**From 1 November 2025, the Support at Home Program will replace the Home Care Package Program, introducing major changes to how home care is delivered and managed. Please refer to the latest information in our Support at Home Hub.
How much will you need to contribute towards your Support at Home package or residential aged care room?
Here is an introduction to My Aged Care’s Fee Estimator tool, and a summary of aged care costs in Australia.
Australia’s supportive aged care system is government subsidised, and the amount an individual must contribute towards their care depends on their financial situation – specifically their assets and income.
A senior receiving the full aged pension may not need to contribute much extra towards the cost of aged care services, while a homeowner with significant assets and income may be required to pay several fees, contributions, and payments.
My Aged Care Fee Estimator
My Aged Care’s Fee Estimator is an online tool that can help you plan for your future.
It is a simple calculator that can give you a general idea of the aged care fees that will apply to you, depending on your circumstances.
You can use the fee estimator to estimate both Support at Home Package costs, or what it will cost you to move into a room at a residential aged care facility.
The calculator will ask you about:
- Your relationship status (are you single, married or in a de facto relationship?)
- Your annual income and total financial assets (combined with your partner if you are in a relationship)
- Your home (if you own one), mortgage/ownership details, and who is currently living in it.
The figures the Fee Estimator provides are approximate. The exact amount you pay will depend on your financial situation when you enter care and the provider you choose.
You can try the My Aged Care fee calculator here to get a general idea of residential aged care or Support at Home package costs: Fee estimator: How much will I pay? | My Aged Care
At Aged Care Decisions we can help you at every stage of your aged care journey. We are a FREE aged care placement service that helps thousands of Australian families each month.
Here’s how our FREE aged care matching service works:
Aged Care Fees and Charges in Australia
The Australian Government’s Schedule of Fees and Charges for Residential and Home Care is updated twice a year (20 March and 20 September). See Schedule of Fees and Charges for Residential and Home Care for more information.
In Australia, fees and charges for residential aged care are broken down into three areas:
Basic care fee:
Every aged care resident pays the same basic care fee. This is a standard fee that is not means tested. The basic care fee covers day-to-day living costs in the facility including meals, cleaning, laundry, and administration. It is usually a monthly or fortnightly payment.
The basic daily care fee is set at 85% of the standard full aged pension and is currently $66.80 per day. If you are on a pension, this fee will be paid from your pension, directly to the aged care facility.
Means-tested fee:
The means-tested fee is calculated based on a resident’s income and assets, including their home if they own one. This is an ongoing fee that contributes to the cost of personal and clinical care.
Means-tested fees are determined by an assessment coordinated by Centrelink or the Department of Veteran Affairs.
The maximum means tested care fee an aged care home can charge you as of 20 March 2026 is:
- $35,910.43 per year, or
- $86,185.23 over a lifetime.
Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) or Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP):
The Refundable Accommodation Deposit covers the cost of a room in a residential aged care facility. It is sometimes referred to as a ‘aged care bond’.
The RAD is negotiated between the resident and the aged care facility. The average RAD in Australia is about $470,000 but prices can vary greatly depending on location and facility.
The Australian Government will cover the RAD if a resident has income below $35,313.20 and assets below $64,500. A resident with an annual income over $86,185.23 and more than $214,884.00 in assets will be asked to pay the full RAD for their accommodation.
The RAD is normally fully refunded to a family upon exit. This amount can also be elected to be paid as a Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP), which is non-refundable.
Here is some more information about Refundable Accommodation Deposits and how they can be organised and paid: Rad in Aged Care | Rad Payment Aged Care | Aged Care Decisions
Here is more information about the DAP (Daily Accommodation Payment) and how it is calculated: All about the Maximum Permissible Interest Rate (MPIR) (agedcaredecisions.com.au)
Additional or ‘extra’ service fees
In addition to the three categories of fees and charges described above, aged care homes may offer additional services such as hairdressing, pay TV, specialised menus, or custom fittings and furnishings. If you agree to additional services or an ‘extra services’ room, extra fees may be negotiated with the facility. Additional and extra fees are not subsidised by the government.
Support at Home Costs
Support at Home is the national in‑home aged care program that replaced the former Home Care Packages system from 1 November 2025.
Instead of receiving a package with separate management fees, you are approved for Support at Home services and receive a government‑subsidised budget based on your assessed care needs. You then pay agreed prices for the specific services you receive.
How Support at Home budgets work
- After an aged care needs assessment, you may be approved for Support at Home services.
- The Australian Government funds a Support at Home budget based on your assessed care needs.
- You may also be asked to pay a participant contribution, depending on your income and assets.
Your Support at Home budget can be used to pay for services such as personal care, nursing, domestic assistance, meals, transport and social support, up to your approved level of need.
Service prices
Under Support at Home, providers cannot charge separate package management or administration fees, unlike under the old Home Care Package program.
Instead, providers set a price for each service (for example, an hourly rate for personal care or cleaning) and must include all administration, coordination and travel costs in that price.
Support at Home providers are required to publish their common service prices on the My Aged Care website and on their own websites. Prices must also be clearly set out in your written service agreement before services start.
Participant contributions under Support at Home
Some people will be asked to make a participant contribution towards certain Support at Home services.
This contribution is worked out through an income and assets assessment by Services Australia (or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs for eligible veterans). The assessment determines how much you contribute, not whether you can access services.
- People with lower income and assets may not be asked to contribute at all.
- People with higher income or assets may be asked to contribute more.
- Clinical services remain fully government subsidised.
There is a lifetime cap on how much you can be asked to contribute towards non‑clinical Support at Home services. This cap is indexed over time.
The My Aged Care Fee Estimator can give you an indication of whether you may be asked to contribute and how much.
For current contribution limits, refer to the Schedule of Fees and Charges for Residential and Home Care.
What you actually pay
What you pay out of pocket depends on:
- your approved Support at Home budget
- any participant contribution you are assessed to pay
- the service prices you agree with your provider
If your income and assets are low, you may not be required to contribute at all.
If you have higher income or assets, you may be asked to contribute more, but a lifetime cap applies to how much you can be asked to pay.
As at 20 March 2026, the lifetime cap for Support at Home contributions is:
- $135,318.69 for new participants approved from 1 November 2025, and
- $84,571.66 for grandfathered Home Care Package recipients approved before 12 September 2024.
Once you reach the applicable lifetime cap, you won’t be asked to make further contributions toward non‑clinical Support at Home services
You can use the My Aged Care Fee Estimator to see how these rules may apply to your situation, then speak with your provider or a financial adviser for personalised advice.
How can I find a suitable aged care provider?
This is where Aged Care Decisions can help. As Australia’s leading aged care placement service, we are passionate about helping families through the aged care journey.
We use our custom-built software to match you with current residential aged care vacancies or Support at Home providers that suit your budget, location, care needs and personal preferences.
We then create a custom aged care Options Report for you, with less fuss, less stress and at no cost to you.
It’s easy to compare aged care options when you have all the information you need in one place.
Our service is 100% free for families because providers pay us a set fee on placement – so we are 100% independent and completely unbiased.
Connect with us today and we will assist you in your aged care journey.
