

• The Restorative Care Pathway: to help you maintain and improve your independence through primarily allied health services.
• The End-of-Life Pathway: to provide dedicated funding to access services to support older people to remain at home in their last three months of life.
• The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme: for separate funding for products, equipment and home modifications.

Quarterly budgets

Your funding amount will be divided into a quarterly budget. Your budget will be held by Services Australia on your behalf. This means you don’t need to manage the expenses yourself.

We will work with you to decide how to spend the budget across your approved services. Each month, you will receive an itemised statement that shows how your budget has been spent and your current balance. This will include information about any contributions you have made.

Unused funds from each quarter (up to $1,000 or 10%, whichever is higher) can be rolled over into the next quarter.

Unspent funds

Any unspent funds, that were in place as of 31 October 2025, from your Home Care Package have carried over and will be available for you to use under the Support at Home program.

Even if you’re reassessed and assigned a new Support at Home classification, you will retain HCP unspent funds.

You’ll be able to use any unspent funds to pay for approved services from the Support at Home list once your quarterly budget has run out. You can also use these funds to buy Assistive Technology (AT) and/or Home Modifications (HM) that support your assessed needs.

Co-contributions

From November 1, you will be required to pay Support at Home contributions at the ongoing contribution rates for the services you receive in the independence and everyday living categories. Clinical care does not require a contribution.

Pension recipients: Services Australia will calculate your contributions based on the income and assets information from your Age Pension record.

Non-pensioners: Services Australia will request assets and, if required, income information from 1 November 2025.

Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders: Services Australia will use income information on record and will request information on your assets to finalise the income and asset assessment.

Self-funded retirees: Services Australia will request income and asset information. Completing an income and assets assessment is not mandatory, however, customers who choose not to complete one will be asked to pay the maximum contribution rate.

Hardship assistance

If you can’t afford your co-contributions for reasons beyond your control, you might be eligible for financial hardship assistance that will help you pay your fees. Application for financial hardship assistance is claimed through Services Australia. If you’re approved for hardship assistance, the Australian Government will pay some (or all) of your aged care fees.

If you already have a hardship approval, this will remain in place until its expiry.

It is important that you inform Juniper if you are applying for financial hardship so we can suspend collection of your fees while you wait for the outcome of your application. However, if your application is not approved you will need to pay these fees.

Care management

Care Management is set at 10 per cent which will be deducted from your quarterly budget and held by Services Australia. To see what Care Management covers, click here.

Package management fees you paid under your Home Care Package will be removed and incorporated into the cost of services.

Reimbursements

Previously, under Home Care Packages, Juniper could reimburse customers for goods they purchased that were approved in their Care Plan. Under Support at Home, reimbursements will no longer be available. This change is due to the unfunded administration burden of reimbursements and to ensure we remain compliant with the new program so we can continue providing sustainable services into the future.