When Support at Home replaced the old Home Care Packages, it swapped four package levels for eight funding classifications, allowing support to be matched far more closely to what a person actually needs. But eight levels also means more to understand. Which one is right? How much funding does each provide? And how do you make sure you’re on the level that reflects your real needs? Here’s the plain-language guide. [PUBLISHING NOTE: funding figures are indicative and indexed; confirm current amounts against the official Support at Home schedule before publishing and keep the chart’s source date current.]
Why Eight Levels
The old four-level system was blunt: a lot of people were squeezed into a funding level that didn’t quite fit, usually rounded down to less than they needed. Support at Home’s eight classifications were designed to fix that, with finer gradations so funding can track actual assessed need more precisely.
The levels run from light, entry-level support at the bottom to intensive daily care at the top, with the highest classification providing funding up to around $78,000 a year. The chart below shows how the indicative annual funding compares across the eight levels.
What the Levels Cover
Broadly, the lower levels (1 to 3) suit people who need some help to stay independent, assistance with domestic tasks, occasional personal care, social support, and the like. The middle levels (4 to 6) suit people with more substantial and regular needs, more frequent personal care, allied health, more hours of support. The higher levels (7 and 8) are for people with complex, intensive needs requiring significant daily support to remain safely at home.
The jump between levels is significant, as the chart shows, so being on the right level genuinely matters to the support you can access.
How Your Level Is Decided
You don’t choose your classification, it’s assessed. After you register with My Aged Care, a trained assessor evaluates your needs, and that assessment determines which of the eight levels you’re placed in. The assessment looks at your daily life, health, functional needs, and how much support you require to live safely and independently at home.
The higher your assessed need, the higher your classification, and the more funding is available. This is why the assessment matters so much, it directly sets your funding level.
Getting the Assessment Right
Because the assessment decides your level, preparing for it well is one of the most valuable things you can do. The recurring principle: describe your hardest days, not your best ones. People routinely understate their struggles out of pride or habit, and an assessment based on a good day lands you on a lower level with less funding than you genuinely need.
Think through, in advance, where you actually need help, what you can’t do alone, what a difficult day looks like, and how your needs have changed. Have a family member present who can describe what they observe, since they often see struggles the person themselves downplays. You’re entitled to have someone with you.
What If Your Needs Change
Your level isn’t fixed. If your situation changes, your health declines, your needs increase, you can request a reassessment, which can move you to a higher classification with more funding if your increased needs justify it. Ageing is rarely static, so don’t assume your first classification is permanent. There are also short-term pathways for temporary increases, such as after a hospital stay.
Making Sure Your Level Fits
A few practical checks. If your funded hours consistently fall short of what you actually need, that’s a signal your level may not reflect your real situation, and a reassessment is worth pursuing. If your needs have clearly increased since your assessment, don’t wait, request a reassessment. And if you’re unsure whether your level is right, your provider or a family member can help you weigh it against your day-to-day reality. The official detail on classifications and funding is on the Department of Health’s Support at Home page.
The Bottom Line
Support at Home’s eight funding levels are a real improvement, letting support match need far more precisely than the old four levels, from light assistance up to around $78,000 a year for the most intensive care. Your level is set by your assessment, which is why preparing honestly, and describing your hardest days, matters so much. And because needs change, remember you can request a reassessment. Get the assessment right and keep it current, and your funding will reflect the care you genuinely need. This is general information, not aged care, medical or financial advice.
Epik Wire covers aged care in plain language for older Australians and their families. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed.
