Support at Home personal care changes from 1 October 2026: what families need to know
Perhaps Mum has started needing a little help getting ready in the morning.
She is still comfortable living at home and wants to stay as independent as possible, but showering and dressing have become harder. Having someone there to lend a hand can make those everyday routines feel safer and more manageable.
For many older people, this is what personal care at home is about. Having support with some of the everyday tasks that have become difficult, while continuing to live in the comfort of home.
For older people who rely on this support regularly, the cost of personal care can also be an important consideration. That’s an upcoming change to Support at Home is worth knowing about.
From 1 October 2026, a big change to the way Support at Home personal care is paid for will take effect.
Approved personal care services will become fully funded by the Australian Government, meaning customers will no longer pay a contribution towards those services, as long as personal care is included in their support plan and they have available Support at Home funding.
You can read more about Personal Care under Support at Home here.
How will personal care funding change in October 2026?
At the moment, personal care is grouped under a category called Independence when customer contributions are worked out under Support at Home.
That will change on 1 October 2026, when personal care will be treated as a Clinical Support for contribution purposes.
In practical terms, this means customers will no longer have to contribute towards the cost of approved personal care services they receive from that date.
The Australian Government will fully fund those services where the customer:
Is approved for personal care in their support plan, and
Has available funding in their Support at Home budget.
The personal care itself will still be paid for from the customer’s available Support at Home budget. Customers will still use their Support at Home funding for the service, but they will not be asked to pay a separate contribution towards it.
What counts as personal care?
The types of services considered personal care are not changing. Personal care can include help with everyday tasks such as:
Showering
Dressing
Eating
Personal hygiene
Continence support
Assistance with self-administration of medication.
These can be very personal areas of someone’s daily life, which is why the way support is provided matters.
Good personal care should work around the older person, their preferences and the things they can and want to continue doing for themselves. You can read the latest official updates on the My Aged Care website.
Do I need to apply for the change?
No need to apply if personal care is already approved for you, this funding change will not require another assessment. The change is about how your personal care is funded. It does not change your existing approval to receive the service.
Your existing provider and care arrangements can also continue as usual, provided you remain approved for the service and have enough available funding in your Support at Home budget. Your aged care provider may contact you before October if documents such as your service agreement or care plan need to be updated.
Your support plan and available budget still matter
Although customers will no longer pay a contribution towards personal care from 1 October, this does not mean there is an unlimited amount of personal care available.
Your Support at Home funding still needs to cover the services you receive. How much personal care you use can continue to be guided by your goals, preferences and available budget.
If the cost of contributions has previously stopped you from receiving as much personal care as you would like, you can also talk with your provider about whether you would like to change your care plan or budget from 1 October.
What is not changing?
There is a lot that will stay the same. The services that count as personal care, and the way they can be provided, will stay the same. If you already receive personal care, you can continue receiving your services through your existing provider as long as you are approved and have available funding.
You will not need a new assessment simply because the contribution is changing. Contributions for other Support at Home services are also unaffected. If you receive another type of service that attracts a customer contribution, the usual contribution arrangements for that service will continue.
In other words, the main change from 1 October is who pays the contribution for personal care, rather than a change to the personal care service itself.
What applies until the change begins?
Personal care provided before 1 October 2026 will continue under the current contribution arrangements. Until then, customers will continue paying any applicable personal care contributions under the current Support at Home arrangements.
Why personal care can make such a difference at home
Asking for help with personal care can sometimes feel like a big step. But needing support with one part of the day doesn’t mean giving up independence. The right support can simply mean having someone there to help with the parts that have become harder, while the older person continues making choices about their own routines and how they want to live.
For families and carers, it may also help to think about where things are beginning to change.
Is showering becoming difficult?
Is getting dressed taking much longer?
Is Mum or Dad starting to need more help with meals, hygiene or continence?
These can be useful things to discuss with the older person and their care provider when reviewing whether their current personal care arrangements are still working for them.
Questions you may want to ask your provider
If you or someone you care for receives personal care under Support at Home, you may want to ask:
Is personal care included in my current support plan?
How much personal care am I currently receiving?
How much funding do I have available in my Support at Home budget?
Will my personal care contribution automatically change from 1 October 2026?
Does my service agreement or care plan need to be updated?
Could I increase my personal care services if I have enough available funding?
Helping older people continue living well at home
At BCD, our care team supports older people with personal care that works around their individual needs, routines and preferences. Some customers may only need a little help with part of their day. Others may need more regular support as their circumstances change.
Whatever that support looks like, our focus is on treating each older person with dignity and respect and helping them continue doing as much as they comfortably can for themselves.
Once the new arrangements begin on 1 October 2026, approved personal care under Support at Home will have a $0 customer contribution, provided it is included in the person’s support plan and there is enough funding available in their Support at Home budget. For customers and families, that’s the most important change to remember.
Have questions about your personal care support?
Support at Home funding can sometimes feel difficult to navigate, especially when you are also organising care for yourself or someone you love.
Our BCD care team can help you understand your current personal care arrangements, talk through the support you receive and answer questions about the upcoming 1 October changes. Knowing what is changing, and what is staying exactly the same, can make planning ahead a little easier.
Need Help?
If you have questions about Support at Homeor need help navigating aged care services, our friendly BCD Care team is here to help. Give us a call on 1800 275 223, or contact us through our online contact form, we're here to make sure you feel supported every step of the way.
Information correct as at 25 August 2026. Please refer to the My Aged Care website for the latest updates.
Give us a call on on 1800 275 223 or get in touch through our contact form and we'll call you straight back. We're here to help!
Sources:
Department of Health, Disability & Aging
https://www.health.gov.au/support-at-home/personal-care-contributions?language=en
My Aged Care - News and Updates page:
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/news-and-updates/support-home-personal-care-contribution-changes