By Steve Hadfield, AgedCareActionPlan.au · Last updated: 20 June 2026
In short: If you receive care at home through Support at Home — or you are helping a family member who does — there is no "means tested care fee" as described on most aged care websites. That is a residential care concept. Support at Home uses a different system: percentage-based contributions that vary by service type and pension status. Clinical services like nursing cost nothing. Independence services (personal care, mobility) cost 5–50%. Everyday living services (cleaning, gardening) cost 17.5–80%. One question determines which end of those ranges applies: are you a full pensioner, part pensioner, or self-funded retiree? This guide explains the system that applies to in-home care — not residential care.
If you have searched "aged care means tested fee" or "how much does aged care cost," you have probably landed on pages explaining the residential aged care fee structure. Basic daily fee. Refundable Accommodation Deposit. Means tested care fee. These are real charges — but they apply to people living in a residential aged care facility.
If you receive care at home through the Support at Home program, or you are helping someone who does, none of that applies. There is no basic daily fee. There is no RAD. The "means tested care fee" as described on most websites is a residential-only concept.
Support at Home uses a completely different system: percentage-based contributions tied to the type of service received, scaled to financial situation. The rest of this guide explains that system — and only that system. If you or the person you are helping lives in a residential facility, this page is not for you.
The Support at Home contribution system looks complicated from the outside, but it rests on a single branching question: what is your pension status? The answer puts you into one of four groups, and each group has a clear set of contribution rates.
If you receive the full Age Pension (or another full income support payment), you pay the lowest contribution rates across all three service categories:
Services Australia already has your financial information from the pension assessment. There is no additional form to fill out. Contribution rates are assigned automatically.
If you receive a part Age Pension, your contribution rates fall somewhere between the full-pensioner minimum and the self-funded retiree maximum. The exact rates are calculated by Services Australia using the income and asset information already on file from the pension assessment.
Part pensioners may also pay an additional income-tested fee if income and assets exceed certain thresholds. This fee is separate from service contributions and is capped annually.
If you do not receive a government pension, you are classified as a self-funded retiree and pay the highest contribution rates:
However, if you hold a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, your rates are reduced — closer to part-pensioner levels. This is worth checking: many self-funded retirees qualify for a CSHC without realising it, and the difference in contribution rates is significant.
If Services Australia does not already have your financial details, you will need to complete the Support at Home calculation of your cost of care form (SA456). This is how the government determines your specific rates. Without it, you default to the maximum.
Worth checking: the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. Many self-funded retirees qualify for a CSHC without realising it. Holding one drops your contribution rates significantly — closer to part-pensioner levels. You can check eligibility and apply through Services Australia. This single step can be the difference between paying 80% and paying a much lower rate for everyday living services.
If you receive a pension from the Department of Veterans' Affairs, DVA conducts your income and assets assessment directly — not Services Australia. You do not need to complete the SA456 form. Contact DVA on 133 254 for your specific contribution rates.
This is the single most important thing many people miss: the income and assets assessment is not just a bureaucratic step. It directly controls how much you pay.
If you choose not to complete the assessment — or simply never get around to it — you are classified as "means not disclosed." That classification carries an automatic consequence: you are charged at the maximum contribution rate for every service.
For a full pensioner, this rarely matters in practice — Services Australia already holds your financial information. But for a self-funded retiree who assumes the system has nothing to offer, skipping the assessment can mean paying 80% of everyday living service costs when a lower rate might have applied.
The actionable takeaway: always complete the assessment. Even if you are a self-funded retiree, even if you do not expect a reduction. The assessment is the only way to establish rates that reflect your actual financial position. Contact Services Australia on 1800 227 475 or complete the SA456 form online through your Centrelink account on myGov.
Most guides about aged care costs treat "what you pay" as a single number. Under Support at Home, it is actually two separate charges, and confusing them makes the system harder to understand than it needs to be.
These are the percentage-based charges described above. Every time you receive an independence or everyday living service, you pay your assessed percentage of the cost of that specific service. Clinical services have no contribution.
For example, if a domestic cleaning visit costs $60 and your everyday living contribution rate is 17.5%, you pay $10.50 for that visit. The government pays the remaining $49.50 from your Support at Home budget.
Contributions are "pay for what you use" — if you do not use a service in a given week, you do not pay a contribution for it.
In addition to service contributions, some participants also pay an income-tested fee. This is calculated by Services Australia based on income and assets above a threshold. Full pensioners do not pay this fee. It applies mainly to part pensioners and self-funded retirees whose financial position exceeds the government's minimum thresholds.
The income-tested fee is capped annually. Services Australia calculates the exact amount and includes it in your fee advice letter. Both charges — service contributions and the income-tested fee — count toward the lifetime contribution cap.
Support at Home contributions do not continue indefinitely. There is a lifetime cap that limits how much you will ever pay.
But the cap that applies depends on when you were approved.
Approved after 12 September 2024: The lifetime contribution cap is $137,917.01 (current as at 20 March 2026 indexation). Once total contributions reach this amount, you pay nothing further — the government fully funds remaining services.
Approved on or before 12 September 2024 (No Worse Off Principle): The lifetime contribution cap is $86,185.23 (current as at 20 March 2026 indexation). This lower cap reflects the protections built into the transition from the old Home Care Packages program. If you were assessed as not having to pay fees under a Home Care Package, you will never be asked to pay contributions under Support at Home.
Both caps are indexed on 20 March and 20 September each year, so the dollar amounts adjust over time. Your fee advice letter from Services Australia states which cap applies and how much has been contributed to date.
One important detail: the lifetime cap is shared between home care and residential care. If you later move into a residential aged care facility, contributions already paid under Support at Home count toward the residential lifetime cap.
If you are experiencing financial hardship and cannot afford your assessed contributions, you can apply for a fee reduction supplement through Services Australia. The application uses a separate form — the Aged Care Claim for Financial Hardship Assistance (SA462).
Services Australia will assess your income, assets, and essential expenses. If you have access to less than 15% of the basic Age Pension amount after paying essential expenses, you may qualify for a full reduction. Partial reductions are also available.
Do not wait until the situation is critical. Apply as early as possible — and make sure you have a current income and assets assessment in place first, because Services Australia cannot assess a hardship claim without one.
If you receive personal care — help with showering, dressing, or continence — the cost of those services is about to drop to zero.
Currently, personal care sits in the Independence category. Depending on pension status, you pay between 5% and 50% of the cost of these services.
On 1 October 2026, the Australian Government is reclassifying personal care from Independence to Clinical. Since clinical services have a 0% contribution rate for everyone, this means personal care will become fully government-funded — regardless of income, assets, or pension status.
This change has been confirmed by the Department of Health and is proceeding as planned. It does not require any action — the reclassification happens automatically.
If personal care is a significant part of your service plan, this represents a real cost reduction. It is worth factoring into any financial planning you are doing now.
Step 1: Confirm pension status. This determines which contribution group applies. If you are unsure, contact Services Australia on 1800 227 475 or check your Centrelink records.
Step 2: Make sure the income and assets assessment is complete. For full pensioners, this is usually already done. For part pensioners, Services Australia uses existing pension data. For self-funded retirees, complete the SA456 form — online through your Centrelink account on myGov, by calling 1800 227 475, or at a Services Australia service centre. For DVA pension recipients, contact DVA on 133 254.
Step 3: Check the fee advice letter. Once the assessment is processed, Services Australia sends a fee advice letter stating exact contribution percentages and which lifetime cap applies. If you completed the assessment before starting services, this letter is valid for 120 days. If you have not received this letter, contact Services Australia to request it.
Step 4: Use the My Aged Care fee estimator. Before the fee advice letter arrives, the Support at Home fee estimator on the My Aged Care website can give a rough indication of expected contributions. It is an estimate only — the fee advice letter is the authoritative source.
Step 5: Notify Services Australia of any financial changes. If income or assets change, you must notify Services Australia within 28 days. They will recalculate contribution rates and issue an updated fee advice letter.
The means test determines what percentage you pay. But knowing the percentage is just the start — you also need to make sure every dollar of your budget is actually spent on services you need, not absorbed by fees you did not know you could challenge.
See the Complete System →No. Residential aged care uses a different fee structure — basic daily fee, accommodation costs, and a means tested care fee. Support at Home uses percentage-based contributions tied to service categories (clinical, independence, everyday living). The contribution rates depend on pension status and financial assessment, not on a daily fee calculation.
You are classified as "means not disclosed" and charged at the maximum contribution rate for all services. For a self-funded retiree, this means up to 50% for independence services and up to 80% for everyday living services. Completing the assessment is always worthwhile, even if you expect the rates to stay high.
It depends on when you were approved. If approved after 12 September 2024, the cap is $137,917.01 (indexed 20 March 2026). If approved on or before 12 September 2024, the No Worse Off Principle applies and the cap is $86,185.23 (indexed). Both are indexed on 20 March and 20 September each year.
If you receive personal care services (showering, dressing, continence support), yes. Personal care is being reclassified from the Independence category to Clinical on 1 October 2026. Clinical services have a 0% contribution rate, so personal care will become fully government-funded for all participants.
You can apply for financial hardship assistance through Services Australia using the SA462 form. If approved, the government pays some or all of your contributions. You need a current income and assets assessment in place before applying. Contact Services Australia on 1800 227 475 to start the process.
You do not need to reapply, but you must notify Services Australia within 28 days of any change in your financial circumstances. Services Australia will recalculate your contribution rates and issue an updated fee advice letter.
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This guide is for information only — not legal, medical, or financial advice. Verified against the Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Rules 2025. Check myagedcare.gov.au for current rates and rules.