There are fees for optional services that are in addition to or of a higher quality than those required to be provided
The current optional fees up to 31 October 2025 are
- additional service fees
- extra service fees.
These will be replaced by the new optional higher everyday living fee (HELF) from 1 November 2025
Transition period
Residents may continue to pay additional service fees or extra service fees up until 31 October 2026. Any agreements to pay additional or extra service fees that are still in place on 1 November 2026 will cease to have effect
Residents who were paying additional or extra service fees may choose to
- continue to receive additional or extra services under the new HELF
- stop receiving additional or extra services
From 1 November 2025 providers can't enter into new additional or extra service agreements
Providers can't ask residents to pay a higher everyday living fee at the same time as additional or extra service fees
Higher everyday living fee (HELF)
From 1 November 2025, a new optional higher everyday living fee (HELF) will be introduced to enable residents to receive additional or higher quality services.
Higher everyday living fees are for residents in respite and permanent residential aged care.
Higher everyday living services
Residents can choose to pay a fee for services that go beyond what is required to be provided under the new Aged Care Act, including the Aged Care Quality Standards and residential care service list.
The higher everyday living fee can't be charged for accommodation costs, which are to be included in accommodation pricing.
Costs, bundles and packages
Residential aged care homes can determine the cost of higher everyday living services. They don't have to seek approval from the government or the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA).
Higher everyday living services can be provided as a bundle or package. However, services in a bundle or package must also be available separately, and a resident can't be worse off than if they separately paid for the services that they can use.
Your responsibilities as a provider
The HELF provides important new consumer protections that providers must adhere to.
Service offering
Providers must be able to show that the services offered as part of the HELF are in addition to, or of a higher level than, those that are required to be provided.
People can't be asked to pay for a service that they can't or won't use. This does not prevent the inclusion of a service a person can't use being in a bundle, but they must still not be worse off than if they paid only for the services they can use
HELF agreements
Providers must:
- not agree on higher everyday living services before a person has entered care
- outline the cost of each higher service to be delivered in a person's higher everyday living agreement, the standards and frequency at which they will be delivered and how they will be charged
- comply with the 28-day cooling off period for higher everyday living agreements
- review a person's higher everyday living agreement with them at least once a year to ensure they still want the services and are able to use them
- only increase the fees and charges a person has agreed to by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Read more about higher everyday living agreements.
Explaining the HELF to residents
You can provide a copy of the higher everyday living fee fact sheet to help explain it to residents in your care.
Extra service fees
You may have extra service status for your whole service or individual rooms in the service. You can only charge an extra service fee to residents who occupy an extra services room.
IHACPA approves extra service fees. Providers must set out these fees in an extra services agreement.
Additional service fees
If the resident agrees, you can charge additional service fees for services not outlined under Schedule 1 of the Quality of Care Principles 2014. This includes
- services you are not otherwise required to provide under Schedule 1
- services substantially better than the standard that you must provide under Schedule 1
If you are charging additional service fees, you must give the resident an itemised account of the services and their costs. This should list the individual services and their costs. It's not enough to group services together or give a total cost
The frequency of providing the itemised account should be
- agreed with the resident
- in a reasonable timeframe – for example, monthly if you charge fees every month
- only while the resident is accessing the agreed additional services
When you can't charge additional service fee
You must ensure any fees you charge to residents are consistent with aged care legislation
Providers can't charge additional service fees for
- specified care and services outlined in Schedule 1 of the Quality of Care Principles
- services or activities that are part of the normal operation of an aged care home
- services required as part of your provider responsibilities
- services already covered by the payment of an extra service fee or an accommodation payment
You can't charge fees for ‘asset replacement' or ‘capital refurbishment', including
- maintenance inside and outside the aged care home
- any repairs or replacements needed because of normal wear and tear
- general refurbishment of the resident's room after they have left the aged care home
- services or activities that are part of the general operation of the aged care home
- services or activities that are required to deliver care to the resident
- employment of administration staff whose job mainly involves the general running of the aged care home
- capital costs, asset management or replacement
Prior to 1 November 2025
Prior to 1 November 2025, if the resident agrees, you can commence to charge additional service fees for services not outlined under Schedule 1 of the Quality of Care Principles 2014
If you are charging additional service fees, you must give the resident an itemised account of the services and their costs. This should list the individual services and their costs. It's not enough to group services together or give a total cost.
When you can't charge these fees
You must ensure any fees you charge to residents are consistent with the relevant aged care legislation, depending on the type of agreement in place at any point in time.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) may receive information about additional service offerings, including through its complaints process.
If you are not meeting your extra, additional or higher everyday living care and service responsibilities, the ACQSC may respond by:
- issuing directions to ensure you make improvements to address the concern
- taking necessary compliance and enforcement action.
Read more about managing fees and accommodation costs, including what to do if you have charged or are charging fees that are not permitted.