What changed on 1 July 2025
From 1 July 2025, the Support at Home program became the primary funding vehicle for home-based aged care services in Australia. It replaced two existing programs:
- Home Care Packages (HCP): the tiered package model (Levels 1 through 4) was replaced in full by Support at Home.
- Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC): also replaced by Support at Home.
Important: CHSP was not replaced. The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) continues under its existing arrangements until 1 July 2027, when it is scheduled to transition to Support at Home. Providers delivering CHSP services continue to operate under that program and are not affected by the 1 July 2025 changes.
The Aged Care Act 2024 provides the legislative foundation for Support at Home. The program is administered by the Department of Health and Aged Care, with Services Australia processing provider claims.
The 8 service groups
Support at Home organises funded services into 8 service groups. Each service group has a separate maximum price that approved providers can charge. Providers must classify each service delivered against the correct service group when submitting a claim.
| Service Group | Description |
|---|---|
| Clinical care | Nursing, allied health, and clinical therapies delivered in the home. |
| Independence and everyday living | Personal care, domestic assistance, and meal preparation. |
| Assistive technology and home modifications | Equipment provision and minor or major home modifications. |
| Social support | Social engagement, community participation, and connection activities. |
| Transport | Transport to medical appointments, community activities, and essential errands. |
| Support coordination and specialist support coordination | Care management and coordination of supports across service groups. |
| Restorative care | Short-term rehabilitation and reablement programs to improve functional independence. |
| Transition care | Short-term care delivered after hospital discharge to support recovery. |
The service group determines the billable rate. Misclassification creates both compliance and financial risk. Providers must ensure shift records carry enough clinical context to support the correct service group classification at the time of claiming.
How billing works under Support at Home
Under Support at Home, providers deliver services to approved care recipients and claim from Services Australia at the approved rate for the relevant service group. Providers do not invoice the participant directly for funded services.
This model differs from the NDIS agency-managed model in one important practical respect: the claim goes to Services Australia, not the NDIA. Provider registration, claim submission processes, and the portal used are all specific to aged care.
Registration requirement
Only approved aged care providers can deliver and claim for Support at Home services. Organisations that are registered NDIS providers but not approved aged care providers cannot deliver Support at Home-funded services.
Price caps per service group
Each service group has a maximum price set by the Department of Health and Aged Care. These price caps are separate from NDIS price limits and are not determined by the NDIA. Providers may charge up to but not above the maximum price for the relevant service group.
Rostering implications
The service group model has a direct impact on how shift records need to be structured. Because billing is tied to the service group, and each service group has a separate price cap, a shift that spans multiple service types may need to be recorded against more than one service group.
Shift records must support the claim
A shift record that simply notes time in and time out is not enough. The record must indicate what service group the activities delivered belong to. Clinical care activities cannot be claimed under independence and everyday living rates, even if the same worker delivered both in the same visit.
Continuity of care remains a quality indicator
The Strengthened Quality Standards place explicit weight on person-centred care and consistent relationships. Rostering systems that do not surface worker-client history make it harder to demonstrate this in an audit or assessment.
24/7 RN requirement applies to residential, not home care
Support at Home is a home-based program. The 24/7 registered nurse requirement applies to residential aged care facilities only and does not apply to providers delivering Support at Home services.
How Support at Home differs from the NDIS
Providers operating across both programs need to hold both frameworks in parallel. The key practical differences for rostering and billing purposes:
| Aspect | Support at Home | NDIS |
|---|---|---|
| Funding body | Services Australia | NDIA |
| Claim process | Provider claims from Services Australia | Agency-managed, plan-managed, or self-managed |
| Service structure | 8 service groups with separate price caps | Support categories with NDIS price limits |
| Worker screening | National Police Check | NDIS Worker Screening Check |
| Regulator | Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission | NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission |
| Incident reporting | SIRS (P1: 24 hrs, P2: 30 days) | Reportable incidents to NDIS Q&S Commission |