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Home Care Package Levels: What’s Covered?
Home Care Package Levels: At A Glance 🔎
- Four Home Care Package levels provided funding from $10,986/year (Level 1) to $63,758/year (Level 4) based on care needs
- Now transitioned: Since 1 November 2025, all four levels have moved to the new Support at Home program with eight classification levels
- Level 1: Basic assistance — domestic help, social support, meal preparation, transport
- Level 4: High-level care — nursing, allied health, medication management, home modifications, assistive technology
- Need a higher level? You can request a reassessment through My Aged Care at any time if your care needs have changed
*Please note: Since 1 November 2025, the former four-level Home Care Package program has since transitioned to the new Support at Home program, now with an expansive eight levels, which you can learn more about in our simplified guide here.
The former Home Care Package program was designed to help older Australians live independently in their own homes for as long as possible. It does this by providing funded access to a wide range of support services tailored to each person’s needs.
Each level of Home Care Package has a different amount of funding, which is used to subsidise home care services from an approved provider. Since 1 November 2025, the four Home Care Package (HCPs) levels are now transitioned into the new Support at Home program.
The Four Levels of Transitioned Home Care Packages (HCPs)
There are four different levels of funding based on how much assistance someone needs:
- Level 1: Basic assistance
- Level 2: Low-level care
- Level 3: Intermediate care
- Level 4: High-level care
These Home Care Package levels are now referred to as ‘Transitioned HCP Levels,’ which we break down in detail below.
How Is Each Home Care Package Level Different?
The Home Care Package Program was intended to make life easier, safer and more comfortable, and to help people stay connected to their community while enjoying their independence at home.
So, whether it’s a little extra help around the house or more intensive care, there is support available. The graphic below gives a helpful overview of the former four levels of Home Care Packages, and how each level has since been transitioned to the new Support at Home program:
| Home Care Package (HCP) Classification | Support at Home (SAH) Classification | Support at Home Annual Amount Allocated |
| HCP Level 1 | Transitioned HCP Level 1 | $10,986.50 |
| HCP Level 2 | Transitioned HCP Level 2 | $19,319.45 |
| HCP Level 3 | Transitioned HCP Level 3 | $42,055.30 |
| HCP Level 4 | Transitioned HCP Level 4 | $63,758.20 |
Now, let’s get down to the nitty gritty and take a much closer look at each level.
Level 1 Home Care Package
A Level 1 Home Care Package is designed to support people who need only very basic assistance at home. The amount of funding per year for this level is $10,986.50.
People with a level 1 package are still independent and able to perform most day-to-day tasks on their own. Some of the common services used are:
- Domestic assistance
- Social support
- Meal preparation
- Shopping
- Transport
- Personal care
Are you familiar with the new Support at Home program? Effective since 1 November 2025, see what a SAH Level 1 Classification looks like here.
Level 2 Home Care Package
A Level 2 Home Care Package is aimed at supporting people who have low-level care needs. The amount of funding per year at this level is $19,319.45.
People with a level 2 package require a little more care but are still able to perform a lot of tasks around the home themselves. Services for a level 2 care recipient may include:
- Personal care
- Domestic assistance
- Loan of basic care equipment
- Social support
- Meal preparation
- Shopping
- Transport
- Basic home and garden maintenance
- Some nursing care
Are you familiar with the new Support at Home program? Effective since 1 November 2025, see what a SAH Level 2 Classification looks like here.
Level 3 Home Care Package
A Level 3 Home Care Package supports people who need quite a bit more help in order to remain safely in their home.
Funding for level 3 packages sits at $42,055.30 per year, which can be used for:
- Personal care
- Domestic assistance
- Household assistance
- Assistance with aids and appliances
- Social support
- Meal preparation
- Medication management
- Nursing support
- Allied health support
- Shopping
- Transport
- Support with changes to memory and/or behaviour
Are you familiar with the new Support at Home program? Effective since 1 November 2025, see what a SAH Level 3 Classification looks like here.
Level 4 Home Care Package
A Level 4 Home Care Package is intended to support people who require high-level care. People at this level receive $63,758.20 worth of funding per year.
People with high-level or complex care needs may be eligible to receive comprehensive assistance with:
- Personal care (showering/dressing etc)
- Domestic assistance (laundry/cleaning etc)
- Assistance with aids and appliances
- Social support
- Meal preparation
- Medication management
- Nursing care
- Allied health support
- Shopping
- Transport
- Support with changes to memory and/or behaviour
Are you familiar with the new Support at Home program? Effective since 1 November 2025, see what a SAH Level 4 Classification looks like here.
Getting the Most From Your Funding
To make the most of your funding, it’s vital you find the right home care provider. But this can be tricky without expert help. The options can feel overwhelming, and understanding what services are available, what costs are involved and how to get your unique needs met takes time and know-how.
At CareAbout, we take the time to understand exactly what you need so that we can match you with quality care that’s just right for you. We exist because we believe that absolutely no one should feel alone when seeking the quality aged care they deserve.
That’s why we’re Australia’s leading home care matching service. We’ve helped thousands of families make the most of their aged care funding – and we’re ready to help you too. The system is already complex, overwhelming and stressful enough. Our dedicated, expert-led team takes the guesswork out of the equation. We cut through the noise and get straight to finding the quality aged care you deserve.
Our service is completely free of charge, 100% independent, and we’re 100% ready to CareAbout You. Simply freecall us at 13 13 00 to get in touch today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four Home Care Package levels?
The four Home Care Package levels are: Level 1 for basic assistance ($10,986.50/year), Level 2 for low-level care ($19,319.45/year), Level 3 for intermediate care ($42,055.30/year), and Level 4 for high-level care ($63,758.20/year). Since 1 November 2025, these have transitioned to the Support at Home program as Transitioned HCP Levels.
Have Home Care Packages been replaced?
Yes. Since 1 November 2025, the former four-level Home Care Package program has transitioned to the new Support at Home program, which now has eight classification levels instead of four. Existing HCP recipients have been automatically transitioned to the equivalent Support at Home classification.
What services are included in a Level 1 Home Care Package?
A Level 1 Home Care Package ($10,986.50/year) covers basic assistance including domestic help, social support, meal preparation, shopping, transport, and personal care. It’s designed for people who are still independent and able to perform most day-to-day tasks on their own.
What services are included in a Level 4 Home Care Package?
A Level 4 Home Care Package ($63,758.20/year) is the highest level, supporting people who need significant daily assistance. Services include personal care, domestic assistance, nursing support, allied health services, medication management, home modifications, assistive technology, and support for changes to memory and behaviour.
How do I move from a lower Home Care Package level to a higher one?
If your care needs increase, you can request a reassessment through My Aged Care. The assessor will evaluate your current situation and may approve you for a higher classification level under the new Support at Home program, which provides funding more closely matched to your needs across eight levels.
Home Care Package Levels: Key Statistics
As of June 2024, 275,000 Australians were using home care packages — a 283% increase from 71,900 in 2017 (GEN Aged Care Data, AIHW, 2024).
The distribution across levels shows that 41% of recipients were on Level 2, 33% on Level 3, 21% on Level 4, and just 5.4% on Level 1 — meaning the majority of Australians require low to intermediate care (GEN Aged Care Data, AIHW, 2024).
The median length of stay on a home care package is 16 months, and 41% of home care recipients are aged 85 and over (GEN Aged Care Data, AIHW, 2024). The Australian Government allocated $7.5 billion to home care packages in 2023–24 (GEN Aged Care Data, AIHW, 2024).
Sources
- GEN Aged Care Data, AIHW, People Using Aged Care, 2024 — gen-agedcaredata.gov.au
- GEN Aged Care Data, AIHW, People’s Care Needs in Aged Care, 2024 — gen-agedcaredata.gov.au
- GEN Aged Care Data, AIHW, Spending on Aged Care, 2024 — gen-agedcaredata.gov.au
“One thing that catches families off guard is how much the funding varies between levels. A Level 1 package gives you around $10,900 a year, but a Level 4 is over $63,700 — that’s a huge range. If you’re on a lower level and your needs have genuinely changed, don’t just accept it. Request a reassessment through My Aged Care. We’ve seen many families successfully move to a higher classification.”
— Calum Buchanan, Chief Operating Officer, CareAbout
10+ years in Australian aged care | Helping senior Australians navigate the aged care system