The good news has been well covered: from 1 October 2026, the government fully funds personal care under Support at Home, so help with bathing, dressing and mobility stops costing participants anything. What has been covered far less is the fine print underneath it, and one detail in particular is catching families by surprise. Here’s the plain-language guide to what actually happens on 1 October.
You Keep Paying Until Then
The change is not retrospective, and the government has been explicit about it.
“You won’t be refunded for any payments you made for personal care services delivered before 1 October 2026,” My Aged Care states.
So if you are contributing toward personal care today, those contributions continue right up until the switch, and none of it comes back. That is not a trap, it is simply how the start date works, but it does mean the money you spend between now and October is money spent, and worth factoring into your planning for the next few months.
What You Have to Do: Nothing
Here is the genuinely reassuring part. There is no form, no application, no eligibility test to pass. If you receive personal care under Support at Home, the change applies to you automatically from 1 October.
Your services continue exactly as they are, with the same provider, on the same schedule. The only thing that changes is what appears on your statement.
The One Thing That Might Land in Your Letterbox
Your provider may contact you before October to update your paperwork, typically your service agreement or care plan, so the documents reflect the new funding arrangement. That is routine and expected, and the department has said it is working with providers for a seamless transition.
Two practical cautions. Read anything you are asked to sign rather than signing it on the doorstep, because a service agreement is a contract and October is a sensible moment to check the rest of it is still right. And be alert that periods of change are exactly when scams circulate, the government will not phone asking for bank details to process this, and anyone who does is not the government.
What Doesn’t Change
Contributions for other Support at Home services are unaffected. Domestic assistance, social supports and the rest continue under the existing contribution rules based on your means assessment. Clinical care remains fully funded as it already was.
So October expands the free core rather than making the whole program free, and being clear on that distinction avoids a nasty surprise when the next statement arrives.
What to Do Before October
Three moves worth making. Check your current statement so you know exactly what you are paying for personal care, which tells you what you will save. If the co-payment has been making you ration help you actually need, remember that barrier lifts in October and it may be worth revisiting your hours. And diarise a statement check for late October to confirm the charge has genuinely disappeared, because errors happen and the person most likely to catch one is you. Details are on the My Aged Care personal care page.
The Bottom Line
From 1 October, the most fundamental care an older Australian receives stops depending on what they can afford, and that is a genuinely good change. Just go in clear-eyed: you keep paying until then, nothing is refunded, other services still carry contributions, and the only real task on your list is reading whatever your provider sends you. 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.
