Permanent Care Fees and Accommodation Charges
You can be asked to pay the following fees in residential care:
- A basic daily fee: This covers living costs such as meals, power and laundry. For some people this is the only fee they are required to pay.
The basic daily fee is 85% of the single person rate of the basic age pension. From 20 March 2024, the single rate of the basic age pension is $1,020.60 per fortnight, making the basic daily fee (from 20 March 2024 to 19 September 2024):
- $61.96 per day; or $867.44 per fortnight.
This amount is indexed with the age pension. This applies even if you are a member of a couple.
- A means-tested care fee: This is an additional contribution towards the cost of care that some people may be required to pay. The Department of Human Services (Centrelink) will work out if you are required to pay this fee based on an assessment of your income and assets and will advise you of the amount.
- An accommodation payment: This is for your accommodation in the home. Some people will have their accommodation costs met in full or part by the Australian Government, while others will need to pay the accommodation price agreed with the aged care home. The Department of Human Services (Centrelink) will advise you which applies to you based on an assessment of your income and assets.
The amount you actually pay will be based on an asset and means test conducted by the Department. Further information on how these fees are calculated are included with this pack as well as a form “Permanent Residential Aged Care Request for a Combined Assets and Income Assessment” that needs to be completed and submitted to the Department of Human Services.
At CVL the maximum price that you can be charged for a room at CVL is a refundable deposit (RAD) of $230,000.00 or daily payments (DAP) of $52.55 or a combination of both.
You have 28 days after entering CVL to decide how you want to pay your accommodation payment. You can chose:
- A refundable accommodation deposit as a lump sum payment, the balance of which is refunded when you leave.
- A daily accommodation payment as a rental style payment that is paid on a regular basis, payable up to a month in advance, and is not refundable.
- A combination of the two.
Residents can choose to pay for their accommodation by a refundable deposit, a daily payment, or a combination of both. A refundable deposit is paid as a lump sum amount. A daily payment accrues daily and is paid periodically, for example monthly. A combination payment includes both a partial lump sum and daily payments.
You can choose to pay for your accommodation payment with both a part lump sum refundable accommodation deposit and ongoing rental style daily accommodation payments. You can negotiate the amount of lump sum and rental style payments with CVL.
Example of a combination payment for a room at CVL
A resident could pay, for example, 50% of the price by a refundable deposit of $115,000.00 and 50% of the price by daily payments of $26.27.
These prices are valid as of 1st April 2024. They are subject to change and will be adjusted quarterly in line with changes to the maximum permissible interest rate (MPIR which is currently 8.34%).