More than 83,000 Support at Home packages, designed to help elderly Australians stay in their homes and avoid aged care facilities, have been delayed yet again, with the rollout now pushed back to 1 November 2025.
Originally slated for 1 July, the packages are a cornerstone of the Albanese Government’s aged care reforms, but the deferral of the new Aged Care Act has left seniors, providers, and advocates frustrated, with waitlists expected to grow further.
The Support at Home model aims to replace the current Home Care Package scheme, offering services like cleaning, gardening, transport, and home modifications to keep older Australians independent.
However, the four-month delay, announced by Minister for Aged Care and Seniors Sam Rae at the Ageing Australia Victoria State Conference on 10 June 2025, comes amid urgent concerns about readiness, funding, and the programme’s design.
Waitlist balloons as delays cost $900 Million
Government data from February 2025 shows 82,960 Australians are already on the priority waitlist for home care packages – a 189 per cent increase since June 2023.
The Coalition has slammed the delay, with health and aged care spokeswoman Senator Anne Ruston calling it “absolutely unacceptable” that the government would hold back critical support.
“Labor has overseen skyrocketing wait times, and now almost 83,000 older Australians are stuck without the help they need,” she said.
The postponement, which Treasurer Jim Chalmers admitted will cost the budget $900 million, stems from the need to give providers, workers, and systems more time to prepare for the new Act.
Minister Rae, in open letters to providers and seniors, acknowledged the feedback, saying, “You’ve told us you need more time to get ready, and we’re listening.”
Health Minister Mark Butler defended the reforms, promising “the most Support at Home packages ever,” with 107,000 to be rolled out over two years.
“This will cut wait times and help a record 300,000 people live at home,” he said, criticising the Coalition’s past record of waitlists stretching to three years and 129,000 people in 2019.
Concerns over funding and affordability
The new model offers eight funding levels, from $11,000 to $78,000 annually, but requires pensioners and retirees to contribute up to 50 per cent for personal care and 80 per cent for everyday services like cleaning.
For a pensioner earning $29,874 a year, costs could top $10,000, potentially forcing cuts to essentials like showers or social outings. Adrian Morgan of Flexi Care Inc. warned this could lead to infections, falls, or isolation, risking neglect or early entry into aged care facilities, which cost $120,000 per resident – far more than home support.
Professor Kathy Eagar, an aged care financing expert, labelled the funding model “deceptive,” noting the top package includes consumer contributions rather than extra funds, potentially driving some to unregulated “black market” care.
Seniors like Paul Absalom and Sue Watts, in an open letter, called the “user pays” system a path to destitution for vulnerable pensioners, urging a delay to 2026 for proper consultation.
Programme flaws and risks
Critics have dubbed the unrevised Support at Home model a “ticking time bomb.” Reassessments for new services can take six months to a year, leaving seniors vulnerable if circumstances change – such as an elderly woman Morgan cited, left at risk of malnutrition after her carer daughter was hospitalised.
A 10 per cent cap on unspent funds and a four-month limit on palliative care funding, branded “cruel,” further threaten care continuity. Morgan suggested fixes like making personal care contribution-free and lifting the carry-over limit to 25 per cent.
A cautious welcome, but frustration persists
The delay has been welcomed by some, with Ageing Australia CEO Tom Symondson calling it a “win” to avoid rushed reforms jeopardising care quality.
The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) backed the move but called for 20,000 extra packages to clear the waitlist, warning of premature institutionalisation without adequate support.
Catholic Health Australia’s Jason Kara noted the delay avoids issues like unsigned service agreements due to unclear co-contribution rules.
Yet public frustration runs high. Pensioners like Beverley Wilson worry about unaffordable costs for basic tasks, while Carolyn Packer called means-testing for already-assessed pensioners unfair.
Carers, stretched thin, expressed mixed relief and exasperation, with one noting, “We’re ready for change, but the waiting is tough.”
Looking ahead
Minister Rae reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a “high-quality, sustainable aged care system,” with amendments to the Aged Care Rules expected before November.
Updates will be shared on the Department of Health website, and existing programmes like the Commonwealth Home Support Programme will continue in the interim.
While the delay offers time to address “curable flaws,” as Morgan put it, the sector and older Australians await concrete changes to ensure the reforms deliver without pushing vulnerable seniors over a financial cliff. For now, the growing waitlist and rising costs remain a pressing concern for thousands across Australia.
