Learn How To Make The Most Of Your Support At Home Funding
The Support at Home program has been available since the 1st of November, 2025 and since then has been helping people access home care services all over Australia. With new levels of funding, it can be pretty confusing deciding on the best way to use it. That’s why we’ve put together some tips for you to get the best out of your support at home budget.
Support at Home Funding Tips:
#1 – Keep an Eye on Your Quarterly Roll-Over Limit.
The funding for in-home support is released 4 times across the year in each quarter. This happens on the first day of January, April, July, and October.
Unspent funds don’t roll forward cumulatively. At the end of each quarter, there are two options for the amount that carries over. It’s whatever is greater between $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget.
That’s why you should always make sure you aren’t sitting on a surplus outside of that range. Always treat the final weeks of a quarter as a chance to review what you haven’t used from your Support at Home funding. And if you do have budget left outside of that range, use it for an extra domestic assistance visit, a deeper clean, a restorative allied health session, or anything else you might need. These are legitimate uses of your budget, and they’re far better than a write-off.
#2 – Use The Service Categories To Your Advantage.
The government has sorted services into three categories, and your out-of-pocket contribution varies considerably depending on which one you’re drawing from.
Clinical supports, which include nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and podiatry, are fully government-funded. You pay nothing. These services also tend to address the kind of things that, left unmanaged, lead to significantly more care down the track.
Independence supports, which cover personal care, respite, and transport, come with a moderate co-contribution from you.
Everyday living services like cleaning, gardening, meal preparation, etc., will incur the highest co-contribution rates.
If you’re working with a limited budget, this ordering matters. It’s better to prioritise clinical support first and then independence services with everyday living last. This will help you get the most impact from your support at home funding and improve your ability to stay at home safely.
#3 – Review Extra Funding Options
Your quarterly budget isn’t the only source of support. The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications Scheme is a separate funding stream. It covers accessibility tools like mobility aids, safety equipment, and home adjustments. It will have to be applied for independently, but it runs on a separate 12-month cycle. This means it can help with things around the home without taking away from your Support at Home funding.
There are also two short-term pathways worth knowing about. The Restorative Care Pathway provides additional funding for up to sixteen weeks to help you regain independence after an illness or setback. The End-of-Life Pathway provides around twelve weeks of extra support for people in the later stages of life. Both pathways come with full funding from the moment they start, with no waiting period.
#4 – Don’t Wait For An Annual Review If Your Situation Has Changed.
Life is unpredictable, and when things change, your Support at Home funding can be changed to help. The program now has eight classification levels instead of four. The steps between levels are also smaller, so you won’t need an expensive reason for an increase.
A fall, a hospital stay, or simply finding that your services aren’t stretching across the full quarter can justify requesting a Support Plan Review through My Aged Care. You can do it at any time. An assessor will look at your current needs and determine whether your funding level should be adjusted upward. You can also enter a private agreement with your provider to purchase additional services outside your government-funded allocation.
Your care plan should reflect your current circumstances, and if it doesn’t, that’s worth addressing.
Your Support at Home budget can be flexible, and it can grow and change with your needs, especially when you know what to look out for. Keeping an eye on your quarterly balance, understanding which services cost you less out of pocket, and knowing when to request a reassessment are the kinds of habits that make a real difference over time. If you’re unsure where to start, one of our friendly team members at Catholic Homes would be more than happy to walk you through it. Give us a call today!
