Someone posted a comment at download.com about updates ending on March 1, 2005.
I hope that isn’t true!!! If that is true, that means another one going the route of the monster anti-virus software companies. 
A good example was CA back in June, 2001 . RIP Innoculate IT.
No, there are no plans to stop support for the free version.
It could be this person had a look in “Avast about” and saw a experiation date.
With Avast Home you have to get a new (FREE!) key every 14 months to keep being able to get the (FREE!) vps updates.
This way Alwil can see (aproximatly) how many people are using it.
There are (as far as I know) no plans whatsover to stop the Avast Home or support for it.