Getting clear on costs
Home care in Australia is funded in three main ways:
- Support at Home: The national home care funding program.
- CHSP (Commonwealth Home Support Programme): For people who need smaller amounts of help.
- Private home care: Where you pay directly for services you choose.
Each option has different rules about what you pay and what the government covers.
Support at Home – simple, fair and flexible
Introduced in November 2025, the Support at Home program is the main way older Australians receive government-funded home care. It’s built on one simple idea: you only pay for the services you use.
There’s no basic daily fee, no complicated admin charges, and no guessing what your contribution will be. Instead, Support at Home is based on three service categories:
- Clinical support: Things like nursing or allied health. These are fully funded by government and free to you.
- Independence support: Services that help you stay mobile and safe, such as personal care or basic home modifications. You pay a low contribution depending on your income and assets.
- Everyday living support: Services such as cleaning, laundry, meals or gardening. You pay a higher contribution, again based on your means.
If you receive the Age Pension, your contribution will be small. If you’re a part pensioner or self-funded retiree, you’ll contribute a bit more. Nobody pays more than the cost of their service, and if money ever becomes an issue, you can apply for hardship assistance.
Support at Home also comes with a lifetime cap on how much you can be asked to contribute. Once you reach that cap, the government covers the rest.
Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) – entry-level help
If you only need a bit of help around the home – say, cleaning, shopping or transport – CHSP might be the right fit.
CHSP is heavily subsidised by the government, so you just pay a small contribution each time you use a service. There are no joining fees, no management fees and no contracts.
Each provider sets its own prices (for example, one might charge $10 per hour for cleaning, another $12). But every provider must follow the same national rule: no one misses out on care because they can’t afford to pay.
CHSP will continue running for the next few years while Support at Home rolls out, so you can keep using it without interruption.
Private home care – flexibility when you want it
Private home care is where you pay the full cost of services yourself. It’s often used:
- While you’re waiting for government-funded care,
- To top up existing support, or
- When you want immediate help without an assessment.
The trade-off is cost. Private managed home care is generally the most expensive option, with hourly rates ranging from $120 to over $200 depending on the type of service and time of day.
But private care can offer maximum flexibility – you choose who comes, when they come, and what they do. Some Envigor clients use a blend of government-funded and private care so they get the right balance of flexibility and affordability.
What affects what you pay?
Home care providers charge slightly differently, but these are the main factors that influence your costs:
- Your income and assets – the government sets your contribution rates. Pensioners pay less, higher-income people pay more.
- The type of services you use – clinical health care is fully funded; lifestyle support has shared costs.
- Your provider’s prices – under Support at Home, prices will be capped nationally from July 2026, but it’s still worth comparing.
- How often you use services – you only pay when services are delivered.
Tips to make home care more affordable
- Ask for a fee schedule – every provider must tell you their service prices before you start.
- Provide your financial details – if you don’t, you’ll be charged the highest rate by default.
- Combine visits – book cleaning and shopping on the same day to reduce travel and minimum charges.
- Speak up early – if you’re struggling to pay, let your provider know.
At Envigor, we believe older Australians deserve clear, fair and flexible home care. We’ll walk you through what each option means, explain all fees upfront, and help you make the most of your government funding.
Our team can also help you apply through My Aged Care, choose the right level of support, and build a care plan that fits your lifestyle and your budget.
Because the more you understand your options, the more confident you’ll feel about staying independent at home.
