Who is eligible for a Home Care Package?

If you are looking into help so that you or an older relative can keep living at home, you have probably searched for who qualifies for a "home care package." It is one of the most common questions families ask, and there is a wrinkle worth knowing about before you read anything else.

The term home care package refers to the funded budget older Australians used to buy in-home care. From 1 November 2025 that program was replaced by a new one called Support at Home. Most people, and plenty of clinicians, still say "home care package," so this guide keeps the familiar phrase while explaining that the eligibility rules now decide whether someone qualifies for ongoing Support at Home. The doorway is unchanged: My Aged Care, on 1800 200 422.

Eligibility comes down to a few things: age, care needs, and residency, confirmed through an assessment rather than decided in a single phone call. This guide walks through each and points you to what to do next. Because the detail is set by government and updated over time, treat My Aged Care as the current authority and this guide as the shape of how it fits together.

The three things eligibility rests on

Whether someone qualifies for ongoing in-home support is really a judgement about three things:

• Age. The program is aimed at older Australians, with earlier access for some groups.
• Care need. The person needs more than everyday help to stay safe and independent at home, and that need is confirmed by an assessment.
• Residency. There are residency and visa conditions, as with most government-funded programs.

None of these is decided by you ticking a box. An assessor confirms them, which is why registering and being assessed is the real gate, not the phone call.

Age: who the program is for

As a general rule, government-funded aged care at home is for people aged 65 and over. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, access generally starts earlier, from 50. There are also provisions for younger people on a low income who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Because the exact ages and the finer conditions can be adjusted over time, confirm your situation with My Aged Care rather than assuming.

If the person is under 65 and their need arises from a permanent, significant disability rather than ageing, the NDIS is usually the more appropriate system, not aged care. The two systems have different front doors and different rules, and getting the right one first saves months.

Care need: the assessment decides, not a diagnosis

There is no single condition or diagnosis that makes a person eligible. Eligibility is about function: whether the person needs help with everyday activities to keep living safely at home, and whether that need is beyond what light, entry-level support can cover.

An assessor looks at things like help with showering and dressing, mobility and falls risk, managing medication, meals and nutrition, cognition and memory, and how much informal help family already provides. A person with a modest need may be pointed to entry-level support first; a person with regular, ongoing needs across several of these areas is more likely to be found eligible for an ongoing Support at Home budget. Our guide to home support versus CHSP explains how the entry-level and ongoing pathways differ.

What eligibility does not depend on

Two things trip people up here, so they are worth stating plainly.

• Being eligible is separate from what you pay. Qualifying for an ongoing budget is decided on age, need, and residency. What you contribute to the cost is worked out separately, through a means assessment run by Services Australia. A person can be fully eligible and still be asked to contribute based on their finances. See our guide to aged care fees for how that side works.
• You do not have to be at crisis point. You do not need to wait until things fall apart. It is reasonable, and usually wiser, to seek an assessment while needs are emerging rather than after a fall or a hospital stay.

How to get assessed and apply

The process is the same doorway for everyone:

1. Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422, or register at myagedcare.gov.au. The first call takes around 20 minutes and covers the person's situation and needs.
2. My Aged Care arranges an assessment. Since December 2024 a single assessment system replaced the separate ACAT and RAS arrangements, so one service now handles both lighter and more detailed assessments and decides which a person needs. Our guide to the aged care assessment explains what happens at the visit.
3. If the person is found eligible for an ongoing budget, they are notified and, when funding is assigned, can choose a provider and start services.

A family member or carer can make the first call and take part in the assessment with the older person's consent. If the person lacks capacity to consent, someone with the appropriate legal authority, such as an enduring guardian or attorney, can act for them.

To see verified providers of in-home support near you once you are ready, browse the home care and support directory on Our Mate.

Frequently asked questions

Do Home Care Packages still exist?

Not as a new program. From 1 November 2025 home care packages were replaced by Support at Home, which keeps the idea of a person-centred budget for ongoing in-home care but restructures the funding. Most people still use the old phrase, and eligibility now means eligibility for ongoing Support at Home. People already on a package before the change generally moved across under transition arrangements. Confirm the current detail with My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.

Is there an income or asset test to qualify?

No. Qualifying for an ongoing budget is based on age, care need, and residency, not your income or assets. A separate means assessment, run through Services Australia, decides what you contribute to the cost once you are eligible. So finances affect what you pay, not whether you qualify.

Can I get help before turning 65?

Sometimes. General access to aged care at home starts at 65, and earlier for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and for some younger people who are homeless or at risk. If your needs stem from a permanent, significant disability rather than ageing, the NDIS is usually the right system instead. My Aged Care can point you to the correct pathway.

How do I actually prove I am eligible?

You do not gather documents to prove it yourself. You register with My Aged Care, and an independent assessor confirms eligibility by looking at your care needs, usually in a visit at home. The assessment is the mechanism that establishes eligibility, so the practical step is simply to book it.

What if I only need a little help?

If your needs are light and specific, such as some help with cleaning, transport, or meals, you may be directed to entry-level support through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme rather than an ongoing budget. That pathway is usually faster to access. If your needs grow, you can ask My Aged Care for a reassessment at any time.