Personal care is the heart of most Support at Home plans. It is the help with showering, dressing, grooming, and toileting that lets a participant stay safely at home. Personal care currently sits in the Independence stream with a participant contribution. From 1 October 2026 it becomes fully government funded for all participants.
What this page covers
Currently in the Independence stream with a participant contribution
Becomes fully government funded on 1 October 2026 (the personal care change)
Covers showering, dressing, grooming, and toileting
Does not cover clinical wound care or registered nurse interventions
What personal care covers
Showering and bathing safely
Dressing, including help with compression garments and orthotics
Grooming, shaving, and hair brushing
Toileting and continence support
Supervised oral health and denture care
What it does not cover
Wound dressing or any clinical procedure (these are Clinical Care)
Medication administration (a registered nurse or enrolled nurse task)
Massage therapy without an allied health referral
The 1 October 2026 change explained
Under the Support at Home program, personal care moves to fully government funded on 1 October 2026. From that date the participant contribution percentage drops to zero for personal care services. This is a significant change for households where personal care is the largest budget line. Your quarterly statement will reflect this automatically once the change takes effect. You do not need to do anything to opt in.
Until 1 October 2026 the existing contribution percentages apply (5 per cent full age pension, 17.5 per cent part age pension, 50 per cent self funded).
Frequently asked questions
How does the personal care change affect my budget?
Your quarterly Independence budget will support more hours from October 2026 because personal care no longer reduces the available pool. Use the Budget Calculator from October to project your new capacity.
Will my provider notify me of the change?
Yes. Providers must reflect the new contribution rate on the statement immediately. If your October statement still shows a contribution on personal care lines, raise it with your case manager.
Are private personal care arrangements affected?
No. The change only applies to services delivered through your registered Support at Home provider. Privately paid carers are unchanged.
