> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.visualcare.com.au/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Support at Home agreements
> Understand how Support at Home agreements differ from HCP, covering funding structure, budget types, participant contributions, and bulk agreement creation
Support at Home (SAH) agreements replace Home Care Package (HCP) agreements for aged care clients. This article covers SAH agreement setup and key differences between the two funding models.
## Overview
The Support at Home Program is the Australian Government's funding model that replaced:
* **Home Care Packages (HCP)** - transitioned 1 November 2025
* **Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC)** - transitioned 1 November 2025
* **Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)** - transitioning in 2027
## Key differences between HCP and SAH
| Aspect | HCP | SAH |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------- |
| **Claiming** | Monthly bulk submission | Claim anytime (weekly or monthly) |
| **Invoicing** | Single invoice per participant | Split invoices (government and participant) |
| **Reconciliation** | Not needed | Needed from Services Australia |
| **Service codes** | HCP service codes | Government SAH service list |
| **Budgets** | Package levels | Quarterly budgets with classifications |
| **Care management** | Bundled in fees | Tracked separately (10% of ongoing budget) |
## SAH funding structure
### Budget types
| Funding type | Description |
| ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **Quarterly Budget** | Government funding released every three months |
| **Classifications (1 to 8)** | Levels of ongoing funding (higher means more support) |
| **Unspent Funds** | Up to A\$1,000 or 10% rolls over each quarter |
| **HCP Unspent Funds** | Old HCP balances carried into SAH |
| **Supplements** | Extra funding for special needs |
### Short-term pathways
| Pathway | Duration | Funding | Purpose |
| -------------------- | -------------- | --------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| **Restorative Care** | Up to 16 weeks | A\$6,000 | Help participants regain function |
| **End-of-Life** | 12 weeks | A\$25,000 | For people with three months or less to live |
| **AT-HM Scheme** | Varies | Varies | Equipment and home modifications |
### Care management
* 10% of the ongoing budget is automatically allocated to care management
* The Care Management Pool (CMP) is quarantined for care coordination activities
* Care Partners deliver and record care management activities
## SAH service types
| Code | Service type | Description | Attachments needed |
| ------ | -------------------- | ---------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| **AT** | Assistive Technology | Equipment and devices | Yes (receipts or invoices) |
| **CM** | Care Management | Care coordination | No |
| **EL** | Everyday Living | Personal care, domestic help | No |
| **HM** | Home Modifications | Ramps, rails, modifications | Yes (receipts or invoices) |
| **RC** | Respite Care | Short-term relief care | No |
| **ON** | Home Support Ongoing | Regular ongoing services | No |
## Participant contributions
Contributions depend on the type of service and the participant's financial situation:
* **Clinical Supports** (for example, nursing) - no contribution required
* **Independence** (for example, personal care) - 5% to 50% contribution depending on financial status
* **Everyday living** (for example, domestic assistance) - 17.5% to 80% contribution depending on financial status
## Agreement management tips
Extending an agreement end date is possible, but consider:
* If services need to be removed, creating a new agreement is cleaner so the old one cannot be rostered
* Agreement and service budgets may be affected
* Recurring services in rosters need to be extended manually or through the Roster Template Wizard
If a shift includes both Everyday Living and Independence services, you have two options after mapping services:
* Split the shift into two segments within one roster entry
* Create two separate shifts
Split shifts with no gap between them do not trigger the broken shift allowance. For a genuine break, use the standard break method in the roster.
Participants receiving HCP on or before 12 September 2024 have protected contribution rules. All participants move to SAH claiming through Visualcare. Transitional rules apply for grandfathered participants - refer to government guidance for details.
There is no change to how external expenses are processed under SAH. Continue to add the item as an **Expense** in the participant profile, mark it as a **Charge**, and link it to the relevant agreement and service item. If using an import file, make sure all required details are included.
## Bulk creating agreements and adding services
If you need to set up SAH agreements for multiple clients at once, use the bulk agreement and service tools.
Go to the client profile list. Use the column chooser to add any filters you need, then tick the clients you want to create agreements for. Click **Bulk Create Agreement**.
Select **Support at Home** as the Agreement Type. Set the Start Date and End Date, then add a reference to help identify the batch - for example, "AT" for Assistive Technology or "HM" for Home Modifications. Click **Create**.
Navigate to the client agreement list. Filter by Agreement Type and the reference you used in the previous step to locate the agreements you just created.
Tick the agreements you want to update, then click **Bulk Edit**. Click the down arrow and select **Add Services**. Filter for the service type you need, select the relevant services, and click **Add Selected Services**. Click **Confirm** to save.
Using a consistent reference (for example, "AT" or "HM") makes it easy to filter and locate bulk-created agreements in the agreement list.
## Running into issues?
See [Client management troubleshooting](/troubleshooting/general) for common errors and fixes.
## Related articles
Manage budgets, statements, and financial exports for SAH clients
Track care management time and activities
General guide to creating client agreements