27 February 2023

Aged Care Fee Estimator / Calculator

6 min read

What is an aged care fee estimator?

At Estia Health our goal is to help guide you through the different costs when moving into one of our residential aged care homes and make this process as simple as possible for you.

So, let’s start with what the Aged Care Fee Estimator and calculator is. You will find this on the My Aged Care website and it can help care recipients estimate the fees and charges they need to pay for aged care. The estimator should be used as a guide only. The fees paid depend on the income assessed by The Department of Human Services or the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Please note, the Aged Care Fee Estimator isn’t a substitute for financial advice. Recipients or their nominees should seek independent legal, financial, taxation or other advice to check how the estimate relates to their circumstances.

What is an aged care fee estimator used for?

The aged care fee estimator is used for people applying for:

  • a Home Care Package
  • a place in an aged care residence

 

If you are applying for services under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), MPS program or Short-Term Care, your costs will be different. Find out more about CHSP or Short-Term Care costs.

Before you get started, you will need to gather some information about your financial situation. If you have a spouse or partner, you should include your combined income, assets and debts.

To get an estimate you will need the total figure for each of these categories:

Your income:

You should include:

  • income support payments from the Australian Government such as the age pension or service pension
  •  net income from rental property
  •  war widow/widower pensions and some disability pensions
  •  net income from businesses, including farms
  •  income from superannuation income streams such as annuities and allocated pensions
  •  overseas pension income
  •  family trust distributions
  •  dividends from private company shares.

 

Do not include interest from your bank accounts or financial investments. That gets calculated automatically using the current government deeming rate.

If you received the one-off cost of living payment of $250.00 – announced as part of the Government's 2022-23 budget – you do not need to include it here.

For more guidance on what income to include, see the Income and Assets Checklist.

Your financial assets:

  • bank, building society and credit union accounts
  • cash
  • term deposits
  • cheque accounts
  • friendly society bonds
  • managed investments
  • listed shares and securities
  • loans and debentures
  • shares in unlisted public companies
  • gold and other bullion
  • gifted assets - if you have gifted amounts above $10,000 in the last financial year or $30,000 in the last five financial years (with no more than $10,000 in any financial year), include the amount above these limits as a financial asset.

 

If you have a partner, enter your combined financial assets. Do not include your family home as a financial asset. Information about your family home is only needed if you enter residential care.

For more guidance on what types of financial assets to include, see the Income and Assets Checklist.

If you are applying for a place in an aged care residence, you will also need:

Value of your family home

Here you need the market value less any mortgage that currently exists. You do not need to get it professionally valued, use your best estimate based on other house sales in the area.

Or if you are in a retirement village, include the net amount of any entry contributions you will get back when you leave.

Your family home can be a house, unit, caravan, mobile home or interest in a retirement village owned by either you or your partner. Granny flats are not included. You can only have one family home and its value may not be included if it remains the long-term home of a close family member or carer who is eligible for income support.

Your superannuation and other assets

You should include:

  • household contents and personal effects (these are typically valued at $10,000)
  • foreign assets including investments, business interests, and real estate
  • investment property
  • special collections such as stamps, art works or antiques
  • superannuation balances
  • private trusts, family trusts, and private companies
  • refundable accommodation deposits and contributions.

 

Your debts

  • Here you should include any loan, mortgage, charge or encumbrance held over any asset which has been included in the categories above.
  • Do not include the value of the mortgage over the family home (if there is one), as this is included as part of the value of your home. And do not include any credit card debt or unsecured personal loans.

 

At Estia Health, we are here to help, you can find further information here or here on our website.

Additionally, you can take a look at our respite or long-term care options.

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