A letter arrives. You’ve been allocated your funding. Relief, finally. Then you read it more closely – it’s only for Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM). So, you start ringing around to get the ball rolling… and one after another, each provider says ‘no.’
To be completely transparent (we pride ourselves on this), as of right now, from July 2026, if AT-HM is the only funding you’ve been approved for, you’ll most likely find it genuinely hard to find a provider to take this on – we know, because we’ve supported countless Australians in the same position as you.
We know that’s not what you were hoping to read. But there’s a good reason for it, and more importantly, there is a clearer path forward – so, let’s walk through it together.
What AT-HM Funding Actually Is
Under Support at Home, the program that replaced the former Home Care Packages’ (HCPs) system from November 2025, Assistive Tech and Home Modifications (AT-HM) funding comes in a few different forms.
Most people are approved for ongoing support: A regular budget for the services that help you live well at home, like personal care, cleaning, nursing, or social support.
Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) is a separate stream. It’s the funding set aside for the things rather than the ongoing help – a walking frame or a shower chair (assistive technology), or changes to your home like grab rails, ramps, or a modified bathroom (home modifications). It’s designed to help you stay safe and independent in your own space. If you’re still making sense of what your letter means, we’ve broken it down in our guide to understanding your AT-HM approval letter here.
Here’s the key point: AT-HM is designed to work best alongside your ongoing Support at Home funding. And in practice, that’s when providers can actually help you – when the two come together as one whole package of care.
Why “AT-HM Only” Is So Hard to Place
If you’ve been approved for AT-HM but your ongoing Support at Home funding hasn’t come through yet, you’re in a tricky spot – through no fault of your own.
Most providers are set up to support people across the whole of their care. The ongoing relationship – the regular services, the check-ins, the coordination – is what the system is built around. A one-off piece of equipment or a single home modification, with no ongoing package attached, sits awkwardly outside that model. So one provider after another quietly says, “sorry, not right now.”
Since 1 July 2026, government-set price caps have also applied across Support at Home services. It’s a good change for transparency – but it’s one more reason providers are cautious about taking on one-off, AT-HM-only work when there’s no ongoing package to go with it.
If that feels familiar, it might be because you’ve been here before. It’s very similar to the situation many Australians have faced with the former Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) – worthwhile funding on paper, but surprisingly hard to actually put to use on its own.
None of this means anything has gone wrong with your approval. It simply means the timing isn’t quite ready yet.
The Simple Thing to Do: Wait for Your Full Funding, Then Come Back
Here’s the honest, practical advice – the kind we’d give to anyone who needs our help.
We strongly recommend waiting for your ongoing Support at Home funding to be allocated. Once that comes through, everything changes. Your AT-HM funding and your ongoing support sit together as one whole picture of care – and that is something a provider can genuinely take on and run with.
At that point, please contact us. From here, our dedicated CareAbout team can step in properly to assist: We’ll be able to help make sense of your funding, match you with quality providers, and get both your assistive equipment and/or home modifications together with your ongoing Support at Home funding all sorted – together, without the runaround.
So while it might feel like a long wait, you’re really just waiting for the right piece to fall into place. And when it does, you won’t be doing it alone. That’s exactly why CareAbout exists.
In the Meantime: While You’re Waiting
While you await your Support at Home funding allocation, here are some handy tips to easily follow:
- Keep your approval letters and paperwork somewhere safe: You’ll need them when your ongoing funding is allocated.
- Check where you sit by contacting My Aged Care: If you’re unsure about your ongoing Support at Home status or timeline, it’s best to follow-up directly.
- Reach out to us for equipment you need urgently and can’t wait on: While we generally can’t act on AT-HM-only funding, we’d still rather hear from you than have you stuck. Even if we can’t connect you with a provider, we’ll always point you in the right direction.
You’ve done the hard part already – you asked for AT-HM help, and you got approved. Now, it’s just up to timing. When your full Support at Home funding arrives, we’ll be right here – ready to help you turn your funding into real Support at Home.
