Aged care for pensioners with no assets: What you can get and what you pay

Pensioners with no assets can get Support at Home, the government-funded home care program that replaced Home Care Packages. A care assessment decides whether you qualify, so having no savings doesn't stop you. Full pensioners also pay the lowest contribution rates.

The Support at Home income and assets assessment, which sets what you contribute, leaves out your family home. Clinical supports, such as nursing, cost nothing. Financial hardship assistance can help if you can't afford contributions for other services.

Can you get aged care with no money or assets?

Having no money or assets doesn't stop you from accessing Support at Home. You don't need to own a home or hold savings to apply for an aged care assessment. Three separate steps decide your services, your costs, and your provider:

1. Care needs: An aged care assessment decides which services you're eligible for.
2. Contributions: A financial assessment sets the rates you pay, and the government pays a larger share when your means are lower.
3. Provider: You choose a provider and agree on your services in a service agreement.

A low financial assessment doesn't confirm you're eligible for care, and it doesn't guarantee a place straight away. Funding is allocated by priority category and approval date, so you may wait.

What does "no assets" mean for aged care?

In aged care, having "no assets" means owning little that counts in your income and assets assessment. The assessment covers nearly everything you own except your family home. These everyday assets count toward it:

• Bank balances: Money in bank accounts and cash you hold
• Investments: Shares and managed investments
• Superannuation: Your superannuation balances
• Property and overseas assets: Investment property and assets held overseas
• Household contents: Furniture and personal effects, counted at a standard value
• Excess gifts: Gifts above the allowed limits, which count as a financial asset that's deemed to earn income

Your family home is exempt from the asset tests in the Support at Home program. Services Australia also assumes a set rate of income from your financial assets, which is called deeming. You don't need literally zero assets to pay the lowest rates, because thresholds follow the Age Pension.

Check that your income and assets assessment is on file, because anyone who isn't assessed is asked to pay the maximum contribution rate. You can complete the assessment before or after services start. Services Australia applies the correct rate from your start date.

Full and part pensioners don't start from scratch with the income and assets assessment. Services Australia uses the details from your pension assessment to set your Support at Home contribution rates.

What do pensioners pay under Support at Home?

Full pensioners pay the lowest standard rates, which are 5% of the price for independence services and 17.5% for everyday living services. Clinical supports cost nothing.

The no worse off protection applies to people who had, or were approved for, a Home Care Package by 12 September 2024. Full pensioners with this protection pay nothing for any service type.

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Clinical supports include nursing and podiatry. Since 1 October 2026, they include approved personal care.

Independence services include support to attend appointments. Everyday living services include cleaning and gardening.

Your Support at Home contribution is a percentage of each service's price, so a higher price means a higher contribution. The fee estimator on My Aged Care estimates your contribution.

Who gets the no worse off protection?

The no worse off protection covers people who were already in the Home Care Packages system on 12 September 2024. They were receiving a package, waiting on the National Priority System, or approved for one.

Full pensioners with the no worse off protection pay nothing, as they paid no income-tested care fee before. If you were assessed as not having to pay fees, you'll never be asked to pay contributions. Ask your provider to confirm which schedule applies to you.

What if you still can't afford your contributions?

You can apply for financial hardship assistance if you can't afford your Support at Home contributions. Services Australia assesses your claim, and the approved amount goes to your provider. Tell your provider as soon as you apply, so they can pause your contributions.

You apply for hardship assistance with the SA462 form, or you can call Services Australia for a printed copy. To qualify, you need an income and assets assessment, assets under the hardship limit, and no gifts above the allowed amounts.

How do you apply for Support at Home?

You apply through My Aged Care, and the process runs from registration to your first service. Call 1800 200 422, Monday to Friday 8 am to 8 pm or Saturday 10 am to 2 pm. The steps are:

1. Register: Register with My Aged Care and answer a short screening questionnaire.
2. Assessment: An assessor meets you, usually at your home, to understand your care needs.
3. Funding: Once approved, you wait for funding, which is allocated by priority category and approval date.
4. Financial assessment: Services Australia sets your contribution rate from your income and assets.
5. Provider: You find a provider within 56 days of funding being allocated, then sign a service agreement.

If you need more than 56 days to find a provider after funding is allocated, you can ask My Aged Care for a 28-day extension. You can also ask your assessor to refer you to a provider.

Where can you get free help?

Services Australia's Financial Information Service offers free financial information and education. You can book a face-to-face appointment with an Aged Care Specialist Officer in selected locations on 1800 227 475. The Aged Care Advocacy Line, 1800 700 600, offers free and independent support.

FAQs

Do you need an ACAT assessment?

No, you don't need an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) assessment, because the Single Assessment System replaced ACAT on 9 December 2024. A needs assessor now carries out your assessment, usually at your home. You still start by registering with My Aged Care.

Will you have to sell your home to pay for Support at Home?

No, selling your home isn't part of Support at Home. Your family home is exempt from the asset tests, and you pay only a percentage of each service. If contributions become hard to manage, you can apply for hardship assistance.

Is there a limit on what you'll pay over your lifetime?

Yes, a lifetime cap applies to non-clinical contributions, and Services Australia tracks it for you. A lower cap applies if you have the no worse off protection. Both caps are indexed on 20 March and 20 September each year.

Who does the financial assessment if you receive a DVA payment?

The Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) does your income and assets assessment for Support at Home if you receive a means-tested DVA payment. DVA passes your details to Services Australia. Services Australia still sends your fee advice letter.

Get help with Support at Home from Sensible Care

At Sensible Care, we deliver Support at Home services, including self-managed Support at Home. Our team can explain your assessment and contribution rate, and review your statements. To talk through your situation or book a free consultation.

These amounts are set by the Australian Government and change at least twice a year. Check health.gov.au for the current amounts before you make a decision.