Support at Home personal care contribution changes

What does this mean?

This means that the Australian Government will fully fund personal care services if you have been assessed and approved for Support at Home funding. 

You will not pay out-of-pocket costs for personal care services if you: 

• are approved to access personal care services in your support plan 
• have available Support at Home funds. 

 Personal care includes services that help you with daily tasks, such as: 

• showering
• continence support
• dressing
• eating
• hygiene
• assistance with self-administration of medication. 

If you are not sure if a service you receive is part of the personal care service type, speak with your provider or view the Support at Home service list. 

You can also learn more about Support at Home's costs and contributions.

What’s changing?

You will not pay contributions for any approved personal care services you receive from 1 October 2026. 

You should see this change reflected in your statements and invoices after this date. Speak to your provider if you want to update your care plan and budget. Your provider can help you if:

• contributions have been a barrier to accessing personal care services, and
• you would like to increase the amount of personal care you receive from 1 October 2026.

What’s not changing?

• You will keep receiving your personal care services as usual, as long as you are approved and have available funding.
• What is considered personal care will stay the same. This includes support such as showering, dressing and continence support. 
• Your eligibility for personal care services will not change. If you have been assessed and approved for personal care services, you will not need to be reassessed to access personal care services.
• Your provider and existing care arrangements will stay the same. You will continue receiving services through your provider as you do now.
• Contributions for other Support at Home services will not change. If you receive other services that have contributions, these will continue to apply as usual.
• Your level of care should not be reduced or limited by this change. You will continue to be able to determine how much personal care you want to receive based on your goals, preferences and budget.
• You will continue paying contributions for personal care services until 1 October 2026. You won’t be refunded for any payments you made for personal care services delivered before 1 October 2026. 

What do you need to do?

You do not need to do anything to be eligible for this change.

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing is working with providers to ensure a seamless transition on 1 October 2026. 

In the lead up to this change, your provider may contact you to update any documents with them, such as your service agreement or care plan. 

Get support

You can get more information by:

• speaking with your provider 
• reviewing Support at Home information on My Aged Care website as it becomes available
• calling My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or making an appointment with an Aged Care Specialist Officer (ACSO) at various Services Australia locations. Call the Services Australia Aged Care line on 1800 227 475
• asking for help from an aged care advocate, like the Older Person’s Advocacy Network (OPAN)
• asking a trusted family member, friend or care partner for support.

If you are finding it hard to pay your fees, you may be able to get financial hardship assistance. Talk to your provider or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to learn more.

If you have concerns about your aged care costs and contributions, you should speak to your provider in the first instance. 

If you’re not satisfied with their response, you can make a complaint to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.