The Government has finally confirmed the size of the Home Care Package backlog after weeks of pressure in Parliament – and it’s bigger than most expected.
During heated Senate debate today (Wednesday 3 September), Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston (pictured above), revealed on the record that 108,924 older Australians were waiting for the right level of Home Care Package as of 31 July 2025.
The figure represents a 24% increase in the number of older Australians waiting for their correct level of home care in just four months.
After further questioning about why the latest figure – which is usually published within six weeks – had not been released, the Government’s aged care spokesperson in the Senate, Senator Jenny McAllister, confirmed the number.
In July in SATURDAY, we predicted the waiting list would blow out to 130,000 by November.
The Independents, Greens, and Liberals have joined forces in the Senate to push back against the Government’s amending Bills for the new Aged Care Act, citing the ballooning backlog. At last week’s Senate Inquiry into the Delivery of Aged Care Services, evidence also revealed more than 121,000 people are waiting for assessment, and nearly 5,000 died in 2025–26 before receiving the care they had been approved for.
Meanwhile in the House of Representatives, new Aged Care Minister Sam Rae has been repeatedly hammered over the delays, with Question Time dominated by home care.
Wait list returns to pre-Royal Commission levels
The July figure takes the waiting list back to levels seen before the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was called – see the chart below.
The Royal Commission’s Final Report found that as of 30 June 2020, 102,000 older Australians were waiting for care. Five years later, the wait list now stands more than 6,000 higher than at that point.
“Wait times for the assignment of Home Care Packages have been unacceptably long for several years,” the Commission said in its 2021 Report. “This must be addressed urgently. We recommend that the Australian Government should clear the Home Care Package waiting list by immediately increasing the packages available.”
Government target seems out of reach
The Albanese Government has committed to reducing the average time to receive a Home Care Package to three months by 30 June 2027.
But with consumers currently waiting up to 15 months for their approved level of care – and more than 109,000 still in the queue – that target looks increasingly out of reach.
