Support at Home Classifications and Budgets: October 2026

Support at Home classifications decide how much funding a participant can draw on each quarter, and from 1 October 2026 every ongoing level carries a slightly higher amount. My Aged Care says the amounts were increased to reflect the increase to the Nurse Award, so care partners, finance teams and intake staff all need to be working from the same figures.

This guide sets out the 8 ongoing classifications, the 4 transitioned Home Care Package classifications and the 3 short-term pathways. It then covers the provider side: who sets a classification, what to do when needs change, how to tell participants about the October update and how care management funding sits inside each budget.

Key Takeaways

Support at Home has 8 ongoing classifications, 4 transitioned Home Care Package classifications for people approved on or before 31 October 2025, and 3 short-term pathways.
From 1 October 2026 the quarterly budget runs from $2,757.89 at classification 1 to $20,073.50 at classification 8, according to My Aged Care.
An aged care assessor determines the classification. A provider cannot assign, raise or lower one.
When a participant's needs change, the provider supports a reassessment request through My Aged Care and keeps the evidence that prompted it.
The Department states that 10% of each budget is allocated for care management, so the amount available for services is lower than the headline figure.

How Support at Home Classifications Are Structured

Support at Home funding is organised into three groups, as described on the Department's funding classifications page and by My Aged Care.

Ongoing classifications - 8 levels for people with continuing needs; each has a set annual budget split into quarters
Transitioned HCP classifications - 4 levels for people approved for a Home Care Package on or before 31 October 2025
Short-term pathways - the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme, the Restorative Care Pathway and the End-of-Life Pathway

Higher classification levels reflect higher assessed needs. The classification sets the funding ceiling; which services a participant receives is worked out with them through the care plan and budget.

Quarterly Budgets Current From 1 October 2026

My Aged Care lists the following ongoing classification budgets as current from 1 October 2026, replacing the amounts that applied from 1 July 2026. Each annual amount is split into 4 quarterly budgets.

Classification 1 - $2,757.89 per quarter; $11,031.56 a year
Classification 2 - $4,120.89 per quarter; $16,483.55 a year
Classification 3 - $5,645.23 per quarter; $22,580.93 a year
Classification 4 - $7,632.04 per quarter; $30,528.15 a year
Classification 5 - $10,202.32 per quarter; $40,809.27 a year
Classification 6 - $12,365.48 per quarter; $49,461.91 a year
Classification 7 - $14,944.20 per quarter; $59,776.80 a year
Classification 8 - $20,073.50 per quarter; $80,294.00 a year

Classification 1 moved from $2,752.50 to $2,757.89 per quarter, and classification 8 moved from $20,034.28 to $20,073.50. Small as those differences are, any budget or statement still quoting July figures is out of date.

Short-term pathway amounts

My Aged Care gives approximate amounts for the two time-limited care pathways.

Restorative Care Pathway - about $6,179.40, which may increase to about $12,358.80 when the person is eligible; up to 16 weeks
End-of-Life Pathway - about $25,736.57; up to 16 weeks

How the quarterly budget works

The full quarterly amount is available at the start of each quarter. A participant who joins part way through a quarter receives a pro-rata amount, and Services Australia holds the budget rather than the provider. Amounts are indexed on 1 July each year, so the October 2026 change is an extra adjustment beyond normal indexation. How providers track spending across the quarter, and what happens to unspent funds, is covered in our guide to quarterly budget governance.

Who Assigns a Classification

An aged care assessor determines a participant's classification, never the provider. The assessment captures the person's needs, and the classification follows from that assessment.

Staff can blur this line in everyday conversation. A care partner might say a participant "needs a level 6", but internal documents should describe what the provider has observed and requested, not a classification the provider has decided on.

Providers do hold real duties once the classification is set. The Commission's Aged Care Quality Bulletin #7-2026 points to section 155-50 of the Aged Care Rules 2025, which requires providers to prepare the budget with the older person, review it when services, costs or contributions change or when the person asks, and help the person understand it. This is general information, not legal advice, so check your own obligations against the Rules.

When a Participant's Needs Change

When a participant's needs no longer fit their classification, the provider's job is to support a Support at Home reassessment through My Aged Care and document why. The provider does not adjust the classification or quietly stretch the budget to cover the gap.

A workable sequence looks like this:

Recognise the change - workers report new falls, a hospital stay, a decline in mobility or cognition, or a carer who can no longer cope
Review with the participant - the care partner talks with the participant (and their supporter, where they have one) about what has changed and what they want
Request reassessment - the participant, or the provider with their consent, contacts My Aged Care to ask for a reassessment
Document the evidence - record dates, observations, incident reports, clinical notes and the conversation with the participant on the file
Manage the interim - adjust services within the current budget, prioritising safety, and record any risk that remains unmet while the reassessment is pending

If the Commission later asks why a participant went without support, a dated trail showing the provider identified the change and acted on it is the strongest answer. Your care partner and care plan policy should spell out who triggers a review and how fast.

Some changes point to a short-term pathway, such as the End-of-Life Pathway or the Restorative Care Pathway after a hospital stay. Again, the assessor decides; the provider raises the question.

Communicating the 1 October Budget Update

Participants should hear about the new budget amount from their provider in plain language, not discover it on a statement and assume it is an error.

A short, direct message works best. Tell each participant their classification, the old and new quarterly amount, that the increase reflects the Nurse Award change, and that their services will not be cut because of it. Point families to My Aged Care's costs and contributions page if they want to check the figures themselves.

Record that each participant was told, how and when. This supports the Rules requirement to help the person understand their budget.

Updating Budgets and Care Plans

Every participant budget built on July 2026 amounts needs updating. Section 155-50 expects a review when costs change, so treat this as a review event, not a silent recalculation.

Budget - replace the quarterly amount; recalculate the care management allocation and the funds left for services
Care plan - check whether the extra funding allows a service the participant previously could not fit within budget
Statements - confirm that the next monthly statement shows the new amount correctly
Systems - check that your billing and client management software has picked up the new rates for each classification level

Your quarterly budget and unspent funds policy is the natural place to record that a mid-year amount change triggers a budget review. Governa's policy templates can also map this step to the evidence an auditor would expect to see.

The 10% Care Management Allocation

The Department states that 10% of each Support at Home budget is allocated for care management. That allocation funds care partner activity such as planning, coordination, monitoring and reviews.

Families who compare the headline quarterly amount with the services delivered often see a gap, so explain the allocation up front. For a classification 4 participant, for example, 10% of $7,632.04 is about $763 per quarter set aside for care management, leaving the balance for services.

Care management must stay separate from service prices. The Commission's Quality Bulletin #8-2026 reported it is investigating a provider that included care management costs in their service delivery prices, which the Commission says means the provider is not complying with the Aged Care Act. Price lists and budgets should show care management as its own line.

Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a provider change a participant's Support at Home classification?

No. An aged care assessor determines the classification. A provider can support the participant to request a reassessment through My Aged Care and should document the evidence of changed needs, but it cannot move anyone to a different level.

Do participants need to do anything about the 1 October 2026 budget increase?

No. Providers should still tell each participant about the change, update their budget and confirm the new figure appears on their monthly statement.

What happens to a participant who joins partway through a quarter?

According to My Aged Care, a person who joins mid-quarter receives a pro-rata amount of the quarterly budget. From the next quarter they receive the full quarterly amount for their classification.

Are transitioned Home Care Package participants on the same budgets?

No. People approved for a Home Care Package on or before 31 October 2025 sit in one of 4 transitioned HCP classifications, which are separate from the 8 ongoing classifications. Check My Aged Care for the amounts that apply to each transitioned level.

Does the care management allocation come out of the participant's budget?

Yes. The Department states that 10% of the budget is allocated for care management, so providers should explain how much remains for services.

Classifications Set Funding, Providers Act on Change

Support at Home classifications give each participant a fixed funding ceiling, and that ceiling rose slightly on 1 October 2026. The assessor sets the level; the provider's work is to keep budgets current, explain them clearly and act quickly when needs shift. Start by checking that every participant budget and statement now shows the October amount, then confirm your care plan policy names who triggers a reassessment request and how the evidence is recorded.

Support at Home Classifications Explained: Budgets From 1 October 2026