If you’re in financial hardship

If you’re having trouble paying your costs, you can apply for financial hardship assistance. You can apply before you start getting aged care services.

If we grant your claim for assistance, we’ll pay some or all of your costs. How much we pay depends on your situation. We’ll pay this to your aged care provider on your behalf. You’ll be responsible for paying any remaining costs.

You’ll need to meet the financial hardship assistance eligibility requirements before we can assess your claim.

If you’re getting support in your home

You can apply to get financial hardship assistance to get help with your Support at Home means tested contributions.

If you began getting a Home Care Package before 1 July 2014, you can’t get this financial hardship assistance. However, you can negotiate lower aged care costs directly with your home care provider.

If you’re in an aged care home

You can apply to get help with your residential care fees and accommodation costs. You can’t get financial assistance for any fees you and your provider have agreed to that are for additional care and services. Find out more about aged care home costs and fees on the myagedcare website.

The type of fees we can help with depends on which fee arrangements you have been assessed under.

Under the 1 November 2025 fee arrangements, you may get help with your:

• basic daily fee
• hotelling contribution
• non-clinical care contribution
• accommodation costs.

Under the 1 July 2014 fee arrangements, you may get help with your:

• basic daily fee
• means tested care fee
• accommodation costs.

Under the pre-1 July 2014 fee arrangements, you may get help with your:

• basic daily fee
• income-tested care fee
• accommodation costs.

If you get residential respite care

You can apply to get help with your basic daily fee.