The Waiting List | In-Home Care in Australia

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Key Takeouts

• Waiting lists for in-home care assessments and packages continue to blow out
• You may not receive funding to fully meet your care needs
• There are alternative options to subsidise or pay for in-home care

It seems that anytime you Google in-home care in Australia, the headlines scream about waiting lists blowing out. Stories of delays in aged care assessments and lengthy waits for home care package approvals have become all too common. For older Australians and their families, this can create stress, uncertainty and a sense of helplessness – especially when the need for support is urgent.

While in-home care – often subsided by a government Home Care Package (HCP) – is frequently the preferred choice for those wanting to age in place with dignity and independence, being able to access timely, tailored services remains a major challenge. In this article, we explore the realities behind the headlines, what’s driving the delays and the options that exist for Australians seeking to Live Well at HomeTM.

Who is eligible for a home care package?

Before you or a loved one can join the waiting list to receive an HCP, there are some steps you need to take to test your eligibility.

The first step is to contact My Aged Care to check your eligibility for an assessment. You can do it online or by making a call.

The second step is to get assessed by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).

The third and final step is to undergo an income assessment so that My Aged Care can determine how much funding (if any) you’re entitled to.

Once you complete these steps, you will receive an assessment result. If you are eligible for services, you will also receive a support plan that explains the HCP services you are eligible to receive.

The Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services 2025 reviewed three key stages in the aged care process: aged care assessments, home care wait times, and access to residential care. It revealed a sharp increase in assessment delays, with the longest wait times averaging 138 days in 2023–24, up from just 43 days in 2020–21, a blowout of 95 days. The data makes one thing clear: government services are struggling to keep pace with Australia’s rapidly ageing population.

Given long lead times, it’s recommended to undertake these steps early, rather than waiting for care needs to become urgent.

How long will you wait for a home care package?

Quite a while according to the latest headlines. There are currently more than 83,000 people on the waiting list for an HCP; although waiting times have decreased since peaking in June 2019, they have blown out considerably since 2023. 

While many industry participants believe the government has made the right call to delay the introduction of the Aged Care Act from 1 July to 1 November 2025, a potentially unintended consequence is the delay is releasing new in-home care packages. The promised new packages are now delayed until November. A number of interest groups and advocates are lobbying the government to release the packages now and not wait; indeed, it’s estimated a further 5,000 Australians will be on the waiting list by November!

In the normal scheme of things, My Aged Care suggests the waiting period for an HCP could be from one month to one year, with the average expected time between three and six months. Some HCP recipients may have to wait even longer. 

How long you will have to wait depends on your HCP level. In normal circumstances, My Aged Care publishes the average wait time for each level as:

• Level 1: less than one month
• Level 2: 3 to 6 months
• Level 3: 9 to 12 months
• Level 4: 9 to 12 months

However, government data published earlier this year painted a different picture. For people with a medium priority who were approved for an HCP in January 2025, Level 1 recipients can expect to wait 3 to 6 months and those on a Level 4 a whopping 12-15 months.

Aside from the actual government funding, My Aged Care outlines four main factors that can affect how long you will have to wait before receiving HCP funding, which are:

1. Your HCP level
2. Your priority level
3. The availability of services 
4. Your location

Your assigned HCP level might not be available in your area; in such cases, you’ll be assigned to a lower-level HCP and upgraded once your level becomes available.

What do you get in a level one home care package?

A level one home care package is designed to support people who need only very basic assistance at home. Australians receiving a level one home care package are generally still independent and able to perform most day-to-day tasks on their own. Some of the common services used are:

• Domestic assistance
• Social support
• Meal preparation
• Shopping
• Transport
• Personal care

You can expect two hours of support per week, depending on your home care provider’s fees. A level one package is most commonly used for cleaning the home and gardening. The level of funding per year for a level one package is $10,931.75*.

What do you get in a level two home care package?

A level two home care package is designed to support people with low-level care needs. The amount of funding per year at this level is $19,224.55*. People with a level two package often require a little more care but are still reasonably independent and able to perform many tasks around the home themselves. Services for a level two home care package may include: 

• Personal care
• Domestic assistance
• Loan of basic care equipment
• Social support
• Meal preparation
• Shopping
• Transport
• Basic home and garden maintenance
• Some nursing care

Level two funding will provide approximately four hours of care each week, depending on your provider’s fees.

What do you get in a level three home care package?

A level three home care package supports people who need more support to live safely and comfortably at home. Recipients of a level three package generally require more personal care, nursing or allied health support than those with lower-level packages. Available services include: 

• Personal care
• Domestic assistance
• Household assistance
• Assistance with aids and appliances
• Social support
• Meal preparation
• Medication management
• Nursing support
• Allied health support
• Shopping
• Transport
• Support with changes to memory and/or behaviour

Funding for a level three package is $41,847.25* per year, which provides approximately eight hours of support per week, depending on provider’s fees.

What do you get in a level four  home care package?

A level four home care package is intended to support people who require a higher level of care or have complex care needs. Typical services include:

• Personal care 
• Domestic assistance 
• Assistance with aids and appliances
• Social support
• Meal preparation
• Medication management
• Nursing care
• Allied health support
• Shopping
• Transport
• Support with changes to memory and/or behaviour

A level four package is worth $63,440.65* and provides approximately 12.5 hours of care per week, depending on provider fees. 

No home care package, what now?

Whether you don’t meet eligibility criteria, your package is too low to meet your care needs or you just can’t wait for government assistance, there are options available to you.

One of these is to unlock the wealth in your home using a reverse mortgage. You can then draw a regular income stream to fund your care needs. For example, using our Household Loan you could draw a fortnightly or monthly income stream to either top up a government funded package or pay your own way. 

This can provide you with greater choice and flexibility when it comes to the care you, or a loved one, receives.

If you’d like to know more about using the wealth in your home to generate an income stream to fund your in-home care, try our Reverse Mortgage Calculator

to see how much home wealth you could access to meet your care needs and live a more comfortable retirement in the home you love.

^* Home care package subsidy figures at 1 July 2025