In a significant shift, the government has deferred the price caps that were due to apply to Support at Home services from 1 July 2026, opting instead to give the aged care regulator new powers to crack down on overcharging. For older Australians and families managing in-home care costs, it’s an important change to understand, particularly if you’d been expecting the caps to take effect.
What Changed
The government had originally planned to introduce government-set price caps across all Support at Home services from 1 July 2026. Those caps have now been deferred, with the government saying it wants to gather more evidence and gain greater confidence in the stability of the new market before imposing limits.
In place of the caps, the government has announced a package of consumer protections. The most significant is that the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission now has the power to order refunds where providers are found to be overcharging, directing them to repay the money to affected clients’ budgets.
The New Protections
Beyond refund powers, the package includes several measures aimed at improving transparency and fairness. The Commission can take regulatory action against providers who fail to issue monthly statements, and must publicly report on its investigations and enforcement action. A new National Summary of Support at Home Prices will be published each quarter, showing the median and range of prices providers are charging nationally, so families can see how their provider compares. Providers are also being encouraged to limit price increases to no more than twice a year, giving people more certainty when budgeting.
Why the Caps Were Deferred
The decision to defer drew a mixed response. Provider peak bodies welcomed it, with Catholic Health Australia arguing that poorly designed caps could have reduced choice, undermined provider viability, and lengthened already strained waitlists, particularly in regional areas and for higher-complexity services.
The Aged Care Minister acknowledged the sector had seen some inappropriate pricing behaviour from a small number of providers, but said the Commission had not found evidence of systemic price rorting across the board.
The Concern From Advocates
Not everyone is satisfied. The Older Persons Advocacy Network, while supportive of the new protections, stressed that the work must lead somewhere concrete, saying it is critical the process results in clear, enforceable protections, including the timely introduction of well-designed price caps. In other words, advocates see the refund powers as a useful interim step, but not a substitute for the caps themselves.
A working group bringing together advocacy bodies, sector peaks, and the Commission will now focus on defining what reasonable pricing actually means and developing a pathway toward enforceable caps in future.
What Families Should Do
If you or a loved one receives Support at Home, the key takeaway is that prices aren’t capped for now, but you have stronger protections against overcharging than before. It’s worth reviewing your provider’s monthly statements carefully, comparing their prices against the new quarterly national summary once it’s published, and raising any concerns about overcharging, since the regulator can now order refunds. The starting point for any questions remains My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
It’s also worth remembering a related change still going ahead: from 1 October 2026, personal care services like showering and dressing become fully government-funded with no co-contribution.
Epik Wire explains aged care reform in plain language for families. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay across every change.
