How many hours of care will a Level 1, 2, 3, or 4 Home Care Package give me per week?
There is no fixed number of weekly care hours for each former HCP level or Support at Home classification. Hours depend on your budget, approved services, provider prices, contributions and the 10% care-management allocation.
Key points
- Funding does not guarantee a set number of weekly hours.
- Provider prices directly affect how far a budget goes.
- Compare written quotes using the same service assumptions.
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01Guide sectionHow many hours of care will a Level 1, 2, 3 or 4 Home Care Package give me each week?
Home Care Package levels did not provide a fixed number of care hours.
The number of hours depended on:
the provider’s service prices
the types of services used
whether visits occurred on weekdays, weekends or public holidays
minimum visit times
how much funding was used for care management
whether higher-cost nursing or allied health services were included.
Home Care Packages were replaced by Support at Home on 1 November 2025. People who transitioned from an existing package generally continue to receive funding equivalent to their former package level. Current annual transitioned funding amounts are approximately:
Level 1: $11,272 per year
Level 2: $19,822 per year
Level 3: $43,149 per year
Level 4: $65,416 per year
Ten per cent of the ongoing budget is allocated to care management, leaving approximately 90% available for direct services. (health.gov.au)
02Guide sectionApproximate weekly hours
Using a general weekday support-worker price of approximately $100 to $120 per hour, the funding may provide roughly:
Level 1
Approximately 1.5 to 2 hours per week.
This might provide:
one longer cleaning or personal-care visit each week
two shorter visits
a small combination of domestic assistance, transport or social support.
Level 2
Approximately 3 to 3.5 hours per week.
This might provide:
two or three regular support visits
personal care combined with cleaning
transport or shopping assistance alongside basic household support.
Level 3
Approximately 6 to 7.5 hours per week.
This may support:
regular personal-care visits
domestic assistance
meal preparation
social support or transport
occasional nursing or allied health appointments.
Level 4
Approximately 9.5 to 11 hours per week.
This may support:
frequent personal care
several visits across the week
domestic and meal support
respite
nursing or allied health services
more active coordination of complex needs.
These figures are broad planning estimates only. The current national median weekday prices are approximately $110 per hour for cleaning, $111 for individual social support and $115 for personal care. Nursing and allied health services cost considerably more-for example, registered nursing has a national median price of approximately $180 per hour and physiotherapy approximately $194 per hour. (health.gov.au)
03Guide sectionWhy two people with the same level may receive different hours
A person using mainly weekday cleaning and personal care may receive more hours than someone whose budget includes:
nursing
physiotherapy
occupational therapy
weekend services
public-holiday services
short visits with higher effective hourly prices
more expensive subcontracted services.
For example, a budget of $500 could purchase:
about five hours of a $100 domestic-assistance service
about four hours and 20 minutes of $115 personal care
less than three hours of $180 nursing.
The package level is therefore better understood as a funding amount, not a promised number of weekly visits.
04Guide sectionParticipant contributions can also affect the total services available
Under Support at Home, the budget includes both:
government funding
any participant contributions required for the services received.
Participant contributions are added towards the cost of services rather than simply being deducted from the government allocation.
Clinical services such as approved nursing and physiotherapy attract no participant contribution. Independence and everyday-living services may require a contribution based on the person’s income, assets and pension status.
05Practical actionAsk your provider for a practical budget
Before agreeing to services, ask the provider to prepare a quarterly budget showing:
each service you will receive
the price per hour or visit
the number of visits
your personal contribution
the government-funded amount
how much funding will remain
the approximate average hours of support each week.
Do not accept a vague statement that a package provides “about a certain number of hours.” Ask the provider to calculate the hours using its actual prices and your intended service schedule.
The simplest guide is:
Level 1: around 1.5–2 hours a week
Level 2: around 3–3.5 hours a week
Level 3: around 6–7.5 hours a week
Level 4: around 9.5–11 hours a week
These estimates assume mostly weekday support-worker services priced at around $100–$120 an hour. Your actual hours may be higher or lower.
06Guide sectionWhat should I do next?
Ask providers for a written quote showing the service price, visit length, travel or cancellation rules, your contribution and the estimated hours left for direct care.
07Guide sectionHelpful Local Home Help resources
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