Assessment outcome: Support at Home

The letter contains:

• information about the services you’re approved to receive
• approval for any short-term support, if applicable
• the reasons and evidence supporting the assessor’s decision
• your rights to have the decision reviewed if you disagree with it
• a copy of your support plan. 

What to do next 

Being approved for services under the Support at Home program is an important first step. How long you wait for funding will depend on your priority category and overall demand.  

But there are some simple, helpful things you can do now to prepare and stay in control:

1. Understand your contributions 
   Some services are free, and others you may be asked to contribute towards the cost. This is based on your circumstances. Knowing this helps you plan ahead and make decisions that suit your needs. To help you understand your contributions and start planning your budget, use the Support at Home fee estimator.
2. Find local Support at Home providers 
   You can find local providers by calling My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or by using the Find a provider tool. Use the filters in the tool to match providers to your preferences, including cultural, language and spiritual needs. Read more about what to consider before choosing a Support at Home provider.

How long should I expect to wait for funding? 

The wait times for funding depend on the Support at Home supports you are approved for.

How can I get care sooner?

Non government-funded services may be an option if you need care while waiting for your approved funding to become available. 

Read more about non government-funded services. 

What is interim funding?

When wait times for ongoing funding in the Support at Home Priority System are longer than expected, you may be assigned interim funding.  

If this happens, 60% of your approved funding will be allocated, allowing you to receive the most critical services to help you remain living at home. The rest of your budget is assigned as soon as funding is available. 

If allocated, you will need to find a provider and enter into a service agreement for ongoing services. Together, you then need to work out which of your approved services you would like to access. 

However, you will not be offered interim funding if approved for services with shorter expected wait times. Full funding will be allocated: 

• within 1 month under the urgent priority category for ongoing services
• immediately for the Restorative Care Pathway
• immediately for the End-of-Life Pathway
• within 1 month for the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme. 

To learn more, read the interim funding factsheet.

How will I know when my funding is available?

You will receive a letter telling you that you’ve been allocated Support at Home funding, including information about any short-term pathway approvals.  

You have 56 days from the date of your letter to enter into a service agreement with your chosen provider and start services. You can contact My Aged Care for a 28-day extension if you need more time to find a suitable provider.

If you do not enter into a service agreement and start services within that period, your funding will be withdrawn. It will then be allocated to the next person on the Support at Home Priority System. You can re-join the Support at Home Priority System by calling My Aged Care.

Read more on our Connecting with Support at Home providers page.

What is a referral code and why do I need it?

A referral code is your unique reference number for receiving services. You give the referral code to your chosen provider. With the code, a provider can view your client record and support plan. They can also accept the referral and start organising services for you. If you lose your code, you can log in to your My Aged Care Online Account to see it.

If you want to change providers, you will need to reactivate your referral code. You can do this in your My Aged Care or by calling us on 1800 200 422.

What if I don’t want services through the Support at Home program now?

You may not want or need services through the Support at Home program right now. For example, you could:

• be managing at home without Support at Home services
• have friends and family currently helping you at home.

If appropriate for your circumstances, you may also decide to access your approved services through a specialist aged care program instead of the Support at Home program. Examples of specialist aged care programs are the Multi-Purpose Service Program and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program. 

If you’re not actively seeking care through the Support at Home program at the time of your assessment, you should inform your aged care assessor. If you decide you don’t want your Support at Home funding now, contact My Aged Care as soon as possible.  

Your status will be set as ‘not seeking services’ and you will not be allocated funding through the Support at Home program until you change your status. You can update this at any time by contacting My Aged Care or logging into your My Aged Care Online Account.

If you decide later that you want to access services through the Support at Home program, please contact My Aged Care.  

Raising concerns about your assessment outcome

You have the right to raise any concerns about your assessment outcome, such as priority or classification levels. Your letter will have further information about how you can appeal the decision.