If you entered an aged care home before 1 July 2014, you may have paid for your accommodation as an accommodation bond or as an accommodation charge. It depends on what level of care you needed when you first entered care, and the outcome of your assets assessment.
Accommodation charges were used if you were assessed with high-level care needs on the date you first entered care. You can find more information about accommodation charges on this page.
Accommodation bonds were used for residents who have low-level needs or moved into an extra service place with high care needs. You can read more about this on our accommodation bonds page.
What is an accommodation charge?
How much is the accommodation charge?
How do I pay my accommodation charge?
Can my accommodation charge amount change?
What is an accommodation charge agreement?
Moving aged care homes
How to make a complaint
How much is the accommodation charge?
The accommodation charge is different for each resident. It is based on the total assessed value of your assets when you entered care. It also varies based on when you first entered care.
If you entered care before 30 September 1997
There is no accommodation charge. You cannot be asked to pay one.
If you entered care before 1 July 2004
Provided you have not had a break in care of more than 28 days (other than approved leave), you can only be asked to pay an accommodation charge for a total of five years. The five-year period can be across more than one aged care home.
If you entered care before 20 March 2008
Your aged care home worked out your accommodation charge amount based on the assets assessment done by your provider. You can be asked to pay an accommodation charge the whole time that you are in care.
If you entered care before 1 July 2014
Services Australia worked out the amount of your accommodation charge based on your assets assessment. You can be asked to pay an accommodation charge for the whole of your time in care.
A full list of the current rates and charges, including maximum accommodation charge rates, is provided in the Schedule of Fees and Charges for Pre-1 July 2014 Residential and Home Care Recipients.
How do I pay my accommodation charge?
The accommodation charge is a daily amount. You may pay this amount as a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly payment to your aged care home. You cannot be asked to pay the accommodation charge more than a month in advance.
Can my accommodation charge amount change?
No. Your charge amount cannot change while you are at the same aged care home. This is because your assessed assets are fixed when you first move into the home. If your assets go up or down, it won’t affect your accommodation charge amount.
What if I move to a new aged care home?
You may choose to have a new assets assessment when you move to your new home. This may result in a lower accommodation charge, but cannot result in a higher charge than before. How much your accommodation charge changes, or if it changes at all, also depends on when you first entered care.
If you paid an accommodation charge at your previous aged care home, you cannot be asked to pay an accommodation bond at your new aged care home.
Read more about moving aged care homes and how it may affect your accommodation charge further down this page.
What is an accommodation charge agreement?
Your aged care home should have offered you an accommodation charge agreement when you first entered care.
An accommodation charge agreement must include:
- your date of entry to the service
- the agreed accommodation charge
- how the accommodation charge will be paid (limited up to one month in advance)
- when the accommodation charge is due
- whether paying the accommodation charge entitles the resident to specific accommodation or additional services
- any financial hardship provisions that apply to you
The accommodation charge agreement may be included as part of your resident agreement or it may be a separate document.
If you transfer to a new aged care home and choose to keep your current fee arrangements, your new provider must offer you a new accommodation charge agreement. This must be done within 21 days from the date that you move into the new home.
Moving aged care homes
If you move to another aged care home after 1 July 2014, you can keep your current fee arrangement, or opt in to the new fee arrangements (after 1 July 2014).
Keeping your current fee arrangement
You can only choose to keep your current fee arrangements if you have not had a break of more than 28 days between living at either aged care home. If you have left care for more than 28 days, your fees will automatically be calculated using the fee arrangements that were introduced on 1 July 2014.
If you are going to keep your current fee arrangement, you may wish to contact Services Australia to have your asset details updated. Some government supports for your accommodation are dependent on this information.
What will my new accommodation charge be?
When you move to a new aged care home, how much your accommodation charge changes (if at all) can vary depending on when you first entered care.
If you entered care before 30 September 1997
Your new aged care home cannot ask you to pay an accommodation charge.
If you entered care before 1 July 2004
If you entered an aged care home before 1 July 2004, you could only be asked to pay an accommodation charge for a total of five years. Because of this, your new aged care home can only ask you to pay an accommodation charge for the remainder of the five-year period (if any).
If you entered care before 20 March 2008
You cannot be asked to pay an accommodation charge that is higher than the maximum daily accommodation charge you agreed to when you entered your first aged care home. However, you are responsible for telling your new home the amount that you were paying at your old home.
If you had concessional or assisted status with your first aged care home, you should contact Services Australia to provide your asset details to your new aged care home. If they don’t receive this information, you cannot retain your concessional / assisted status.
The current maximum accommodation charge rates are available in the Schedule of Fees and Charges for Pre-1 July 2014 Residential and Home Care Recipients.
If you entered care before 1 July 2014
You cannot be asked to pay an accommodation charge that is higher than the maximum daily accommodation charge you agreed to when you entered your first aged care home. The government will write to you and your new aged care home to tell you how much you can be asked to pay.
The current maximum accommodation charge rates are available in the Schedule of Fees and Charges for Pre-1 July 2014 Residential and Home Care Recipients.
If your assets have decreased since you entered your first aged care home, you may wish to have a new assets assessment when you move to your new home. This may result in a lower accommodation charge and more government support for your accommodation costs.
You can update your assets assessment by contacting Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA).
Opting in to the new fee arrangements (after 1 July 2014)
Accommodation charges and accommodation bonds have been replaced by accommodation contributions and accommodation payments since 1 July 2014.
To opt in, you need to complete the Continuing Care Recipient opting into the New Aged Care Arrangements from 1 July 2014 (AC022) form and have your provider submit it to Services Australia before you transfer.
If you do not submit this form before you transfer, you will automatically keep your current fee arrangements. Once this is done, it cannot be changed. You should discuss opting in with your new aged care provider beforehand.
Your provider will also need to give you to read New Arrangements for Aged Care from 1 July 2014 – Residential Care.
Read more about the post-1 July 2014 fee arrangements on the aged care homes costs and fees page.
How to make a complaint
If you have any concerns about your accommodation charges, there are two ways you can make a complaint:
- Speak to the manager at your aged care home about your concerns.
- If you are not comfortable raising your concerns, or cannot resolve your concerns with your aged care home provider, you can contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
Read more about how to make a complaint.