If you're worried about the money · Updated June 2026
"Can we even afford this?" — low-means & government-funded aged care
This is the worry that keeps families up at night, so here's the reassuring truth first: no one is turned away from aged care for being unable to pay. If your income and assets are low, the government covers your accommodation and you pay close to just the basic daily fee. Here's exactly how it works.
$0
accommodation cost for a fully supported resident
$67
basic daily fee — the same for everyone
Never
turned away for being unable to pay
What "supported resident" means
If a person's income and assets are below the government thresholds, they're classed as a supported resident. The government pays their accommodation cost directly to the home (an accommodation supplement of up to $72/day as at 20 March 2026), so the resident pays $0 for their room. They still pay the basic daily fee ($67/day, which everyone pays), and a means-tested care contribution that can be $0 if means are low. Every home must reserve a share of its places for supported residents.
The family home is treated gently
The biggest fear is "do we have to sell Mum's house?". The home is fully exempt from the assets test if a spouse, or another protected person (a dependent child, or a carer who's lived there long enough), still lives in it. Even when it is counted, it's only counted up to a capped value — never its full market value. You often don't need to sell it at all. The free Services Australia Financial Information Service (132 300) can walk you through your specific situation.
The quality is the same
A supported resident gets the same nursing, the same meals, the same care standards and the same ACQSC star rating as someone paying a $900,000 Refundable Accommodation Deposit down the corridor. A higher room price buys a nicer room, not better care. Use our home finder and judge homes on their ACQSC rating, not their RAD.
The one step: submit the Services Australia income & assets assessment (form SA457) to get your exact determination, and call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 (free) to get started. This is general information, not personal financial advice.
Want help finding homes that take supported residents?
Tell us where you are and we'll help you find good homes near you that take low-means residents — judged on care quality, not price. Free for families, no obligation. My Aged Care (1800 200 422) is always free too.
Thanks — we're on it.
We'll be in touch within one business day with a hand-picked shortlist of homes that fit. If it's urgent, you can also call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
Common questions
Low-means aged care — your questions
Is there free or government-funded aged care in Australia?
Aged care is heavily government-subsidised for everyone, and for people of low means the government also pays the accommodation cost. If your income and assets are below the thresholds, you become a "supported resident": you pay $0 towards your room (the government pays the home an accommodation supplement of up to $72/day on your behalf), and you only pay the basic daily fee of $67/day plus any care contribution you can afford. It is not "free" — everyone pays the basic daily fee — but no one is turned away for being unable to pay.
Will my parent be turned away if they can't afford it?
No. Every approved aged-care home must take a proportion of supported (low-means) residents, and care cannot be refused because of the means assessment. The person gets the same care, the same quality standards and the same ACQSC star rating regardless of whether they're a supported resident or paying a full Refundable Accommodation Deposit. Get them safe first; the financial assessment (Services Australia form SA457) can be done in parallel and fees back-date.
How do I know if my parent qualifies as a supported resident?
It's based on a combined income and assets test run by Services Australia. As a rough guide, someone whose total assessable assets are below the asset free area ($64,500 as at 20 March 2026) is fully supported; above that, support tapers off through a "partially supported" band before you reach paying your own way. The family home is treated specially — it's exempt entirely if a spouse or other "protected person" still lives there, and otherwise only counted up to a capped value. Submit form SA457 to get the exact determination; the free Services Australia Financial Information Service (132 300) can talk it through.
What does a supported resident actually pay?
The basic daily fee of $67/day (everyone pays this — it covers meals, laundry, cleaning), plus a means-tested care contribution that can be $0 if income and assets are low. Accommodation is covered by the government. So a fully supported resident with little income pays close to just the basic daily fee. This is general information, not personal financial advice — confirm your situation with Services Australia.