Senators to target Support at Home at upcoming Senate Estimates

The Shadow Minister for Aged Care Anne Ruston and ACT Senator David Pocock are planning to go hard on the Government’s aged care reforms in the upcoming Senate Estimates.

Community Affairs is next before Senate Estimates in two weeks’ time - on Wednesday 11 February and Thursday 12 February 2026, although the final program is not yet finalised.

Senator Ruston told The Weekly SOURCE the revelation during the last round of Senate Estimates the Government’s Interim Packages were secretly included in the new Aged Care Rules was “absolutely shocking”.

The inclusion "proves" the Government cares more about “protecting its budget than ensuring older Australians receive the care they have been assessed as needing”, she said.

Interim Packages will mean some older Australians will lose up to 13% of the funding the Government’s own assessment found they need, according to the Shadow Minister.

Older people experiencing increase in wait times: Pocock

Senator Pocock said the partial funding of Packages is “short-sighted, short-term policy making” that will have a “compounding negative effect” on both household and Government budgets. 

“I’m looking forward to the ongoing Senate Inquiry chaired by Senator (Penny) Allman-Payne ... alongside Senate Estimates and other parliamentary oversight mechanisms,” he said.

Senator Pocock said he is deeply concerned about Support at Home.

“From the feedback I’ve received, older Australians are experiencing a net reduction in support and an increase in waiting times,” he said.

Residential aged care bed shortages are also on his radar.

“I’m hearing from Canberrans that a lack of respite care and residential aged care beds is meaning their loved ones are having to go to hospital and some are having extended stays there while they try to get into aged care,” he said. 

We will be following Senate Estimates closely. Watch this space.