Australia's aged care system has entered a new phase. The Support at Home program commenced in November 2025 and is actively supporting older Australians to live independently at home for longer. Support at Home replaced the former Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) programs, offering a more responsive, needs-based model of in-home care.
Alongside the Support at Home program, a new Aged Care Act and strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards are also in effect, placing the rights and choices of older people at the heart of aged care.
This article explains what Support at Home is, what’s live now, what’s still transitioning, and what the changes mean if you were already receiving care.
What is the Support at Home program?
Support at Home is the Australian Government’s new in-home aged care program. It consolidates several previous programs into one streamlined system designed around people’s assessed needs. The program simplifies how care is accessed, funded and adjusted over time, while giving older Australians more clarity and control.
Under Support at Home, Members receive:
- Eight funding classifications (up from four in HCP), providing more tailored support.
- Quarterly budgets that reset every three months.
- A single, unified assessment process using the new Integrated Assessment Tool.
- Three clear service categories: Clinical Care, Independence Support, and Everyday Living.
This structure makes it easier to understand what support is available, how funding works, and how care can adapt as circumstances change.
Learn more in the Support at Home Program Manual.
What’s live now vs what’s still transitioning under Support at Home
What’s live now (from 1 November 2025)
The core elements of Support at Home are already in place.
- Support at Home has replaced Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC).
- New entrants to in-home aged care are assessed directly into Support at Home.
- Existing HCP recipients are transitioning into Support at Home with protections in place.
- Quarterly budgets, new service categories, and updated contribution arrangements are active.
What’s still transitioning
Some parts of the aged care system will move across later.
- Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) clients are not yet transitioning to Support at Home.
- The Government has confirmed CHSP will transition no earlier than 1 July 2027.
- Until then, CHSP continues to operate separately, with no immediate changes for participants.
Why was the Support at Home program introduced?
The changes to aged care follow the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety which identified the need for a system that is easier to navigate, more responsive and more respectful of older people.
Support at Home aims to:
- Simplify access to in-home aged care.
- Improve quality, safety and transparency.
- Better match funding to people’s actual needs.
- Support independence and wellbeing at home for longer.
At Five Good Friends, we welcome these reforms and the focus on person-centred care.
Let's look at the key reforms including the new Support at Home program.
Support at Home and the new Aged Care Act
The old Aged Care Act from 1997 has been replaced with a new Act that puts older people at the centre of everything. The new Act:
- Makes the rights of older people the foundation of aged care.
- Sets clearer responsibilities for aged care providers.
- Establishes better oversight of the whole system.
The new Aged Care Act is fundamental to the reforms. It represents a fresh start with rules that underpin a person-centred, quality aged care system.
Enhanced quality standards under the Support at Home program
The quality standards that providers must meet have also been reviewed and enhanced. The new standards:
- Are more detailed about what good care looks like.
- Aim to empower older Australians with greater choice and control over their care.
- Focus more on outcomes for older people.
- Provide clearer expectations for aged care providers.
- Create a framework for measuring and assessing the quality of services.
The standards aim to prioritise the rights, needs, and wellbeing of the person receiving care. Home Care Providers are regularly audited against the Standards. Results are published on the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission website. Five Good Friends was last audited in September 2024 and was assessed as meeting all Standards.
Transitioning to the Support at Home program
One of the biggest changes involved replacing the old HCP program with the new Support at Home program. The new program is designed to simplify and improve in-home aged care by replacing multiple existing programs with a more flexible, needs-based model.
The government has stated that:
- The transition from the HCP program will not affect a person's current level of funding. People will continue to receive the same level of funding they do now.
- Any unspent HCP funds a person had transitioned across for their use under the Support at Home program.
- If a person's needs change and they are assessed as requiring a higher level of support, funding will be adjusted accordingly.
Importantly, the Government introduced a ‘no worse off’ principle relating to personal contributions that apply to all people who as of 12 September 2024 were:
- Receiving a HCP.
- On the National Priority System awaiting a HCP.
- Assessed as eligible for a package.
This means their contributions under Support at Home will be the same, or maybe even lower, than they were under the previous HCP program.
These guarantees provide peace of mind for Five Good Friends Members, ensuring that your care remains consistent and affordable.
Changes to Home Care Packages under Support at Home
Here’s how the Support at Home program compares to the old Home Care Package program and the benefits it aims to provide.
Support at Home vs Home Care Packages – Key differences
The table below details key differences between the old HCP and the new Support at Home program.
Five Good Friends: supporting you under the Support at Home program
At Five Good Friends, we actively prepared for this new era of aged care by forming a dedicated team to understand the changes and how they may affect our Members, their trusted loved ones, and the way we provide care.
As a data and technology-enabled provider, a number of the governance and reporting enhancements required under the reforms are already part of how we provide care. These include:
- A service and experience designed with our Members and their trusted loved ones at the centre.
- The composition and skills of our Governing Body.
- The reporting and information our Governing Body has access to.
- The way we use technology to share information and improve oversight and transparency.
- Other changes, such as the formation of a consumer advisory body, have been quickly embraced as another way of gathering and sharing feedback from our Members.
Helping you maximise your quarterly Support at Home funding
Under the new Support at Home program, people receive funding on a quarterly basis, based on assessed care needs. For new entrants, unlike the previous HCP program where unused funds could accumulate, Support at Home is more like a 'use it or lose it' system.
This makes it more important than ever to understand how to make the most of your funding. We're committed to helping our Members maximise every dollar, ensuring their funding goes towards the services that have the greatest impact on their quality of life and independence.
Innovation and flexibility with the Support at Home program
The new Support at Home program emphasises flexibility and personalisation. It opens up opportunities for innovation through new programs and services that:
- Place more emphasis on preventative measures (like exercise and wellbeing programs)
- Enable easier access to assistive technology and home modifications
- Provide greater flexibility to include allied health services, reducing the risk of hospitalisation
This is one of the most exciting aspects of the reforms. We have recently introduced our Programs for Living Well that focus on preventative health for seniors, helping maintain independence at home. We will continue to share information with our Members about new programs and services.
Staying informed about Support at Home
Support at Home is live, but the system will continue to evolve over the next 12–18 months. We will continue to keep Members and families informed by sharing updates, including formal notifications required by the Government.
Regardless of the new Aged Care Act, Quality Standards and funding model, our purpose remains consistent and enduring: to provide services and experiences that keep our Members connected to the families, friends, homes and communities they love, for as long as they desire. It is an honour to help you.
Want to know more about Support at home? Contact us to get personalised help now.
Support at Home program FAQs
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