If you are an older person, read more about the income and assets assessment on the My Aged Care website.
Overview
Participant contributions are paid by participants and based on an income and assets assessment by Services Australia.
Contributions will be different for each participant and will be based on:
- the type of service the participant received
- the amount of services the participant received
- the outcome of their income and assets assessment
- their pension status.
Completing an income and assets assessment
Services Australia uses income and asset details to work out how much a participant will contribute to their Support at Home costs.
If someone receives a government payment, such as Age Pension or other types of income support, Services Australia may already have their financial information.
If Services Australia does not already have a participant’s current financial details, they will need to complete an income and assets form (SA369) once approved for Support at Home.
Participants must notify Services Australia within 28 days of any changes in their financial status that may impact their contribution.
If a participant receives a Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) pension, DVA will do their income and assets assessment.
When to complete the assessment
Participants can complete an income and assets assessment before or after entering into a service agreement and starting to receive Support at Home services.
If completed before, participant letters from Services Australia outlining contribution rates are valid for 120 days. Participants will need a reassessment if there have been significant changes to their income and assets in this time.
If completed after, you can make an agreement with a participant to collect contributions before Services Australia advises on their contribution rate.
- If they paid less contributions than required, Services Australia will deduct the funding overpayment from your next payment, and you will need to recover the remaining contributions from the participant.
- If they paid more contributions than required, you must refund these to the participant.
‘Means not disclosed’ participants
Completing an income and assets assessment is not mandatory. However, participants who choose not to complete one are considered ‘means not disclosed’ and will be asked to pay the maximum participant contribution rate.
What you need to do
As their provider, you must support participants to understand contributions and their income and assets assessment.
This may include providing information about:
- the consequences of not disclosing their income and/or assets
- how to request a review of the assessment decision by Services Australia (or DVA if applicable)
- how to apply for financial hardship assistance through Services Australia.
If required, a participant can complete an Authorising a person or organisation to enquire or act on your behalf form (SS313) with Services Australia.
Participant contribution rates
Services Australia will notify participants of their contribution rates.
This will occur regardless of whether the participant completed an income and assets assessment, or Services Australia already had their financial information.
Services Australia will apply the correct participant contribution rate and backdate this to the date the participant entered Support at Home.
Read more about notification of participant contributions in Chapter 9 of the Support at Home program manual.
Adjustments to participant contributions
Participant contributions may be adjusted due to a:
- delayed income and assets assessment for new participants
- change to their pension or income support amount
- change in their financial circumstances.
Read more about adjustments to participant contributions in Chapter 9 of the Support at Home program manual.
Find out more
Read:
- Chapter 9 (participant budget and contributions) of the Support at Home program manual
- Support at Home participant contributions - Fact sheet
- Hardship assistance for aged care – Fact sheet.