Personal Care will be Fully Funded for Support at Home Clients From October 2026

Under the current Support at Home program structure, personal care services are part of the Independence co-contribution category, which means participants pay a fee that’s calculated based on the individual’s needs and finances. The co-contribution is charged every time a support worker assists with hygiene, dressing, mobility assistance or other independence support services. These fees often accumulate quickly, and budgets become complex when they stretch across multiple personal care services and differing needs. 

On the 1st of October 2026, co-contribution requirements for Personal Care are changing. 

Personal Care will be updated and moved to the Clinical Support category, which means it will be fully funded with no co-contributions. 

The Hidden Cost of Personal Care Co-Contributions 

The way the Support at Home program is currently categorising services creates a situation where some of the most essential forms of daily support attract ongoing out-of-pocket costs. For example, someone who needs help showering three times a week is effectively paying a recurring fee to maintain basic hygiene. When care needs increase and more visits are required, the cost grows with them.

Families who manage their own care budgets often find it necessary to limit spending, which makes life harder for the person needing support. Support gets reduced not because the need has lessened, but because the services required start to exceed what’s affordable. Things like personal care, domestic assistance and transport all draw from the same funding pool, so allocating funds becomes a complicated balancing act. 

What the Government Is Changing and Why

The Australian Government has announced that personal care will move from the Independence category to the Clinical Supports category under Support at Home, as of 1 October 2026. Clinical Supports are fully government funded, so participants with personal care approved for their Support at Home funding will pay no out-of-pocket contribution for these services from that date.

Personal care has been reclassified as an essential service as it supports health, dignity and the ability to remain at home safely. 

The change does not apply to services delivered before 1 October 2026.

All Personal Care Services Will Be Fully Funded

From 1 October 2026, personal care services will attract no participant contribution for eligible Support at Home clients, including but not limited to:

• Showering and Bathing: Hands-on assistance with bathing, including safe entry and exit from the shower or bath and support with washing.
• Dressing and Grooming: Help putting on and removing clothing, managing fastenings, and maintaining a grooming routine such as hair and skin care.
• Toileting and Continence Support: Non-clinical continence management, toileting assistance, and support accessing continence aids and support.
• Mobility Assistance: Support with moving safely around the home, including transfers between bed, chair and other positions as part of daily living.
• Daily Hygiene Support: Assistance maintaining personal hygiene routines including oral care, hand washing and general cleanliness throughout the day.
• Eating and Drinking Assistance: Physical support with mealtimes for clients who need help with the process of eating and drinking safely.
• Medication Reminders and Support: Assistance with taking daily medications on time, including support with Webster packs and coordination with pharmacies.

Do You Need a New Assessment?

No. If personal care is already approved in your Support at Home support plan and you have available funding, the change applies automatically from 1 October 2026. There is no new My Aged Care assessment required, no additional paperwork to submit and no separate application to make. Your provider will simply update how personal care services are billed from the commencement date.

How the Funding Change Affects Your Budget

Removing personal care co-contributions frees up a portion of your Support at Home budget. Depending on how frequently personal care services are used and your specific co-contribution rate, you could have a decent amount of funding free after October. 

That freed-up capacity can be directed toward other services within your Support at Home allocation. Domestic assistance, transport, social support and community participation all remain co-contribution-bearing services, and additional funding directed toward these can make a practical difference to daily life at home.

Where This Change Sits Within the Broader Reforms

Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages program in November 2025. The reclassification of personal care as a Clinical Support is part of the ongoing refinement of that program.

One important boundary to note: this change applies to Support at Home participants only. The Commonwealth Home Support Programme is not expected to transition into Support at Home until at least July 2027, so CHSP participants are not affected by the October 2026 change.

Need Help Working Through What This Means for Your Situation?

Aged care funding categories are not always straightforward, and understanding how the October 2026 change interacts with your specific support plan and contribution rate can be overwhelming. 

The team at Catholic Homes can help you review your current plan, confirm your personal care approvals and understand what your costs will look like from October onwards and, if possible, where funds could be reallocated. Get in touch today to talk through your options.