Levels of Care:*

• HCP: 4 levels (max $61,440 per year)
• Support at Home: 8 levels (max $77,709 per year) plus two new short-term care pathways (Restorative Care and End-of-Life)

Service Categories:

• HCP: Specific list of services
• Support at Home: Three categories (Clinical Care, Independence, Everyday Living) with clear participant contribution rules

Clinical Services:

• HCP: May require out-of-pocket contributions
• Support at Home: 100% government-funded. Clinical care is fully funded by the government for all participants

Pricing:

• HCP: Providers set prices and may charge multiple fees
• Support at Home: From 1 July 2025 SaH providers set an all inclusive price with no separate entry, exit, or admin fees (except up to 10% care management fee)

Care Management:

• HCP: Warrigal currently caps Care Management at 19% of your budget, along with 14% of your budget for package management.
• Support at Home: You’ll have 10% deducted from your quarterly budget for Care Management. These funds will be pooled at the provider level for providers to use flexibly to deliver care management services to all clients.

Participant Contributions:

• HCP: Basic daily fee, income-tested fee, and provider fees (e.g ‘top-up’ fees)
• Support at Home: Contributions based on income/assets and service category; no contribution for clinical services. Clinical care is fully funded by the government for all participants.

Budget Allocations:

• HCP: Annual budget, paid monthly
• Support at Home: Quarterly budgets with limited rollover

Unspent Funds:

• HCP: Participants who were receiving a Home Care Package and had unspent funds as of 30 June 2025 will retain their unspent funds for use in their Support at Home quarterly budget.
• Support at Home: Recipients who have not spent their budget within the quarter will be able to accrue a maximum of $1,000 or 10% of their quarterly budget, (whichever is higher,) from one quarter to the next.

Assistive Technology & Home Modifications:

• HCP: Funded from your package. Currently, all recipients need to save up package funds to fund Assistive  tech or home modification needs.
• Support at Home: Separate, immediate funding (up to $15,000 depending on tier)

What are the new short-term care options?

• Restorative Care: Up to 12 weeks of support, $6,000 budget
• End-of-Life Care: Up to $25,000 over 16 weeks for those who wish to remain at home

*Transitioned HCP care recipients who have not been reassessed under Support at Home continue to receive an equivalent level of funding (including supplements) as their previous Home Care Package. The previous annual package amount is divided into four to create the recipient’s equivalent Support at Home quarterly budget. Funding amounts for transitioned HCP care recipients are outlined in the Schedule of Subsidies and Supplements for Aged Care. Funding amounts are indicative and are subject to indexation revisions. Older people who, on 30 June 2025, were on the National Priority System or assessed as eligible for a Home Care Package will transition to Support at Home when funding becomes available. These participants will receive an equivalent level of funding to their approved HCP.

Your annual funding will be split into four equal quarterly budgets. Quarters will run from 1 July, 1 October, 1 January, and 1 April each year. This will be calculated on a daily basis, meaning some quarters may have a slightly different amount than the next based on the number of days in the quarter. Unspent funds up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget (whichever is greater) can be rolled over to the next quarter.

No action is required from you for the transition. In the future, you will need to sign a new Service Agreement that aligns with the Aged Care Act. Warrigal will guide and support you through the process.

You do not need to take any action if you are already receiving a Home Care Package. If you have questions or want to secure a package before the transition, contact your care coordinator.

No. Existing Home Care Package recipients will not need a new assessment. New applicants will still require an assessment, which can be arranged via the My Aged Care website or by calling 1800 200 422.

You will continue to receive care from their existing support team. If you wish to change or increase services, Warrigal will work to match your preferences and needs.

Warrigal understands that legislative changes can feel overwhelming. We have formed a dedicated team to:

• Thoroughly understand the new ‘Support at Home’ program
• Assess how these changes will specifically affect our Home Services customers
• Develop a clear, supportive transition plan
• Communicate clearly about what these changes mean for you

Ongoing Updates: The Support at Home programme continues to evolve, with some elements still under consultation and rules yet to be finalised. We are committed to sharing information with you as soon as it becomes available to us. What we can promise is transparency—we’ll tell you what we know when we know it, rather than leaving you waiting for updates. As we approach the programme launch, we’ll continue providing regular updates to keep you informed every step of the way.

Care management will continue to be an important part of your support. From 1 July 2025, 10% of your quarterly budget will be set aside for care management services. These activities include:

• Care planning
• Service planning and coordination
• Development, review and evaluation of a participant’s care plan and quarterly budget
• Monitoring of services provided
• Provision of information and education about the participant’s care and services
• Support to connect to health and other services when needed
• Support to undergo a Support Plan Review, if needed

Starting 1 July 2025, package management costs will be incorporated into service prices, rather than charged as separate fees. This means hourly rates for services will change to include both the service being provided and administrative costs like travel, scheduling, and compliance.

The government is implementing price caps in two stages:

• From 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026: Providers will continue to set their own prices for services (as they do currently).
• From 1 July 2026: Government-set price caps will apply, established by the Department of Health working with the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA).

Yes. Warrigal will inform you of any proposed price changes in accordance with regulations and seek your agreement. However, it’s important to note that these price changes are not out-of-pocket fee increases for you. Warrigal will also be required to publish our price schedule on My Aged Care.

A reasonable price reflects what it costs your provider to deliver the service to you. The price can include:

• The wages of your aged care workers
• Administration and overheads
• Transport
• Sub-contracting

Prices can also include the provider’s costs of transitioning to the Support at Home program. The overall price must still be reasonable and justifiable.

Under the Support at Home program, an Associate Provider is a third-party organisation that Warrigal partners with to deliver specific services. These are trusted partners who complement our service offerings in areas where we may not have in-house capacity.

Yes, you may still receive services from third-party providers, now called Associate Providers. Warrigal have onboarded providers that meet our high standards for quality, reliability, and compliance.

As the registered provider, Warrigal remains responsible for meeting all regulatory requirements and provider obligations for ALL services delivered to a participant, including those delivered by third parties. This means that there may be circumstances where Warrigal cannot agree to particular workers or third parties being engaged where regulatory requirements and/or provider obligations cannot be met.

The new Aged Care Act introduces comprehensive compliance requirements and strengthened quality standards that all providers must meet. These enhanced regulatory frameworks mean we must be even more diligent in our selection and oversight of associate providers to maintain the safety and quality of care you deserve.

Warrigal will only facilitate services through pre-approved associate providers who meet our quality standards and the new regulatory requirements. Your local coordinator can provide information about approved trusted partners in your area.

Under Support at Home, you will receive immediate and separate funding for assistive technology and home modifications, with three funding tiers ranging from $500 to $15,000. This separate Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) Scheme will be funded separately from your ongoing participant budget and will be approved during your assessment.

If your needs change, additional short-term programs and services are available to provide extra support when required. Your assessment will determine A reassessment will be required to match your evolving needs. Support at Home includes two new short-term care pathways with funding for up to 12 weeks:

1. Restorative Care Pathway: To build or regain functions to remain independent (e.g., allied health services).

2. End-of-Life Pathway: To boost services for people diagnosed with 3 months or less to live to enable them to remain at home.

Your aged care assessment will also determine access to assistive technology and home modifications funding tiers. You can access both types of funding simultaneously if needed, providing upfront funding for products, equipment and home modifications. Funding tiers are typically allocated for 12 months, though you may be required to contribute towards costs. You’ll find detailed operational requirements in the AT-HM scheme guidelines, available from 1 July 2025.

Note: Assessment timeframes are to be confirmed.

The goal is to reduce wait times over the next two years.

Yes, you can carry over unspent funds for seasonal needs, provided the service is approved on the official service list and falls within the rollover limit of $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget (whichever is higher).

There are no leave arrangements under Support at Home. Participants have the flexibility to temporarily stop receiving their Support at Home services for various reasons. While services are stopped, a participant will continue to receive their quarterly budget. However, carryover unspent budget limits will apply.

If your care needs change, your care manager will work with you to arrange a reassessment to better match your current requirements and adjust your support accordingly.

The transition will occur on 1 July 2025, when the Home Care Package programme concludes and all recipients move to Support at Home. There won’t be an overlap period where both systems run simultaneously.