FEES

Twilight Aged Care fees and charges information for residents & carers

What are the fees and charges?
The Department of Health & Ageing determines the daily care fees payable for accommodation and care in a residential aged care facility. All residents (with the exception of former prisoners of war) pay fortnightly fees determined by income, ranging from 85% of the Basic Pension. Fees are increased twice yearly—usually March and September.

What are income tested fees?
Income tested fees are additional fees payable for care and accommodation and are determined by CentreLink following admission to a residential aged care facility. Income tested fees are applied to residents with income from investments, or other income producing assets.

What are the four rates of daily care fee?
The restructured rates are a result of the 2009 Budget measure, Secure and Sustainable Pensions.

updated 20th March 2010

Residents’ basic daily fees will be determined based on details such as their income and date of entry, as follows:
Standard resident contribution – applies to most aged care residents, including full pensioners and some part pensioners with lower amounts of private income.
Protected resident contribution – applies to people in care on 19 Sept. 2009 who did not get the benefit of a pension increase, including part-pensioners with private income amounts above a set threshold ($218 per fortnight) and self-funded retirees who were in permanent aged care on 19 Sept. 2009.
Phased resident contribution – applies to people who enter care on or after 20 September 2009 who did not get the benefit of a pension increase, including part pensioners with private income amounts above a set threshold ($218 per fortnight) and self-funded retirees who enter care on or after 20 Sept. 2009. This rate will increase to 78% of the basic age pension in March 2010.
Non-standard resident contribution – applies to certain people who entered care prior to 20 March 2009, including those self-funded retirees who entered care before 20 March 2008; pensioners who have agreed to pay a big bond; or residents who have chosen not to disclose their financial information to Centrelink.

How are daily care fees charged?
Daily care fees are charged fortnightly in advance by direct debit. Twilight Aged Care does not invoice residents for daily care fees. Residents will be asked to sign a direct debit authority when accepting the offer of a place at a Twilight Aged Care hostel.

How will I know when the fees change?
Twilight Aged Care will advise each resident or their nominated representative when fees change. Twilight Aged Care will give two weeks’ notice in writing of a change in fees before drawing down the new fee and any arrears that might be payable if a fee change has occurred in the middle of a payment period.

How are residents Classified?
Supported Residents are people who receive an Australian Government Income Support payment in part or full; who have assets no greater than $36,000, and who have not owned a home for 2 years prior to entry to a residential aged care facility.

Non-supported Residents are people who are self funded retirees, superannuants and others who do not receive an Australian Government Income Support payment or pensioners who pay an accommodation bond greater than 10 times the annual aged pension.

Is the family home considered an asset?
A home is not included as an asset if:

• A spouse or dependent child is living in the home
• A carer eligible for a income support payment (carer benefit) has been living in the house for 2 years or more, and
• A close relative eligible for a pension has been living in the home for at least 5 years.
• Income from the rent of the property is used to fund an accommodation bond or periodic payment