What Happened
The Department of Health and Ageing has confirmed that 141 of 757 review requests lodged under the Support at Home programme up to 31 March resulted in a more favourable outcome for the older person. That is close to one-fifth of all contested decisions. The outcomes included eligibility for more services, a different classification, a higher classification level, or a higher priority category.
The department declined to provide more current data when asked by the Guardian.
The IAT was introduced in November. It works by having an assessor ask an older person questions about their physical, social and personal circumstances. An algorithm then uses that data to allocate a level of government-funded home support. Assessors cannot override the algorithmic decision, even when they believe the person has been allocated less support than they need.
The Greens told the Guardian the tool is "under-assessing" older people at a rate well beyond what the review figures capture. "We know the integrated assessment tool is under-assessing older people far in excess of what the applications for reassessments would suggest," the party said in a statement reported by the Guardian. "Many would not be applying for reassessment, and many reassessments are unsuccessful due to the fact that the tool did not make a mistake, it was working as designed when it denied them adequate care. The way the tool is set up makes it systematically incapable of accurately determining need for those with cognitive issues, mental health conditions and frailty."
Why It Matters
The IAT is the gateway to government-funded home support for older Australians. When it allocates a lower level of support than a person needs, the practical consequence can be earlier entry into residential aged care. The Greens argue the tool's design makes it structurally unable to assess people with cognitive issues, mental health conditions, or frailty with accuracy.
The review figures themselves may understate the problem. Many older Australians may not know they can contest a decision, and the Greens say review requests have grown six-fold, with families reporting they are "fighting with a computer in a system that's become impossible to navigate."
The Greens also raised the question of what happens to people waiting for a review outcome: "How many people waiting for a decision were admitted to hospital or respite or permanent care while waiting for a decision and hoping to get a higher level support at home package to remain living at home?" The party said "many older people don't have the luxury of time."
The Aged Care Act states the system is supposed to be person-centred. Critics say the current appeals process contradicts that principle.
Key Details
The IAT was introduced in November and applies across aged care to determine eligibility and classification for services, including Support at Home. The assessor's role is to gather information; the algorithm makes the funding decision. Assessors have no power to override the outcome.
Data provided by the department covers review requests up to 31 March only. Of 757 requests, 141 led to a change in outcome more favourable for the older person. The department did not provide figures beyond that date.
The Greens described the situation as the government choosing to "put their faceless algorithm in charge of deciding who gets care, and who gets left behind."
Background and Context
Support at Home replaced the previous Home Care Packages programme. The IAT was designed to create a consistent, standardised assessment process across aged care services. Assessors gather information in person, but the algorithm determines the funding level and the assessor cannot override it.
The ABC reported in June 2026 that aged care minister Sam Rae defended the IAT, saying the tool was working as intended. Critics, including the Greens, have disputed that characterisation, arguing the tool's design produces systematic errors for particular cohorts of older people.
What Comes Next
The Senate has passed a bill to amend the IAT, but the bill had not been scheduled for debate in the House of Representatives as of the Guardian's reporting on 19 August. The Greens said: "The Senate has passed a bill to fix the mess of the integrated assessment tool but Labour is refusing to debate it in the House of Representatives. Australians are right to feel let down."
The Department of Health and Ageing has not indicated when it will release more current data on review outcomes.