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The Home Care Packages Program was replaced by Support at Home on 1 November 2025, with special protections in place for eligible grandfathered Home Care Package recipients.
At HCA Home Care, we support all home care recipients, whether you’re new to Support at Home or a grandfathered Home Care Package recipient. Our experienced team can help you understand your funding, make the most of what’s available and simplify what can sometimes feel like a complicated system.
When the Home Care Packages Program was replaced by Support at Home on 1 November 2025, existing Home Care Package recipients transitioned into the new program.
Some people also received additional protections under the Government’s no worse off principle. These people are commonly referred to as grandfathered Home Care Package recipients.
If you are grandfathered, you are now receiving care through Support at Home, but special arrangements continue to protect the contributions you pay.
You are considered a grandfathered Home Care Package recipient if, on or before 12 September 2024, you were:
Grandfathering applies to specific arrangements, particularly participant contributions and eligible primary supplements.
These terms sound similar, but there is an important difference.
Everyone who moved from the previous Home Care Packages system into Support at Home is considered a transitioned HCP recipient.
A grandfathered HCP recipient is someone who also met the eligibility requirements on or before 12 September 2024 and therefore receives additional protections.
| Grandfathered HCP Recipient | Transitioned HCP Recipient (not grandfathered) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who this applies to | You were receiving a Home Care Package, on the National Priority System, or assessed as eligible for a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024. | You transitioned from the Home Care Packages Program to Support at Home, but were not receiving a package, on the National Priority System, or assessed as eligible by 12 September 2024. |
| Now receiving care through | Support at Home | Support at Home |
| Transitioned HCP funding | Yes, where applicable | Yes, where applicable |
| No worse off contribution protection | Yes | No |
| Eligible unspent HCP funds retained | Yes | Yes |
| Can I change providers? | Yes, without losing grandfathered status | Yes |
The no worse off principle protects grandfathered Home Care Package recipients from paying higher participant contributions simply because the Government changed from Home Care Packages to Support at Home.
What this means for you depends on what you previously paid.
If Services Australia determined that you did not need to pay an income-tested care fee under your Home Care Package, you continue to pay no participant contributions under Support at Home.
This includes grandfathered full-rate pensioners.
If you were required to pay an income-tested care fee, your Support at Home contribution arrangements are designed so you pay the same or less than you would have under the previous Home Care Packages arrangements.
These protections continue even if your needs change and you are later reassessed into a higher Support at Home classification.
Your contribution depends on the type of Support at Home service you receive, your financial circumstances and whether transitional arrangements apply to you.
For Everyday Living services, you contribute a percentage of the cost based on your income and assets, with the Australian Government funding the remainder.
| Age Pension status | Clinical Care | Independence | Everyday Living |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full pensioner | 0% | 0% | 17.5% |
| Part pensioner and eligible for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card | 0% | 0%-25% based on income | 0%-25% based on income |
| Self-funded retiree | 0% | 25% | 25% |
When Support at Home began, existing Home Care Package recipients moved across with an equivalent transitioned HCP funding level.
You did not need a new assessment simply because the program changed. Your ongoing funding is now provided through a quarterly Support at Home budget.
| Previous Home Care Package | Current Support at Home Funding |
|---|---|
| HCP Level 1 | Transitioned HCP Level 1 |
| HCP Level 2 | Transitioned HCP Level 2 |
| HCP Level 3 | Transitioned HCP Level 3 |
| HCP Level 4 | Transitioned HCP Level 4 |
If your existing level of support is no longer meeting your needs, you can be reassessed and may move into one of the eight current Support at Home classifications.
Importantly, being reassessed into a higher classification does not automatically remove your grandfathered contribution protections.
Your funding can change as your care needs change, while your no worse off protections continue to apply.
Common questions about grandfathered Home Care Packages, contributions, funding and changing providers.
If you had eligible unspent Home Care Package funds when you transitioned to Support at Home, those funds carried across with you.
Your existing unspent HCP funds can be used for eligible purposes, including:
There is no standard quarterly carryover limit on these existing transitioned HCP funds.
New funding you receive through Support at Home works differently.
You can generally carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget, whichever is greater, into the following quarter.
This limit does not apply to the eligible unspent HCP funds you brought across when you transitioned.
Yes. You can change your Support at Home provider without automatically losing your grandfathered status or no worse off protections.
Your grandfathered status is based on when you were receiving, waiting for or approved for a Home Care Package. It is not based on which provider delivers your care.
So, if you are currently with another provider, you can switch your care to HCA Home Care while retaining the grandfathered arrangements that apply to you.
You remain within Support at Home. You are simply choosing a different provider to manage and deliver your care.
Our experienced team can help you:
Keep your grandfathered protections, even if you switch providers.
While your grandfathered protections remain, the way home care operates has changed in several areas.
The previous Home Care Package income-tested care fee was abolished when Support at Home began on 1 November 2025.
Support at Home instead uses participant contributions linked to the types of services you receive, with special transitional contribution arrangements for grandfathered Home Care Package recipients.
Want to understand what you may need to contribute? Learn more about Support at Home fees, costs and participant contributions.
Funding is now managed through quarterly budgets rather than the previous Home Care Package funding arrangements.
For ongoing Support at Home services, 10% of your quarterly budget is allocated to care management, helping fund the planning and coordination of your care.
Grandfathered HCP recipients retain the applicable Home Care Package lifetime contribution arrangements rather than automatically moving to the standard Support at Home lifetime cap.
The cap is indexed over time, and Services Australia tracks your contributions.
Grandfathering arrangements also apply to certain eligible primary supplements. If you previously received a supplement, transitional arrangements may apply depending on the supplement and your circumstances.
You can continue receiving your services under Support at Home with the grandfathered protections that apply to you.
You can choose another Support at Home provider without automatically losing your grandfathered protections. HCA Home Care supports grandfathered HCP recipients and can help coordinate your transition.
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The key date is 12 September 2024. If you were receiving a package, on the National Priority System or assessed as eligible on or before this date, grandfathered protections may apply.
Talk to Our Team
HCA Home Care supports new Support at Home participants too. We can help you understand your funding, choose your services and get your care underway.
Get StartedYour dedicated local Customer Care Manager gets to know you, understands your needs and coordinates your care.
Existing HCA Home Care customers have access to our 24/7 support line, so help is available outside standard business hours.
Our Support Workers are carefully selected, qualified and experienced, with ongoing training backed by Healthcare Australia’s own training organisation.
If you’re a grandfathered Home Care Package recipient, your protections stay with you even if you choose to change providers. At HCA Home Care, we can help you understand the funding and contribution arrangements that apply to you, explore the services available through your funding and organise care that better suits your needs.
We’re here to assist you with any inquiries and provide personalised support for your needs.
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