# Home modification funding in Australia: NDIS, Support at Home and other programs

> How the NDIS and the Support at Home program pay for ramps, rails and bathroom changes, with the current dollar tiers, assessment rules and contributions.

- URL: https://homeadaptguide.com/funding/home-modification-funding-australia/
- Publisher: Home Adapt Guide (published by OmaScan Inc.)
- Author: Home Adapt Guide Team
- First published: 2026-10-15
- Last edited: 2026-10-15
- Applies to: Australia
- Topic: NDIS and aged care funding

As of October 2026, an older Australian on the Support at Home program can receive up to $15,390 for home modifications at the HM High tier, set by section 221-5 of the [Aged Care Rules 2025](https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2025L01173/latest/text). The lower tiers are $513 (HM Low) and $2,052 (HM Medium). A person with disability who is an NDIS participant looks to the NDIS instead, which funds home modifications as a support in the participant's plan under its [home modifications guideline](https://ndis.gov.au/understanding-ndis/about-ndis/our-guidelines).

The two schemes work differently. Support at Home pays a fixed tier amount into a notional account that must be spent within 12 months, and the person may pay a contribution. The NDIS sets a budget in the plan from an assessment by an occupational therapist (OT), and builder quotes are needed for complex work.

**Key takeaways**

- **Support at Home tiers:** $513, $2,052 and $15,390 for home modifications, as of October 2026, under Aged Care Rules section 221-5.
- **Time limit:** 12 months to use the funding, or 24 months at HM High if the provider notifies before the 12 months end.
- **NDIS thresholds:** NDIS pages current in August and October 2026 describe minor modifications as generally under $25,000, and complex ones as generally over $25,000.
- **Assessments:** the NDIS needs an OT or home modification assessor report, and 2 itemised quotes for complex work.

## Which program pays for home modifications in Australia?

| Program | Who it is for | What it pays | Assessment | Rules (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDIS | NDIS participants | Home modifications in the Capital (Home Modifications) budget | OT for Category A minor work (June 2025 guideline), home modification assessor otherwise | NDIS Supports Transitional Rules 2024, item 22; NDIS home modifications guideline |
| Support at Home, AT-HM scheme | Older people with a Support at Home home modifications classification | $513, $2,052 or $15,390 per account | Prescription by a registered health practitioner or allied health professional | Aged Care Rules 2025, sections 8-125 and 218-5 to 222-5 |
| Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) | Older people receiving CHSP services | Home adjustments can be delivered under CHSP | Not covered here | Aged Care Rules 2025, section 8-135 |

## How does the NDIS fund home modifications?

The NDIS treats home modifications as an NDIS support. Item 22 of Schedule 1 to the [NDIS Supports Transitional Rules 2024](https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2024L01257/latest/text) covers "supports that design, change or modify a participant's home to help the participant live as independently as possible and to live safely at home," including "installing equipment or changing a building's structure, fixture or fittings" and "regulatory certification requirements for works."

Each modification must meet the NDIS funding criteria, such as being related to the participant's disability, effective and beneficial, legal and safe, and value for money. If it does, the NDIA puts the funding in the Capital (Home Modifications) budget of the participant's plan, according to the NDIA's [Home modifications guideline](https://ndis.gov.au/media/7794/download?attachment) (dated 4 June 2025). The guideline says participants "shouldn't spend any money on home modification supports before they are funded in your plan" if they want the NDIS to pay.

Low-cost items such as grab rails, lever door handles and portable ramps are usually funded as assistive technology, not home modifications. The NDIS [provider guide](https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/home-and-living-providers/home-modifications/guide-providing-home-modifications), current as of 20 August 2026, calls these "simple home adaptations" that "cost less than $1,500 each."

## What is the difference between minor and complex NDIS home modifications?

As of October 2026, NDIS pages describe minor home modifications as straightforward and non-structural, and costing "less than $25,000 in total, generally." Examples include door widening, ramps and stair lifts that do not need structural changes. Complex modifications are "often structural and custom-built," often affect several areas of the home and "cost more than $25,000 in total, generally," with examples such as permanent ramps, stair lifts and changing a bathroom floor to make a stepless shower. The participant page [What are home modifications](https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/home-and-living/modifying-your-home/what-are-home-modifications) (current as of 13 October 2026) uses the same $25,000 figure and says complex work needs "approvals and certificates of completion."

The 4 June 2025 Our Guideline still uses a $20,000 line and splits minor work into two categories: Category A under $10,000, and Category B "between $10,000 and $20,000, or they involve minor modifications to a bathroom floor." The NDIA notes on its guidelines page that it is updating information to reflect new NDIS legislation, so check the current guideline before quoting a category to a participant.

## Who assesses an NDIS home modification, and are quotes needed?

Under the June 2025 guideline, "any occupational therapist can do your assessment" for Category A minor work, including the participant's usual OT. Category B and complex work need a home modification assessor, described as "an occupational therapist who is qualified to recommend more detailed home modification supports." The assessor must be independent of the builder. The guideline sets initial Capacity Building funding of 2 to 10 hours for a minor assessment and 15 to 20 hours for a complex one, and the NDIS publishes assessment templates.

Minor work usually needs no quote, because the NDIA uses "a set NDIS budget based on current market costs" in MMM1 locations. A quote is needed in remote or very remote areas (MMM6 or MMM7). If the set budget is too low, the participant can ask for a review with "2 independent quotes from suitable providers."

Complex work needs "2 itemised quotes," or an estimate from a qualified building cost estimator or quantity surveyor. Builders "must be licensed by your state or territory building authority." A building construction practitioner, independent of the builders, checks the design is possible, and a building works project manager may be funded for high-risk work.

## What about renters and NDIS participants in public housing?

The NDIS funds home modifications "whether you own or rent your home," but needs written permission from the legal owner. Renters must tell the NDIA in writing before funding whether the landlord will want the modification removed at the end of the lease, so the removal cost can be considered. The guideline says minor modifications are likely to be value for money with a lease of at least 12 months, and complex ones with at least 3 years.

In community or public housing, the participant should first contact the state or territory housing authority, which is responsible for "reasonable adjustments" such as grab rails or "a simple access ramp." The NDIS does not fund modifications to group homes, residential facilities or specialist disability accommodation.

## How much does Support at Home pay for home modifications?

The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme pays a tier amount set by the person's classification level. As of October 2026, the Aged Care Rules 2025 (Compilation No. 12, compiled 1 October 2026) set these amounts:

| Classification level | Home modifications (section 221-5) | Assistive technology (section 212-10) |
|---|---|---|
| Transitional | $0 | $0 |
| Low | $513.00 | $513.00 |
| Medium | $2,052.00 | $2,052.00 |
| High | $15,390.00 for a first account | $15,390.00 |

For HM High, the $15,390 applies "if it is the first occasion" a home modifications account is set up at that level. For a later HM High account, the amount is "$15,000 reduced by the total of any amounts debited" to the person's previous HM High accounts (section 221-5(2)(b)).

The account period is 12 months from the entry day. For HM High, it can be 24 months if a registered provider notifies the System Governor "before the end of 12 months" (section 220-5). A person living in a Modified Monash Model area MM 6 or MM 7 also receives a rural and remote supplement of "50% of the tier amount" (section 222-5).

The home modifications service covers both the items and the "prescription and clinical support" delivered "by a registered health practitioner or an allied health professional," including assessing the level of modification needed and fitting or training on the item (section 8-125). Which items are included is set by reference to the Department's AT-HM List.

## Do older people pay a contribution toward home modifications?

Yes, for the items. Section 8-125 places home modifications items in the means testing category "independence," and the prescription and clinical support in "clinical supports." Under section 314-10(2), the general contribution rates for independence are 5% for a full pensioner and 50% for a self-funded retiree, with part-pensioners and seniors health card holders on a calculated rate. Clinical supports are 0% for everyone.

Different rates apply to people who were in the aged care system before the new Act. For the post-2014 home contribution class, the independence rate is 0% for full pensioners and 25% for self-funded retirees (section 314-10(3)). People who were "continuing home care recipient[s]" under the old Act pay 0% (section 314-10(4)).

## Can CHSP clients get home modifications?

Section 8-135 of the Aged Care Rules says the home adjustments service type "can be delivered under" the CHSP. Section 218-5 excludes the "HM CHSP" classification level from the Support at Home home modifications subsidy, so CHSP home modifications are funded through CHSP and not through the tiers above. CHSP funding limits were not available on a primary source when this page was checked, so they are not given here.

## Common questions

### Can someone get both NDIS and Support at Home funding for the same modification?

The two programs serve different groups, and an NDIS support must be one the NDIS is responsible for funding. The NDIS guideline says it does not fund "supports that should be funded by other government or community services." Confirm eligibility with each program before the work is quoted.

### Does a grab rail count as a home modification?

Under the NDIS, a grab rail is usually a simple home adaptation funded as low-cost assistive technology, "less than $1,500 each." In Support at Home, it depends on how the item appears on the AT-HM List. For where to put rails, see [grab rails in Australian homes](https://homeadaptguide.com/standards/grab-rails-australia/).

### Does the NDIS pay for a ramp?

Yes, if it meets the funding criteria. NDIS pages list ramps as minor modifications and "permanent ramps" as complex. For the building rules, see [wheelchair ramp and step-free access requirements in Australian homes](https://homeadaptguide.com/standards/wheelchair-ramp-requirements-australia/).

## Sources

1. Federal Register of Legislation. [Aged Care Rules 2025](https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2025L01173/latest/text), Compilation No. 12 (F2026C01005), compiled 1 October 2026, sections 8-125, 8-135, 212-10, 218-5, 220-5, 221-5, 222-5 and 314-10. Checked October 2026.
2. Federal Register of Legislation. [National Disability Insurance Scheme (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) (NDIS Supports) Transitional Rules 2024](https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2024L01257/latest/text), Schedule 1, item 22.
3. National Disability Insurance Agency. [Our Guideline: Home modifications](https://ndis.gov.au/media/7794/download?attachment), 4 June 2025, via [Our guidelines](https://ndis.gov.au/understanding-ndis/about-ndis/our-guidelines). Checked October 2026.
4. National Disability Insurance Agency. [Guide to providing home modifications](https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/home-and-living-providers/home-modifications/guide-providing-home-modifications), current as of 20 August 2026.
5. National Disability Insurance Agency. [What are home modifications](https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/home-and-living/modifying-your-home/what-are-home-modifications), current as of 13 October 2026.

## How to cite this page

Home Adapt Guide Team. (2026, October 15). Home modification funding in Australia: NDIS, Support at Home and other programs. Home Adapt Guide. https://homeadaptguide.com/funding/home-modification-funding-australia/