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 came into 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 4 package is mapped into an equivalent Support at Home funding level so your support does not reduce during transition.
Your contribution arrangements also remain the same — including any 0% contribution status and the preserved HCP lifetime contributions cap of $82,018.15, rather than the new SAH cap.
All unspent HCP funds transfer into Support at Home in full, with no rollover limits or expiry.
These protections stay with you permanently, even if your needs increase or your level changes over time.
What It Means to Be a Grandfathered Level 4 Client
If you were receiving or approved for HCP Level 4, you transition into Support at Home with your high-level support fully preserved.
Your funding, contribution arrangements and unspent funds remain fully protected.
Clinical and practical supports continue without reduction, and your familiar routine and support workers can remain wherever possible.
Support at Home simply provides a new framework for delivering the high level of support you already receive.
Your Grandfathered Level 4 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 — only the payment cycle changes.
Former HCP Level 4 annual amount: $61,440.45
Grandfathered Support at Home quarterly budget: $15,360.11
This quarterly amount reflects your protected Level 4 funding under Support at Home.
Your HCP Level 4 package is matched to the Support at Home level whose quarterly budget equals or exceeds your grandfathered entitlement.
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 former 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 original HCP contribution settings continue unchanged.
This means:
- If you previously paid 0% contributions, that continues.
- If you contributed under HCP rules, your same settings and annual caps apply under Support at Home.
- You retain the original HCP lifetime contributions cap of $82,018.15, instead of the new Support at Home cap.
Even if your support needs change in the future, your grandfathered contribution protections remain.
Reassessments may alter your support level, but cannot increase your contribution rate beyond what applied under HCP.
This ensures your cost of care remains stable and predictable, even when your needs grow.
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, home modifications, therapy, equipment or additional supports — giving you valuable flexibility across the year.
What Stays the Same for Grandfathered: Level 4
Support at Home does not change the purpose or intent of Level 4 care. If you were receiving Level 4 support under HCP, you continue with the same high-intensity, comprehensive supports that help you stay safe at home.
- Your routines remain familiar.
- Your support workers remain consistent wherever possible.
- Your care plan is simply aligned with the Support at Home service list — without reducing your level of support or removing services that matter to you.
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