When Budgets Tighten, the Home Becomes the Frontline
October 2026 has brought the most significant funding changes the disability and aged care sectors have seen this year. They are arriving on several fronts at once: the NDIS, Support at Home and the housing system.
The people most affected are often the ones already working hardest to stay safely housed. At Residence Revival, we see every day how closely a person's home environment is tied to their safety, independence and wellbeing. This article explains what has changed, and why the home matters more, not less, as budgets tighten.
What changed in the NDIS on 1 October
From 1 October 2026, the NDIA began resetting participant budgets as plans are created, reassessed or renewed. The changes are phased in over roughly 12 months, so many participants will not feel them until their next plan review.
Two support categories are affected:
Social, economic and community participation: reduced by around 50 per cent
Improved Daily Living Skills: reduced by around 10 per cent
Supports essential to critical care and daily living remain protected.
A second change follows close behind. From 15 October 2026, claims lodged more than 90 days after a support is delivered will face additional integrity checks before they are paid. For providers and plan managers, timely invoicing and claiming now matters more than ever.
Aged care: more funding, not enough hands
In aged care, the picture moves the other way. From 1 October 2026, personal care under Support at Home is fully funded for eligible participants, with no out-of-pocket contribution. This covers help with tasks such as showering, dressing and non-clinical continence management.
Removing these contributions also frees up part of a participant's Support at Home budget. For families and aged care coordinators, it is worth a conversation with the provider about what that headroom could now cover in the home.
Yet funding alone does not guarantee care. The aged care program underspent by $1.4 billion, largely because Support at Home payments were lower than expected due to provider capacity constraints. Funding on paper does not help anyone if no one is available to deliver the service.
Housing remains the pressure point
Underneath every funding change sits the housing system. Homelessness NSW reports that 10,170 people seeking help from specialist homelessness services in NSW in 2024-25 were already experiencing persistent homelessness, up from 7,897 in 2019-20.
For people living with disability, mental health challenges or age-related decline, an unsafe or unmanageable home is often the first step toward tenancy breach and housing loss. Keeping a tenancy is far easier than finding a new one.
Why the home matters more as budgets tighten
As plans tighten, every dollar will need to show a clear link to safety, daily living and the ability to stay housed. That is exactly where property support sits. A home that is unsafe, inaccessible or at risk of tenancy breach undermines every other support in a plan.
When community access funding shrinks, more of a person's life happens at home. That makes the condition of the home more important, not less.
Practical steps for support coordinators and plan managers
Review upcoming reassessments early. Document how home environment supports connect to daily living goals and risk.
Claim promptly. Avoid the additional checks on claims lodged more than 90 days after delivery.
Act early on warning signs. Squalor, hoarding or tenancy risk are easier and less costly to address before they escalate.
For families and aged care coordinators
Check whether personal care is approved in the Support at Home plan, and ask the provider how any freed-up budget could support a safer, more manageable home.
How Residence Revival can help
Residence Revival is a registered NDIS provider delivering trauma-informed cleaning, hoarding and squalor remediation, and housing stabilisation services across NSW. Our work is built around one goal: keeping people safe in a home that works for them.
We accept referrals through:
🏠 NDIS
🏡 Support at Home
📋 Carer Gateway
💼 Worker’s Compensation
Current Week 2 Capacity Includes:
✅ Hoarding and squalor support
✅ Housing retention assistance
✅ Environmental stabilisation
✅ NDIS participant property support
✅ Aged care home interventions
✅ Mental health-related property support
✅ Pre-inspection and tenancy assistance
✅ Trauma-informed and compassionate engagement
Current availability across NSW
As at October 2026, our teams have capacity to onboard new participants across much of NSW. Availability is reviewed regularly, so please contact us to confirm scheduling for your client's area.
🧹 Regular Cleaning, Laundry, and Gardening
Our regular domestic services help participants maintain a safe, hygienic and functional home over time. Support is typically scheduled weekly, fortnightly or monthly, giving participants the consistency that makes daily living more manageable and helps protect their tenancy.
🏠 Decluttering, Deep, and Forensic Cleaning
Some homes need more than routine support. Our intensive environmental services cover decluttering, deep cleaning, hoarding recovery and specialised property restoration. These supports are often needed where a living environment presents health risks, severe clutter, sanitation concerns or a risk to the person's tenancy.
Every intervention is delivered with a trauma-informed, non-judgemental approach, so participants feel supported rather than overwhelmed throughout the process.
If a client's plan is coming up for review, or you are seeing early signs that a home is becoming unsafe, now is the time to act.
👉 If you’re supporting someone or someone who is looking to partner for better participant outcomes, let’s connect today.
📞 (02) 4879 9189
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