How to apply for aged care funding: Sydney guide
By Care Steps Australia
To apply for aged care funding in Australia, you register with My Aged Care online, by phone on 1800 200 422, or in person, then complete an assessment that decides your funding level under Support at Home. Most applicants hear back about their assessment within 2 to 6 weeks of applying.
Key takeaways
- Aged care funding in Australia now comes through Support at Home, which replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025.
- You apply through My Aged Care, online, by phone, or in person, and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
- After you apply, an assessor usually contacts you within 2 to 6 weeks to arrange your assessment.
- Assessment outcomes set your funding classification and what services you can access.
- Sydney and Punchbowl families can get free, in-language help with the whole process from Care Steps Australia.
- Call 02 8201 3100 if you want someone to walk you through the application today.
Table of contents
- What aged care funding is available right now?
- Am I eligible to apply for aged care funding?
- How do I start my aged care funding application?
- What happens at my aged care assessment?
- How long does the whole process take?
- What does aged care funding cost me?
- How do I choose a provider in Punchbowl and Sydney?
- FAQ
What aged care funding is available right now?
The main funding pathway for older Australians is Support at Home, the government program that replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025. If you already held a Home Care Package before that date, your funding level carried over as a transitioned Support at Home classification, so you do not need to reapply from scratch.
Support at Home funds services that help you stay in your own home: personal care, nursing, domestic assistance, home modifications, and equipment. It sits alongside the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) for people who need lighter, entry-level help, and separately from the NDIS, which covers younger people with disability.
Because the program only changed recently, a lot of families searching for "home care package" are actually asking about Support at Home without realising the name changed. Whichever term you use, the front door is the same: My Aged Care.
Am I eligible to apply for aged care funding?
You're generally eligible if you're 65 or older (50 or older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) and need help to stay safely and independently at home. There's no separate income or asset test to apply, income testing only affects how much you contribute toward some services once you're approved.
People under 65 with aged-care-type needs can still apply, but most are assessed for the NDIS first, since it typically offers broader support for younger Australians. If your needs are complex, a change in mobility, memory, or ability to manage daily tasks, that's usually the trigger to start an application rather than wait.
You don't need a referral from a GP to apply, though a doctor's input can help your assessment run smoothly if you have specific medical needs.
How do I start my aged care funding application?
You start by registering with My Aged Care, and you have three ways to do it.
Source: My Aged Care, "How to apply for an assessment"
The application asks about your current health, home situation, and what support could help you stay independent. My Aged Care keeps a record of what you tell them, so you don't repeat it all again at your actual assessment.
If your situation feels urgent, call 1800 200 422 directly. Some short-term support may be available before your formal assessment is finished.
For families in Punchbowl and south-west Sydney who find the online form confusing or prefer to talk it through in their own language, Care Steps Australia can help you complete the My Aged Care application over the phone or in your home.
What happens at my aged care assessment?
After you apply, an assessor contacts you to arrange a time to talk through your needs, usually at your home. They ask about your health, daily routine, safety at home, and any support you already have, then use that information to work out what funding classification and services suit you.
Bring a list of your current medications, any recent hospital stays, and the names of people who help you now, a partner, adult child, or neighbour. The more specific you can be about what's genuinely hard for you day to day, the more accurate the outcome.
Once your assessment is complete, My Aged Care sends you a letter setting out your approved funding level and what it covers. That letter is what you show a provider when you're ready to start services.
How long does the whole process take?
There's no single fixed timeframe, but the published stages give you a realistic picture of what to expect.
Source: My Aged Care, "How to apply for an assessment"
If your situation changes quickly, a fall, a hospital discharge, a sudden decline, tell My Aged Care that when you call. Urgent or higher-priority cases can sometimes be assessed faster than the general queue, so it's worth being direct about what's happening rather than downplaying it.
Waiting can be the hardest part, especially if you're managing without support right now. If you need someone local to check in on the process for you, get in touch with Care Steps Australia and we can help you follow it up.
What does aged care funding cost me?
Most people contribute something toward their care, but what you pay depends on income testing, not a flat fee. The government sets a lifetime cap on how much you can be asked to contribute, and which cap applies depends on when you started receiving care. If you were already on a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024, your lifetime cap is $84,571.66 under the "no worse off" principle that protects existing recipients. If you're a new Support at Home participant, your lifetime cap is $135,318.69. Once you reach your cap, the government covers your care costs in full.
Source: Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Support at Home participant contributions (figures current as of 1 November 2025; the department indexes these caps on 20 March and 20 September each year)
Your actual contribution amount is calculated individually through My Aged Care's income assessment, so treat any number you see online as a rough guide only. Ask your provider to walk you through your specific fee estimate before you commit to services, and confirm current figures on the My Aged Care fee estimator before you rely on any published number, since the caps change with each indexing date.
How do I choose a provider in Punchbowl and Sydney?
Once you have your funding decision letter, you choose a provider yourself. You're not locked into whoever your assessor mentions, and you can change providers later if one isn't working out.
Local matters here. A provider based in Punchbowl who already works across Bankstown and the surrounding suburbs understands the practical side of getting to your home on time, in a language you're comfortable with, without you being just another postcode on a national roster.
Get help applying for your aged care funding
Working out My Aged Care, ACAT assessments, and Support at Home funding shouldn't take weeks of confusing phone calls on your own, and every week you wait is support you're not using.
Care Steps Australia 48 Lancaster Avenue, Punchbowl, NSW 2196 Phone: 02 8201 3100 Email: info@carestepsaustralia.com.au
Contact us today for a free, no-obligation chat about your aged care funding application.
Frequently asked questions
You register with My Aged Care online, by phone on 1800 200 422, or in person at a Services Australia office, then complete an assessment that sets your funding level under Support at Home.
Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025. If you already had a package, your funding carried over as a transitioned classification under the new program.
My Aged Care usually makes contact within 2 to 6 weeks of you submitting your application, based on published My Aged Care guidance.
Yes. You can complete the application on someone's behalf with their permission, whether that's online, by phone, or in person.
No referral is required to start an application, though input from a GP can help if you have specific medical needs.
Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 directly and explain what's happening. Some short-term support may be available while your formal assessment is arranged.
Yes. Once you receive your funding decision letter, you choose your own provider and can switch later if needed.
Most people contribute an income-tested amount. Your lifetime cap is $84,571.66 if you were already on a Home Care Package by 12 September 2024, or $135,318.69 if you're a new Support at Home participant, after which the government covers care costs in full.