Advocacy & Rights
Four Corners reveals 153,000 waiting on full home care funding
Advocacy & Rights
Four Corners reveals 153,000 waiting on full home care funding
Advocacy & RightsPolicy & LegislationPricing & Funding
The Weekly Source · 3 min read · 2 hours ago
Original source
Summarised by Stellar
Key points5 points
- 153,000 people are waiting for full Support at Home funding, including 54,000 on interim packages as of 31 March 2026, versus the official 107,000 figure.
- The assessment algorithm uses only a fraction of its 500+ questions, placing the burden on consumers to challenge outcomes, similar to robodebt.
- Reassessment delays are severe—Sean Dorney waited five months for a reassessment, leaving him with funding for only three showers a week.
- Hospital waitlists for aged care have risen 25% since Support at Home launched on 1 November 2025, straining the health system.
- Experts urge an end to rationed care and more prevention spending to reduce long-term health costs.
Summary
ABC's Four Corners exposed significant gaps in the Support at Home program, revealing 153,000 people are waiting for full funding—46,000 more than official figures suggest. The program highlighted opaque assessment algorithms, long reassessment delays, and inadequate funding levels, with former ABC journalist Sean Dorney receiving only three showers a week. Aged care experts called for an end to rationed care and greater investment in prevention. Providers should anticipate increased scrutiny and potential policy shifts as the government responds to public pressure.