Graham now has a legal duty to tell Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads about his diabetes. Plenty of people in his position don’t know that. Being on insulin rarely means losing your licence, but driving without telling the licensing authority can put your licence, your insurance and your legal position at risk if something goes wrong. Here’s how the rules work, and how to notify in each state and territory.

One national standard, eight sets of paperwork

Every state and territory judges medical fitness to drive against the same national guidelines, Assessing Fitness to Drive, published by Austroads and the National Transport Commission. Your doctor uses these standards to decide whether you can drive, and whether you need conditions on your licence.

The states differ on the admin: who you tell, which form you use, and how often you need a fresh medical certificate. So the medical question is national and the paperwork is local.

Do you have to tell the licensing authority?

It depends on how your diabetes is treated. The NDSS (the National Diabetes Services Scheme, an Australian Government initiative) puts it plainly: it’s your legal responsibility to tell the driver licensing authority in your state or territory if you take insulin or glucose-lowering medicines.

The condition that matters most isn’t really “diabetes”. It’s the risk of a hypo (low blood glucose) at the wheel, plus complications that affect your eyes, your feet or your alertness. That’s why the rules focus on treatment type and hypo history rather than on the diagnosis itself.

Private versus commercial licences

If you drive a truck, bus, taxi or rideshare, or hold a heavy vehicle licence, a tougher commercial standard applies. Under Austroads, conditional licences for commercial drivers treated with insulin are based on advice from an endocrinologist or a consultant physician specialising in diabetes, and at least three months of blood glucose records should be reviewed.

Plenty of retirees still drive for a living part-time, whether that’s school buses, community transport or rideshare. If that’s you, tell your doctor you drive commercially. The assessment is different, and you don’t want to find out after the fact that your certificate only covered a car.

“Above 5 to drive”: the rule worth memorising

If you use insulin or certain other diabetes medicines, the NDSS rule is simple: don’t drive if your glucose level is 5 mmol/L or below. Their practical checklist:

• Check your glucose before you drive, and every two hours on long trips.
• If you use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), keep low and predicted-low alarms on. Don’t drive with an active low alert.
• Keep fast-acting carbohydrate (jelly beans, juice) and your meter in the car, and don’t skip meals before a drive.
• If you feel a hypo coming on, pull over, turn off the engine and take the keys out of the ignition.
• Treat it with 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrate, recheck after 15 minutes and repeat until you’re above 5 mmol/L. Then have some longer-acting carbohydrate.
• Wait at least 30 minutes after your level is back above 5 mmol/L before driving again, and only drive if you feel well.

The NDSS also warns that you can’t rely on a CGM alone. Sensors can lag or misread, especially when new, so if you feel low, confirm it with a finger prick.

Severe hypos and hypo unawareness

A severe hypo is one where you can’t treat yourself and need someone else to help. That includes passing out or having a seizure. The NDSS guidance is that you shouldn’t drive after a severe hypo until a diabetes specialist has cleared you.

Hypo unawareness, where you no longer feel the early warning signs, is the other red flag. It becomes more common the longer you’ve had diabetes. If you’ve noticed hypos sneaking up on you, raise it with your doctor before your next licence medical, not at it.

What a conditional licence means in practice

A conditional licence is still a full licence. The “condition” is usually just that you have regular medical reviews and stick to your treatment. Your doctor or specialist recommends how often you’re reviewed, and the licensing authority sets it. You must carry out any condition written on the licence or certificate.

In our view, this is a fair trade. Telling the authority usually costs you a GP appointment and a form. Not telling them can cost far more. If you crash and a medical condition you hadn’t reported contributed to it, you can face prosecution, and your insurer may have grounds to dispute the claim.

How to notify, state by state

Each authority works a little differently. This is how to start the process in each state and territory, as at October 2026. Check the authority’s own site for the current forms.

If you’re not sure where to start, the NDSS links to every authority’s contact details through Austroads, and its helpline (1800 637 700) can point you in the right direction.

Queensland: why it gets extra attention

Queensland’s medical reporting laws are known as Jet’s Law, named after 22-month-old Jet Rowland, who was killed in 2004 when a driver with epilepsy had a seizure at the wheel. The law says that if you drive in Queensland, even on an interstate licence, you must tell TMR about a permanent or long-term medical condition that’s likely to affect your ability to drive safely, and about any long-term worsening of a condition you’ve already reported.

The process:

1. Book a longer appointment with your GP and say it’s for a fitness-to-drive assessment.
2. Fill in part 1 of the Medical Certificate for Drivers (F3712) before you go, and take your licence and your glasses if you wear them to drive.
3. Your doctor assesses you against the national standard and may refer you to a specialist. If there’s a wait, ask whether you’re eligible for an interim certificate.
4. Report to TMR online, or send form F4355 with your certificate by email to mcr@tmr.qld.gov.au, by post, or in person at a Transport and Motoring Service Centre.

Queensland drivers aged 75 and over have an extra layer: they must carry a current medical certificate every time they drive, whether or not they have a medical condition. We cover that in our guide to older drivers’ medical checks and licence renewal rules in each state.

Don’t forget your insurer

The NDSS recommends telling your car insurer that you have diabetes. They’ll let you know whether they need more information. If you run into trouble with an insurer over your diabetes, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (1800 931 678) handles disputes for free.

When driving gets harder

Diabetes can affect driving in slower ways too: retinopathy blurring your vision, nerve damage in your feet making the pedals harder to feel, or sleep apnoea causing daytime tiredness. Regular eye and foot checks protect your licence as much as your health.

If the day comes when driving isn’t safe, it helps to have a plan in place. Most states offer seniors and pensioners transport concessions. Our guide to Seniors Cards in each state covers what’s on offer. And if staying independent at home is becoming a wider question, our piece on retirement villages versus ageing in place is a good next read.

Official sources: NDSS: Driving and diabetes; Austroads: Assessing Fitness to Drive, diabetes standards; Queensland Government: Reporting your medical condition; Legal Aid NSW: Medical illness or injury and your licence; Transport WA: Senior driver’s licence renewal.

FAQ

Do I lose my licence if I start insulin?

Usually not. Most people on insulin keep driving on a conditional licence with regular medical reviews. What matters is good glucose control, no recent severe hypos, being able to feel hypos coming on, and no complications that affect driving.

I only take tablets. Do I still have to tell anyone?

The NDSS says you must tell your licensing authority if you take insulin or glucose-lowering medicines, and that includes many tablets. Under the Austroads standard, private drivers on non-insulin medicines can generally keep an unconditional licence, with reviews every five years.

What blood glucose level is safe for driving?

Above 5 mmol/L. If you’re at 5 or below, or you have hypo symptoms, don’t drive. Treat it, recheck, and wait at least 30 minutes after you’re back above 5 and feeling well.

Does my GP tell the licensing authority for me?

Telling them is your responsibility, not your doctor’s. In some states a doctor can also report a patient they believe is unsafe to drive.

Can I still drive a bus or rideshare part-time?

Possibly, but you’ll be assessed against the stricter commercial standard. If you use insulin, that means specialist input and a review of at least three months of glucose records. Tell your doctor that you drive commercially.

This article is general information only and isn’t medical or legal advice. Licensing rules and forms change, so check with your state or territory licensing authority and talk to your doctor about your own situation.

No. An aged care assessment is how the government works out what help someone needs and which services they can get. For most people that means help at home, not a move. It’s a conversation at your kitchen table with a trained assessor, and a bit of preparation makes a real difference to the outcome. Here’s what to expect, step by step.

Who can be assessed

To access government-funded aged care you need an assessment first. My Aged Care says you can generally apply if you need help with everyday tasks and you’re:

• 65 or older, or
• an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person aged 50 or older, or
• aged 50 or older and homeless or at risk of homelessness.

You can apply for yourself, or a family member or friend can apply on your behalf with your consent.

One assessment system for everyone

If you went through this years ago with an ACAT or a Regional Assessment Service, it’s changed. Under the Single Assessment System, the government brought in the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) from 1 July 2024, and one assessment workforce now handles home support and residential care assessments. Whatever you’re assessed for, you get the same standard set of questions, and they’re used the same way across the country.

Under the new Aged Care Act, which started on 1 November 2025, that one assessment can approve you for the Commonwealth Home Support Program, the new Support at Home program, short-term care, respite or an aged care home.

Step 1: Apply

There are two ways to start:

• Online: the My Aged Care application form takes about 15 to 20 minutes. You need the applicant’s Medicare card and contact details. Part A checks age and needs, Part B covers who the assessor should contact, and an optional Part C lets you request a registered supporter.
• By phone: call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 (Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 10am to 2pm). Phone rather than using the online form if you’ve been assessed before, you’re already registered, or you need care urgently.

An assessment organisation will then ring to confirm your needs, check whether you need an interpreter or an advocate, and book a time.

Step 2: Prepare

Assessments are done in person, usually in your own home. Have these ready:

• your Medicare card and one other form of ID (driver’s licence, concession card, passport or DVA card)
• copies of any referrals from your doctor
• contact details for your GP and other health professionals
• information about any help you already get, paid or unpaid
• a list of your medicines (not required, but handy)
• your questions, written down.

Before the day, spend some time listing what’s actually hard. Think about showering, getting in and out of bed, stairs, cooking, cleaning, shopping, the garden, getting to appointments, managing medicines, keeping track of bills and feeling lonely. Note any falls or near misses, with dates.

Bring a support person

You can have a family member, friend, carer or registered supporter with you, and they can give the assessor information before the assessment if you’d like. We’d strongly suggest it. If you don’t have someone you’re comfortable with, a care finder may be able to come along. Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can bring an Elder Care Support worker. Free, independent advocates are also available through the Older Persons Advocacy Network on 1800 700 600. Interpreters are free, and you can ask for one at any point.

If you want someone to help you make decisions and deal with providers on an ongoing basis, ask the assessor to register them as your supporter. They can do it during the assessment. This is separate from an enduring power of attorney, which is covered in our guide to enduring powers of attorney by state.

Step 3: The assessment itself

The assessor will already have the information you gave My Aged Care. They’ll ask whether you agree to the assessment, and whether they can talk to the people who support you. Then they work through the IAT questions, which cover:

• your physical health and medical conditions
• how you’re managing daily tasks around the home
• memory and thinking
• mood and wellbeing
• safety at home, including falls
• the support you already have, and whether it will continue
• family, community and cultural activities
• your goals and what you’d like to keep doing.

With your consent, they may also look at your medical records or contact your GP. Allow a good part of the morning or afternoon.

The honest-answer problem

Here’s the part most families warn each other about. Many older people put on their best face for a visitor. “I manage fine” is a very common answer, even from someone who hasn’t showered properly in a week.

Describe your bad days, not your best day. The assessment decides your funding level, and understating your needs can leave you with too little help. If you’re the support person, it’s fine to add gently, “Dad, tell them about the fall in the bathroom.” The assessor can correct answers if something was recorded wrongly.

What the assessment decides

The assessor writes a support plan with you that records your strengths, difficulties, goals and preferences, and which services you’re eligible for. For Support at Home, the information also sets two things:

• Your classification, which is how much funding you get. There are eight ongoing levels, worth from about $11,000 to about $80,000 a year as at 1 October 2026.
• Your priority, which is how quickly funding reaches you: urgent, high, medium or standard. The criteria include living alone, being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, having an assessed cognitive impairment, being homeless or at risk of homelessness, needing services urgently, and having motor neurone disease.

A clinically trained delegate from the assessment organisation reviews and confirms these decisions. You can choose whether your support plan is added to your My Health Record.

Step 4: The outcome

You’ll receive an assessment outcome letter, sometimes called a Notice of Decision, plus your support plan. My Aged Care says this can take up to two weeks. You can track progress in your My Aged Care Online Account or by calling 1800 200 422. If your carer needs urgent respite while you wait, Carer Gateway is on 1800 422 737.

The letter includes referral details for providers. For home care, that’s when the real choosing starts: compare providers’ published prices before you sign anything.

If you disagree

You have options:

1. Talk to the assessment organisation first. Their details are on your letter. Sometimes a misunderstanding can be fixed quickly.
2. Request an internal review. It’s free. You must ask within 28 days of receiving your outcome letter, using the Request for an Internal Review of a Decision form or a letter to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. A family member, friend or registered supporter can request it for you. A reviewer checks whether IAT answers were entered incorrectly and may order a supplementary assessment. You’ll hear the result within 90 days.
3. Make a complaint if the problem is how the assessment was done rather than the decision itself.

If your needs change later, after another fall or a hospital stay, you don’t have to start from scratch. You can ask for a support plan review, and the assessor can refer you for a full reassessment if things have changed significantly.

Our take

The assessment can feel like a test you can fail. It isn’t. It’s the gate to services you’ve paid taxes towards your whole working life, and the more accurately it captures your situation, the better the help you’ll get. Prepare a list, bring someone who knows you well, and tell the truth about the hard days.

And if you’re weighing up a move against staying put, our article on retirement villages versus ageing in place is a useful next read.

Official sources: My Aged Care: Apply for an assessment online; My Aged Care: Preparing for your assessment; My Aged Care: How the assessment process works; My Aged Care: Receiving your assessment outcome; Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: How aged care needs assessments work.

FAQ

How long does a My Aged Care assessment take?

The online application takes about 15 to 20 minutes. The assessment visit itself is longer, so set aside a few hours to be safe. After the visit, My Aged Care says the outcome can take up to two weeks.

Does the assessment cost anything?

No. The assessment is free, and so is requesting an internal review of the decision. Any contributions only apply once you start receiving services.

Can my daughter or son be there?

Yes. You can have a family member, friend, carer or registered supporter with you, and they can share information with the assessor beforehand. You can also ask for an interpreter or a free advocate.

What if I’m assessed as not eligible?

You’ll get a letter explaining why. You can talk to the assessment organisation, ask for an internal review within 28 days, or look at privately paid services in the meantime.

Do I need a new assessment if things get worse?

Not always. Contact My Aged Care and ask for a support plan review. If your circumstances have changed significantly, you can be referred for a full reassessment, which may lead to a higher classification or a different type of care.

This article is general information only and isn’t medical, legal or financial advice. Aged care rules and processes change, so check the current details with My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or at myagedcare.gov.au.

Both are right. Australia has no national age for older driver checks. Whether you need a medical, a driving test or nothing at all depends on the state you live in. NSW and Queensland start yearly medicals at 75, Western Australia at 80, and Victoria has no age-based checks at all. Here’s what applies where, what the GP actually checks, and how to handle the day you decide to hand in the keys.

The rules by state at a glance

This table covers a standard car (class C) licence, based on state government information and the federal Office of Road Safety’s summary of older driver rules. Heavy vehicle, motorbike and public passenger licences often have earlier or stricter requirements. Rules can change, so confirm with your licensing authority before your birthday.

In every state, at any age, you must report a medical condition that’s likely to affect your driving. Age-based checks sit on top of that duty. They don’t replace it. If you have diabetes, our guide to driving with diabetes in Australia explains the extra rules.

New South Wales: 75, 80 and 85

NSW has the most detailed system. There’s no upper age limit on a licence, but for an unrestricted car licence:

• 70 to 74: no medical or driving test unless a doctor recommends one.
• 75 and over: a medical assessment for fitness to drive every year. You can see your doctor in the months before your birthday, and the doctor submits the report online.
• 85 and over: a yearly medical, plus a practical older driver test every two years.

The test takes about 15 to 20 minutes. You can sit it free at a service centre (call 13 22 13), with a limit of three attempts, or from your home with an accredited older driver assessor for a fee. It checks your road rules knowledge, your decision-making and your control of the car. Take someone with you to a service centre test so you have a lift home if it doesn’t go your way.

The alternative at 85 is a modified licence. It restricts you to driving certain distances within your local area, and you don’t need the older driver test unless your doctor recommends it. For plenty of people, that’s a sensible middle ground: you keep driving to the shops, the doctor and the club, and skip the motorway.

Queensland: carry the certificate

From 75, Queensland drivers need a Medical Certificate for Drivers from their doctor. It’s valid for a maximum of 13 months, even if the doctor writes a later date. The catch most people miss is that you must carry the current certificate every time you drive, whether or not you have any medical condition. A photocopy or a clear digital photo is fine. The Queensland Government says driving without one can mean a fine of more than $170, as at its July 2026 update.

You only need to send the certificate to TMR if you have a long-term condition likely to affect your driving, if your doctor recommends a licence condition, or if you’re renewing your licence at a service centre. If you do send it in, TMR will send you a courtesy reminder about six weeks before it expires. Don’t rely on that alone. The certificate’s expiry doesn’t change your licence’s expiry, and you can still choose a licence period of up to five years.

Western Australia: 80 and over

From 80, WA drivers need a yearly medical assessment before they can renew. About 12 weeks before your licence expires you’ll be posted a Medical Assessment Certificate (Form M108A). You fill in the driving history and medical questions, see your doctor, and the doctor sends the forms to the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure. Your doctor may ask you to pass a practical driving assessment.

Aged pensioners pay no licence fee in WA, and other pensioners and seniors pay a reduced fee, according to the department’s fee table as at October 2026.

South Australia: a self-assessment first

From 75, South Australians who hold only a car licence and have no recorded medical condition are posted a self-assessment form each year. If you answer yes, or aren’t sure, on any question, you’ll need to see a doctor to finish the assessment. Drivers with a recorded medical condition, or aged 70 and over with a licence class other than a car licence, get a Certificate of Fitness for a doctor to complete.

Victoria, Tasmania and the NT

These have no routine age-based medicals for car drivers. Victoria’s approach is fitness to drive regardless of age: a medical review starts when a driver reports a condition, or when a doctor, police officer or family member raises concerns. There has been public debate in Victoria about whether to change that, so check VicRoads for the latest.

What happens at the GP assessment

The fitness-to-drive check is longer than a normal consult, so tell the clinic what it’s for when you book. In Queensland, for example, you fill in part 1 of the form before you go and bring your licence and your driving glasses. Doctors assess you against the national Assessing Fitness to Drive standards. In practice, expect questions and checks on:

• your eyesight, including side vision
• your medical conditions and any changes, such as heart problems, diabetes, sleep apnoea, seizures or dementia
• the medicines you take, and whether any cause drowsiness
• your movement and strength, such as turning your neck to check blind spots and working the pedals
• your memory and thinking
• any recent near misses, crashes or changes to how you drive.

Be honest. The doctor’s job is to keep you driving safely, and an honest answer often leads to a fix (new glasses, a medication change) rather than a refusal. If the doctor isn’t sure, they may refer you to a specialist or to an occupational therapist driving assessment, which is a practical drive with a specially trained OT. In Queensland, ask about an interim certificate if there’s a wait for a specialist.

Conditional and modified licences

If you’re safe in some conditions but not others, a doctor can recommend conditions rather than cancellation. Common ones are daylight driving only, a set radius from home, no freeways, or an automatic car only. You must follow them. NSW’s modified licence is a formal version of the same idea.

We think these are under-used. Many older drivers do almost all their driving locally and in daylight anyway, and a condition that matches how you already drive costs you very little.

Giving up driving well

Most of us will stop driving before we stop needing to get around. People who plan for that tend to do better than people who have the decision made for them after a scare. A few things help:

1. Do a trial run. Spend a fortnight getting around without the car: bus, train, community transport, taxis, lifts. You’ll find the gaps before they matter.
2. Do the sums. Rego, insurance, fuel and servicing on a car you drive a few times a week can pay for a lot of taxi trips.
3. Use your concessions. Most states offer discounted or free public transport to seniors. In WA, for example, seniors ride free on Transperth outside peak times with a Seniors, Pensioner or Veterans SmartRider. Our guide to Seniors Cards in each state covers the rest.
4. Keep photo ID. Your licence is probably your main ID. Before you surrender it, get a state photo card or proof of age card.
5. Protect your social life. Losing the car is a common way older Australians become isolated. Line up regular lifts, and consider activities you can reach on foot. Volunteering is a great one, as we wrote in when seniors volunteer with kids, everybody wins.

If where you live only works with a car, that’s worth thinking about before it becomes urgent. Our article on retirement villages versus ageing in place looks at that trade-off.

Worried about a parent’s driving?

Start with a conversation, not a confrontation, and ideally go with them to their GP. Most licensing authorities accept reports from family members if you believe someone is unsafe. The authority then decides whether a medical review is needed.

Official sources: NSW Government: Your licence from age 70; NSW Government: Older driver and rider assessments; Queensland Government: Driving when you’re 75 and over; Transport WA: Seniors 80 years or more; Office of Road Safety: Rules for older drivers by state and territory (PDF).

FAQ

At what age do you need a medical to drive in Australia?

It depends on the state. For a car licence, it’s 75 in NSW, Queensland and the ACT, and 80 in WA. South Australia sends a self-assessment form from 75. Victoria, Tasmania and the NT have no age-based medical, although anyone of any age must report a medical condition that affects driving.

Do I have to sit a driving test when I’m older?

Only NSW has a routine age-based test for car drivers: every two years from 85, unless you take a modified licence. In other states you’d only be tested if a doctor or the licensing authority asks for it.

What is a modified licence in NSW?

It’s a licence that limits you to driving within your local area. If you choose it, you don’t need the older driver test unless your doctor recommends one.

What happens if I drive in Queensland without my medical certificate?

If you’re 75 or over, you can be fined. The Queensland Government says the fine is more than $170. A photocopy or a clear photo on your phone counts, as long as it’s current and readable.

Can my doctor stop me driving?

Your doctor assesses your fitness and makes a recommendation. The licensing authority makes the decision, and you’ll be told of any appeal rights. Always follow your doctor’s advice in the meantime.

This article is general information only and isn’t legal or medical advice. Rules were checked against official sources in October 2026 and can change, so check with your state or territory licensing authority before your licence or medical falls due.

Neither provider has made a mistake. Since 1 November 2025, home care has run under the Support at Home program, which replaced Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care. It has new funding levels, a new way of charging contributions, and a “no worse off” rule that protects people like Joan who were already in the system. Here’s how it works, with the figures current as at October 2026.

What Support at Home replaced

Support at Home is the main government program for older Australians who need help to stay at home. It took over from:

• the Home Care Packages (HCP) Program, levels 1 to 4
• the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme.

The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), for people with lower, entry-level needs, carries on separately. The department announced in August 2026 that CHSP has been extended to 30 June 2029.

To get in, you need an aged care assessment. Our guide to the My Aged Care assessment walks through the process.

The eight funding levels

Your assessment places you in one of eight ongoing classifications. The higher your needs, the higher the classification. These are the budgets from 1 October 2026, which were increased to reflect the Nurses Award rise. They are normally indexed each July.

People who were already on a Home Care Package moved across automatically to a “transitioned HCP” classification with the same funding as their old level. As at 1 October 2026, those budgets are $11,294.22 a year (HCP level 1), $19,860.56 (level 2), $43,233.21 (level 3) and $65,543.98 (level 4). If you’re reassessed, you move onto the new eight-level scale.

How the budget works

• Quarterly, not annual. Your budget is released in four quarterly amounts. You get the full quarter’s amount at the start of each quarter.
• Services Australia holds it. You don’t manage the money yourself. Your provider claims against it, and you get an itemised monthly statement.
• 10% goes to care management. One-tenth of each quarterly budget is set aside for your provider’s care management, such as planning and reviewing your care.
• Limited carry-over. You can carry unspent funds into the next quarter, up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget, whichever is higher. This isn’t a savings account.
• Old HCP savings stay yours. Unspent HCP funds came with you. You can use them for approved assistive technology and home modifications, or for ongoing services once your quarterly budget runs out.

Providers set their own prices and must publish them. A higher price means fewer hours from the same budget, so comparing providers is worth the effort.

What you pay: three categories

This is the biggest change. Under HCP, you paid a daily fee. Under Support at Home, you pay a percentage of the price of each service you use, and the percentage depends on the type of service.

• Clinical supports: nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, care management. No contribution for anyone.
• Independence: things like support to attend appointments, remedial massage and AT-HM equipment. A moderate contribution.
• Everyday living: cleaning, gardening and similar domestic help. The highest contribution.

The personal care change from 1 October 2026

Personal care, such as help with showering, dressing and toileting, began in the independence category. From 1 October 2026 it moved into clinical supports, so the government fully funds it. If personal care is in your support plan, you pay nothing for it. It still comes out of your budget, though, so there’s no extra funding. Services delivered before 1 October still attract a contribution even if they’re claimed later.

Standard contribution rates

Your rate within each category depends on an income and assets assessment by Services Australia. For full and part pensioners, it uses the information Services Australia already holds. These are the rates in the schedule from 20 September 2026:

So if a clean costs $80 an hour, a full pensioner pays $14 and a self-funded retiree without a CSHC pays $64. Part pensioners pay somewhere in between, on a taper. As with the Age Pension, your home is exempt from the assets test. Our explainers on the Age Pension assets test and the family home and the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card show why your pension and card status matter here.

If you don’t give Services Australia your income and assets information, you’re charged at the maximum rate. If you’re entitled to a lower rate, fill in the forms.

The lifetime cap

Contributions under the standard rates are capped over your lifetime at $140,652.80, as at 20 September 2026. The cap is indexed every March and September. Once you reach it, you pay no more contributions for Support at Home services.

The no-worse-off rule

This explains Joan and Pat. If, on 12 September 2024, you were receiving a Home Care Package, waiting on the National Priority System, or approved as eligible for a package, you’re covered by the no-worse-off principle. You’ll pay the same as, or less than, you would have under the old HCP arrangements, even if you’re later reassessed to a higher classification.

The old HCP lifetime cap of $88,934.57 (as at 20 September 2026, indexed) still applies to this group. If you were assessed as not having to pay HCP fees, you’ll never be asked to pay contributions under Support at Home.

The short-term pathways

As well as ongoing services, Support at Home has three short-term options, each funded separately. These figures are for people starting from 1 October 2026:

• Restorative Care Pathway: intensive allied health or nursing to help you regain function, for example after a fall or hospital stay. Funding is $6,179.40 per unit, usually over 16 weeks, with up to two units in 12 months.
• End-of-Life Pathway: for people with three months or less to live who want to stay at home. Funding is $25,736.57, budgeted over 12 weeks but usable for up to 16 weeks.
• Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme: upfront funding for equipment and home changes, so you don’t have to save from your ongoing budget.

AT-HM funding tiers

Funding is generally available for 12 months. Complex home modifications can get another 12 months if evidence is provided to Services Australia. AT-HM items attract the independence contribution rate, but prescription and wraparound services, such as an OT working out what you need, are free.

Our take

Support at Home is clearer than the old package system in some ways: budgets are visible, personal care is now free, and clinical care costs nothing. But for self-funded retirees, regular cleaning and gardening are now much dearer than many expected. For anyone who needs a lot of everyday help, that changes the sums on staying at home versus moving somewhere with services on site. We weigh that up in retirement village or ageing in place.

Before you choose a provider, use the My Aged Care fee estimator, compare price lists, and ask each provider how they’d spend your quarterly budget.

Official sources: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Support at Home program; My Aged Care: Support at Home costs and contributions; Schedule of contributions for Support at Home services (PDF); Support at Home classifications and budgets (PDF); My Aged Care: Personal care contribution changes.

FAQ

When did Support at Home start?

On 1 November 2025. It replaced the Home Care Packages Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme. People on a package moved across automatically.

Do full pensioners pay anything?

Under the standard rates, full pensioners pay nothing for clinical care (which now includes personal care), 5% for independence services and 17.5% for everyday living services. Full pensioners covered by the no-worse-off rule pay nothing at all.

Who is covered by the no-worse-off rule?

Anyone who, on 12 September 2024, was receiving a Home Care Package, was on the National Priority System, or had been approved as eligible for a package. They pay no more than they would have under the old HCP rules.

Is there a cap on what I’ll pay?

Yes. Under the standard rates, there’s a lifetime cap of $140,652.80 as at 20 September 2026. For people covered by the no-worse-off rule, the cap is $88,934.57. Both are indexed.

Can I save up my budget for something big?

Only a little. You can carry over up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget, whichever is higher. Equipment and home modifications are funded separately through the AT-HM scheme.

This article is general information only and isn’t financial, legal or medical advice. Support at Home budgets, contribution rates and caps are indexed and change several times a year, so check current figures with My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or at myagedcare.gov.au, and consider independent financial advice.