The Federal Government is about to open the taps on Home Care Packages – pledging to release more than 3,000 new Packages a week over the next three weeks as it races to meet its commitment to deliver 20,000 Packages by 1 November.

In September, Health Minister Mark Butler and Aged Care Minister Sam Rae bowed to pressure from crossbenchers, Greens and Liberal Senators, agreeing to reverse the decision to withhold 83,000 Packages until the rollout of Support at Home on 1 November 2025.

Under the revised timeline, the Ministers committed to releasing 20,000 Home Packages by 1 November, a further 20,000 by early 2026, and the remaining 63,000 by 1 July 2026.

Today (Tuesday 7 October), Minister Rae confirmed 6,665 new Home Care Packages have already been released, with 10,000 to be allocated by the end of this week.

That means Packages have been rolling out at more than 1,000 a week so far – but the pace will need to triple to meet the Government’s promise.

“Older Australians deserve the care these packages will deliver and we’re proud to be getting more care to more people, even faster,” Minister Rae said. “Labor’s delivery of these packages means more older Australians will get the care they need, when they need it – taking pressure off hospitals and giving so many the world-class care they deserve in the places they love.”

Average wait times for a Home Care Package currently stretch up to 11 months.

The wave of Packages now set to enter the market should ease those delays – but it also throws the Government’s earlier decision to pause the releases into sharper relief.