Recover the revenue Support at Home is quietly taking, by delivering the care clients are funded for.
No new clients and no price rises. Just budgets that are used on time and matched to real needs.
The problem
Three hits to provider revenue.
10%
Fee cap
Care management is now capped at 10%, down from around 30% under Home Care Packages.
62.2%
Low utilisation
Clients used 62.2% of their budgets in the March 2026 quarter, down from 85.2% in the first half of FY26.
$278k
Use it or lose it
Lost to government per $1m of funding each year at 62% use. Unspent funds above $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget are forfeited.
What it's worth
Lifting budget use from 62% to 80%.
80% is still below the 85.2% sector average for the first half of FY26. The program brings budget use back to normal; it doesn't push clients to spend more than they need.
| Client funding managed / yr | Extra management revenue | Extra care delivered |
|---|---|---|
| $10m | +$178k | +$1.78m |
| $25m | +$445k | +$4.45m |
| $50m | +$890k | +$8.90m |
Illustrative. Based on the StewartBrown Support at Home survey (9 months to 31 March 2026) and published Department of Health, Disability and Ageing caps. Results depend on each provider's client mix and pricing.
How we do it
A repeating five-step cycle.
01
Profile
Analyse the client group and flag risk.
02
Assess
On-site OT functional and equipment assessment.
03
Align
Match budget and care plan to real needs.
04
Monitor
Track spend during the quarter; watch data flags decline.
05
Equip
Prescribe equipment and home changes under separate funding.
Read the full discussion paper.
How lower fees and use-it-or-lose-it budgets have cut provider revenue, and how to win it back.