Our research and submission to the Senate inquiry show the government should immediately release the additional packages. But its not yet clear whether it will do so.

What are home care packages?

It found in-home care can prevent the avoidable decline of older people’s health and independence, enable them to remain a part of their local community, and delay (or avoid) entry into residential aged care or hospital.

The waiting list went down. Now it’s up again

Number of people with a home care package and waiting for a home care package

Number of people with a home care package and waiting for a home care package. Source: The Conversation / UTS Ageing Research Collaborative

However, from mid-2023 the government reduced the release of new packages to a little over 30,000 per quarter. Meanwhile, the number of older people being approved for a package continued to grow in line with Australia’s ageing population.

As a result, waiting lists rose strongly each quarter and reached 87,597 by March 2025.

What was due to start in July?

However, the start of the new Aged Care Act 2024 — and the rollout of the 83,000 additional packages — was subsequently deferred until November 1 2025. At the time, the government said the supporting regulation was not fully ready for consideration by Parliament in time to allow older people, providers and the workforce to prepare for the changes.

What has the Senate inquiry found so far?

Greater transparency about how long older people actually have to wait would help hold the government to account.

Longer-term issues yet to be addressed

Michael Woods receives funding from government agencies to conduct research on aged care policy.

Jin Sug Yang, Louise Malady, and Nelson Ma do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.