Providing financial details when accessing aged care

Clients accessing a Home Care Package or Residential Aged Care generally need to provide or update their financial details to have their fees determined.

For many clients receiving a means-tested income support payment, a simple option is to call the Services Australia - Aged Care Line.

Providing financial information when commencing aged care

When accessing a Home Care Package or entering Residential Aged Care, Services Australia or the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) generally assess a client’s income and asset details to determine the amount of fees payable.

As clients who receive a means tested income support payment[1] from Centrelink or DVA have already provided their financial details to receive the payment, when they subsequently access aged care services these financial details are used to assess their aged care fees.

As a result, it is very important for clients in this situation to update their financial details as it may impact the amount of aged care fees they will be charged, including whether they are assessed as a low means resident when entering Residential Aged Care.

In addition, clients receiving a means tested income support payment (e.g. Age Pension) who are entering Residential Aged Care and own their former home, will need to provide information about their former home to enable Services Australia or DVA to determine its assessment when calculating the means tested amount.

Clients receiving an income support payment

As clients who receive a means tested income support payment have already provided their financial details, the amount of information they are required to provide when accessing aged care services is reduced.

They are generally not required to complete:

·       Residential Aged Care Calculation of your cost of care form (SA457), or

·       ‘Aged Care calculation of your cost of care’ form through Centrelink online via myGov.

Instead, they can call the Services Australia – Aged Care Line on 1800 227 475 and in most cases provide updated financial details over the phone including information regarding their former home (if applicable).  In some cases, they may need to complete forms or provide additional documentation.

Alternatively, if they receive a payment through DVA they can contact DVA on 1800 838 372.

Services Australia - Aged Care Line

Clients can access information regarding their income and asset details and aged care fee calculations via the Services Australia – Aged Care Line.

If someone other than the aged care resident is contacting the Aged Care Line, it is important that they have been appointed as a nominee.

If they own their home and they are entering Residential Aged Care, they will be asked to provide information about their home such as whether a spouse or other protected person[2] resides in the home.  In some cases, the client may be asked to provide documentation regarding the home by uploading documents online.

The Aged Care Line can issue a Fee Advice Letter (valid for 120 days) which will outline:

·       Basic daily care fee

·       Means tested care fee (if any)

·       Whether they are a low means resident or need to pay the agreed room price.

Many Home Care Package providers and Residential Aged Care Facilities request a copy of the Fee Advice letter when determining whether they can provide aged care services for the client. 

Aged care forms

If clients would prefer not to contact the Aged Care Line, another option for clients receiving a means tested income support payment is to update their financial details through the general channels - Centrelink online (via myGov) or by attending a Centrelink office or calling the Centrelink – Older Australian line on 132300. 

If they are entering residential aged care and own their home, they can complete a ‘Residential Aged Care Property details for Services Australia and DVA customers form (SA485)’.  Alternatively, they can complete the information about the former home with Centrelink online (via myGov) by completing a shorter version of the ‘Aged care calculation of your cost of care’ form.

Clients not receiving a means tested income support payment

Where a client is not receiving a means tested income support payment, either because they are a self-funded retiree or because they are receiving a payment that is not means tested (such as Age Pension (blind)), they will generally have to provide their full financial details as they have not previously been provided to Centrelink or DVA. 

Clients entering residential aged care have 2 options:

·       Complete the Residential Aged care calculation of your cost of care form (SA457), or

·       Apply through Centrelink online via myGov, Aged Care calculation of your cost of care

Clients commencing a Home Care Package also have 2 options:

·       Complete the Home Care Package Calculation of your cost of home care (SA456), or

·       Apply through Centrelink online via myGov, Aged Care calculation of your cost of care

If the client does not wish to disclose their income and asset details, they can provide this information on the form.  In this case they will be charged the maximum fees for Residential Aged Care or Home Care Packages.

Once the forms are processed, a Fee Advice Letter will be issued which will be valid for 120 days.

[1] Centrelink income support payments include Age Pension, Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment.  Department of Veterans’ Affairs income support payments include Service Pension, Income Support Supplement and Veterans Payment.

[2] Where a protected person resides in the home, the asset value of the home is exempt from the means tested amount assessment. A protected person is: a partner or dependent child (under 16 or a fulltime student under age 25), a carer who has resided in the home for two years and is eligible to receive an income support payment, or a close relative (parent, sister, brother, child or grandchild) who has resided in the home for five years and is eligible to receive an income support payment.