What Is a Grandfathered Home Care Package?
If you were a Home Care Package recipient before 12 September 2024, you may be considered a Grandfathered Client under the Support at Home program.
Grandfathering protects people who were already receiving care before the reforms took effect. Instead of moving to the new Support at Home contribution model, Grandfathered Clients continue under the rights and fee protections that applied under the HCP system.
Your Level 2 package is mapped into an equivalent Support at Home funding level so your support does not reduce during transition.
Your fee arrangements remain the same — including any 0% contribution status and the preserved HCP lifetime contributions cap of $82,018.15, instead of the new SAH cap.
You also keep any unspent HCP funds in full, with no rollover limits or expiry.
These protections stay with you permanently, even if your support needs increase in the future.
What It Means to be Grandfathered: Level 2
If you were receiving or approved for HCP Level 2, you move into Support at Home with the same practical, regular support you were already receiving.
Level 2 care typically includes a mix of light personal care, domestic support and community participation — all continuing unchanged under Support at Home.
Your funding, contribution arrangements and unspent funds remain fully protected.
Your routines, familiar support workers and service frequency also continue wherever possible.
Support at Home simply provides a new administrative structure around your existing support.
Your Grandfathered: Level 1 Budget Under Support at Home
Support at Home distributes funding quarterly rather than annually.
For Grandfathered Clients, this does not reduce the value of support — it only changes the timing of payments.
Former HCP Level 2 annual amount: $18,622.30
Grandfathered Support at Home quarterly budget: $4,655.57
This quarterly figure represents your protected funding under Support at Home.
Your HCP Level 2 package is matched to the Support at Home level whose quarterly budget equals or exceeds your grandfathered entitlement, ensuring ongoing stability.
Below is a comparison table showing how each Grandfathered Home Care Package level aligns with the Support at Home levels.
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Contribution Arrangements That Continue
Under Support at Home, the old HCP fee structure — including the Income-Tested Care Fee and Basic Daily Fee — has been replaced for new entrants.
However, if you are a Grandfathered Client, your previous HCP fee and contribution settings continue exactly as they were.
This means:
- If you previously paid 0% contributions, that continues.
- If you contributed under HCP rules, those same settings and annual caps apply under Support at Home.
- You retain the original HCP lifetime contributions cap of $82,018.15 rather than moving to the new SAH cap.
Even if your support needs change in the future, your grandfathered contribution protections stay in place.
Reassessments may change the supports you receive, but they cannot increase your contribution rate beyond HCP rules.
This ensures your contribution arrangements remain stable and predictable as your care evolves.
Unspent Funds and How They Carry Over
Any unspent HCP funds you had at transition move into Support at Home in full.
There are no rollover limits, no quarterly caps and no expiry.
These funds remain available for services, assistive technology, equipment or home modifications.
For many Grandfathered Clients, this carried-over balance provides valuable flexibility throughout the year.
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