Aged Care
Personal care is changing from October 1. Find out what you'll be paying
From 1 October 2026, you could pay no out-of-pocket costs for personal care under Support at Home.
The short version
- Personal care contributions end on 1 October 2026 — that includes showering, dressing, continence support, help with eating and hygiene, and help taking your own medication.
- How much that's worth depends on your income and assets assessment, but the amount you pay drops to zero.
- Your hours won't increase on their own. If cost was the reason you cut back on personal care, you'll need to chat with your provider.
On 1 October, what you pay towards personal care drops to zero.
As long as you (or your parent, if you're the one managing this for them) are approved for personal care and there's room in your budget, changes will happen behind the scenes.
From your end, everything will look the same. Your services won't change, your provider won't change, and your roster that week will look exactly like the week before. For example, if you had been having two showers a week, you'll still be having two.
What actually changes
Support at Home sorts services into one of 3 contribution categories, and the amount you contribute varies for each one.
- Clinical supports (e.g. nursing, physiotherapy). These are already 100% covered by the government
- Independence (e.g. social support, transport, respite). You pay 5–50% of the cost.
- Everyday living (e.g. domestic help, gardening). You pay 17.5–80% of the cost.
Personal care has been sitting in Independence. On 1 October it moves to Clinical supports, and inherits its 0% contribution.
What stays the same
Everything else.
- What counts as personal care stays the same.
- Your eligibility stays the same.
- Your classification, quarterly budget and carry-over rules are untouched.
- You won't be reassessed.
The change is automatic, but worth reviewing
You don't need to do anything to be eligible for this change if you're already approved for personal care services under Support at Home. Eligibility is automatic.
But if you've reduced your personal care for cost reasons, this change doesn't automatically put those hours back. Your care plan and individualised budget set what you receive.
That means if you want to increase personal care now that the cost is reduced, you'll need to make that request directly to your provider. You can also talk to them about updating your care plan and budget.
Also worth knowing ...
You won't be refunded for personal care you've already paid for. Anything delivered up to 30 September 2026 is charged at the rate that applied at the time.
If your quarterly budget is already spent, the new 0% contribution doesn't do anything on its own. You'll only be able to access services at this rate if you have funding available in your budget.
If you've transitioned under the no-worse-off principle, you may already be paying nothing. If so, that stays the same under this change.
How to get more information
We've broken down the Support at Home categories and coverage for you [TBC].
My Aged Care also has extra details of this change and what it might mean for you.
The practical bitWhat to do next
- Find your contribution rates. Services Australia sends them in a letter after your income and assets assessment, listed for each service category. The Independence figure is the one that's about to become irrelevant for personal care.
- If cost was why you cut back, ring your provider. Ask for your care plan and individualised budget to be updated from 1 October. Nothing increases without this.
- Check your October statement. It has to reach you by 30 November, and personal care should show no contribution on it.
Common questions
No. Personal care delivered before 1 October 2026 is charged at the rate that applied at the time.
No. If you've already been approved for personal care in your support plan, nothing needs reassessing and your eligibility doesn't change.
No. Cleaning and gardening are everyday living services, and their contributions are not changing.
The rate is zero, but you still need funding available in your budget to receive the service.
Financial hardship assistance exists — talk to your provider, or ring My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. For help understanding your own financial position, Services Australia's Financial Information Service is free and independent.