What Happens When You Need More Support at Home Funding

Signs you need more support | Requesting a reassessment | Interim funding (while you wait)

Posted 28th October 2025 | 7 minute read

Getting more support under Support at Home isn’t complicated. If your needs change, you (or your care partner) simply ask for a reassessment. An assessor will review your situation using the new national tool and, if you qualify, you’ll be assigned a higher level with a bigger quarterly budget.

What can feel tricky is the timing. Although the process itself is straightforward, it can take a little while for full funding to start. The good news is that interim funding is usually available so you can begin extra services right away instead of waiting in limbo.

In short: the steps are simple, but the wait can vary. Knowing that you can ask for a reassessment at any time – and that clinical services remain fully funded – helps you plan with confidence.

Recognising When Support Needs Are Changing

We’ve all had those days where everything’s a crisis by 9am. But when that becomes the norm, something needs to change.

You might need more help if:

There’s been a recent fall, hospital stay, or diagnosis.
Daily tasks like showering or cooking are getting skipped.
A carer is physically or emotionally burnt out.
You’re paying privately for care the package should cover.

Look out for these red flags:

More bad days than good. If yourself or the person you’re supporting is increasingly tired, confused, or withdrawn, it’s not just “a rough patch.” It might mean they’re working too hard just to get through the basics.
Slower recovery or more setbacks. A simple cold turns into a hospital visit. A fall that should’ve been minor now causes real fear.
Tasks being avoided or unfinished. You find spoiled food in the fridge, or unopened mail piling up. If meals are missed or hygiene is slipping, something’s not right.
You, the carer, are on edge or worn out. If you’ve started cancelling your own appointments, skipping sleep, or snapping more than usual… that’s not a failing. That’s a flashing red light that you need more support, too.
You’re quietly paying out of pocket. Hiring cleaners, paying for extra care hours, buying equipment—if you’re plugging gaps with your own wallet, it’s likely the current package isn’t cutting it.

Read on:

How to Request a Reassessment

Step	What Happens
1. Identify Change in Needs	If your health, mobility, support needs, or living situation changes (e.g. hospital stay, more difficulty with daily tasks, falls, etc.), that may trigger reassessment. My Aged Care says you can request it any time.
2. Contact Your Care Partner / Provider	You tell your existing provider (or care partner) that your support isn’t enough and ask for a review. They’ll review your care plan, talk with you about what’s changed.
3. Get an assessment	From 1 July 2025, new assessments use the Integrated Assessment Tool to gauge need and classify into one of the 8 Support at Home levels.
4. Classification & Funding Decision	Based on the assessment, you'll be assigned (or re-assigned) to a level that matches your needs. That determines your quarterly budget.
5. Interim Supports / Interim Funding	If your needs are urgent or the wait for a new level is long, you may receive interim support. Under Support at Home there are arrangements for “interim allocation” of part of the budget while waiting.

What Happens During a Reassessment?

A reassessment isn’t a test—it’s a conversation. But it’s one that can shape the next stage of your life, so it helps to know what’s coming.

If you’ve asked for a reassessment through My Aged Care, an assessor from the Aged Care will be assigned, depending on your current support level.

Where and how it happens

Home visit (most common): The assessor comes to your home to see your environment and speak face-to-face.
Phone or video assessment: Used in some cases, especially during health outbreaks or for remote areas.
Facility assessments: If someone’s been hospitalised or is in respite, it might happen there.

You can—and should—have someone with you. A family member, friend, advocate, or provider rep can help explain things you might forget or feel too awkward to say.

What happens next

The assessor writes a report with a recommendation—whether your funding should increase, decrease, or stay the same.
You’ll receive this decision in writing from My Aged Care (not the assessor).
If approved, the new level of Support at Home funding will begin—but there may still be a waitlist.

Things to Think About Before Moving to a Higher Level

Contribution rates may go up.
The government contribution stays high, but your own out-of-pocket contribution on Independence and Everyday Livingservices is applied to a bigger dollar amount.
1. Full pensioners still have the lowest percentages (5% / 17.5%).
2. Part-pensioners can expect roughly 22% / 41%.
3. Self-funded retirees pay the highest rates (50% / 80%).
  Moving up a level doesn’t change the percentage, but it increases the total dollars you’re contributing because you’re using more services.
Clinical services remain free.
Even at a higher level, nursing and allied health supports are always 100% government funded.
Interim funding may be available.
While waiting for full funding, you can often get a portion of the new level’s budget to start extra services sooner.
Equipment and modifications are separate.
Higher levels don’t automatically include more money for home mods or assistive technology — those are still approved separately.
Care management still takes 10%.
The care-management deduction scales up with your budget, so a bigger budget means a bigger amount set aside for coordination each quarter.
Priority status matters.
Your wait time for full funding depends on your priority rating. “Urgent” and “High” cases get upgraded sooner.
Talk it through with your care partner.
They can help you work out whether a reassessment is the best option now, gather evidence for your application, and plan how to use any interim funds while waiting.

Interim Funding While You Wait for a Higher Level

One of the biggest frustrations under the old Home Care Package system was the long wait between being assessed for a higher package and actually receiving it. Support at Home has built in interim funding so you’re not left without essential help while you wait.

Here’s how it works:

You ask for a reassessment when your needs change.
If the assessment shows you qualify for a higher Support at Home level but full funding isn’t yet available, you may receive an interim allocation straight away.
This interim allocation gives you a percentage of your new level’s budget (the government is aiming for about 60% of the upgraded amount) until the full funding is released.
You can use this interim funding immediately for extra or different services within your approved support plan.
When the full funding is assigned, your quarterly budget is increased and your care plan is updated so you can use the extra money.

This system is designed to bridge the gap between being approved for a higher level and actually receiving it. It means you don’t have to “wait it out” without enough support — you can start increasing services gradually as soon as you’re approved.

💡 Tip: While on interim funding, talk with your provider about how to prioritise your most important services until the full budget arrives.

What It Means for You

If you feel like your current support isn’t enough, don’t wait — ask for a reassessment. Starting early means less disruption and possibly getting ahead of avoidable declines in health.
Talk with your care partner or provider: they’ll often help you gather what the assessor needs (medical reports, examples of daily tasks you’re struggling with, etc.).
While waiting for a higher level, you may be able to get some interim services or partial funding, so you don’t have to wait until everything is fully approved.

The jump to residential care isn’t easy—but it’s sometimes necessary.

When care at home becomes unsafe or unsustainable, moving into residential care may be the best option. It’s not about giving up. It’s about facing facts with clear eyes and doing what’s best (and safest) for the people you love, even if it can feel like a last resort.

But even that path isn’t quick:

Residential care assessments take time
Finding the right home, near family, with good care and availability? That’s another hurdle.
Costs aren’t straightforward either—RADs, DAPs, and means testing can add confusion and pressure.

If you’re here—stuck between not enough help at home and not ready for full-time care—you’re not alone. Thousands of families are navigating this blurry middle ground every day.

The key is to make sure you stay on top of your loved one’s care needs by working with your home care provider and getting a reassessment when it’s needed.

Parting Thoughts

If you’ve read this far, you already know something’s not working. Maybe it’s the nightly worry. Maybe it’s the endless juggling. Maybe it’s just that deep-down knowing: we can’t keep going like this.And if you need someone to back you up? Bring them in. A partner. A case manager. A provider rep. You don’t have to do this alone.

You’ve seen what’s really happening. Now it’s time someone else does too.

📞 Need a Hand?

The team at St Vincent’s Care can walk you through the process, explain what you’re eligible for and help you plan your services. A quick chat can save hours of frustration and give you confidence about your next steps.

Call us today on 1800 960 223