What's covered under Support at Home?

Wondering whether a particular service is included? Our easy guide explains what's covered under Support at Home, what's not, and why. From cleaning and gardening to nursing and allied health, we'll help you understand what's available and how the program supports you to live independently at home.

What Support at Home Covers

Support at Home focuses on the essential, everyday care that helps people live safely and independently at home. These services fall into three main groups.

The examples below provide an overview of the types of services available under Support at Home. The exact services available may vary between providers.

Short-term help when you need it

Alongside ongoing care services, people can also access short-term support when they need a little extra help.

What Support at Home Doesn’t Cover

While Support at Home covers a wide range of services, there are some things it doesn't fund. The program focuses on helping people stay safe, healthy and independent at home, which means some services and costs fall outside its scope.

To make things easier, we've grouped together some of the most common out-of-scope items below.

Let's break this down a little more...

Cleaning

We can help keep your home safe and hygienic with things like:

• Wiping benches and surfaces
• Vacuuming and mopping
• Light bathroom cleaning
• Washing dishes
• Emptying bins
• Changing sheets
• Spot cleaning spills

Deep cleaning or professional services that aren't covered include:

• Oven cleaning
• Window cleaning
• Steam cleaning or carpet shampooing
• Mould treatment
• Decluttering or hoarder clean-ups
• Pest control
• End-of-lease cleaning
• Cleaning for inspections or cosmetic appearance

Gardening

We can help with essential gardening that helps keep your property safe and accessible, including:

• Lawn mowing
• Basic pruning
• Clearing access paths
• Removing tripping hazards
• Light weeding

Complex or heavy work isn't covered, such as:

• Tree lopping and heavy pruning
• Hedge shaping or decorative gardening
• Planting new gardens
• Mulching, fertilising, garden design
• Major yard clean-ups
• Irrigation repairs

Home maintenance

We can help keep your home safe and functional by:

• Replacing lightbulbs 
• Fixing loose handles
• Minor safety repairs
• Clearing gutters (if needed for safety)
• Tightening screws or simple adjustments

Work normally done by trades or landlords isn't covered, such as:

• Carpentry or electrical work
• Bathroom or kitchen repairs
• Repainting
• Flooring replacement
• Pest control
• Installing cabinetry
• Home upgrades or renovations
• Anything that should be covered under a rental or landlord agreement

How the government prioritises services

Support at Home funding is designed to focus on services that directly:

• maintain participants independence
• improve daily living
• support participants health and safety
• help clients remain at home

Anything considered general lifestyle, medical or personal expense sits outside Support at Home services.

What to do if something you need isn’t covered

If a support is not included within the Support at Home program, our team can help by:

• Explaining why it's out of scope
• Helping you explore other government programs (Medicare, CHSP, state-based services)
• Helping find a safe, suitable alternative

Just give us a call, we're always happy to help.