Rent Assistance (RA) for care receivers 108-18102230

This is care provided to a customer assessed as being eligible for permanent residential aged care.

The aged care service will be accredited by the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC).

The customer’s cost of care is determined by an Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) assessment.

Customers in an Australian Government funded permanent residential aged care receive a residential care subsidy. The subsidy is payable directly to the aged care service under the Aged Care Act 1997. They are not entitled to RA.

For more details see Change of address to an aged care home.

This is care provided:

• to a customer in permanent residential aged care or similar care
• at an aged care service that is not accredited through the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) for that place (bed)
• a residential care subsidy is not payable under the Aged Care Act 1997 for that place (bed)

General funding may still be provided, but these types of residential aged care providers are not regarded as funded.

Examples of unfunded care:

• Customers in an unfunded place (bed) in an aged care service that has both funded and unfunded places
• Multi-Purpose Service (MPS) - a service usually operated by local Health services in rural and remote communities where it is not viable to operate separate hospital and aged care services
• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (NATSIFAC)

Customers in these types of unfunded residential aged care may be eligible to receive RA for accommodation fees charged.

If eligible for RA, the rate is based on the rent component (accommodation only) of the fee payable by the resident.

Where the rent component:

• can be determined, the rent type is recorded as MNT - Maintenance fees for nursing home or retirement village
• cannot be determined, the total fee payable by the resident is recorded as rent type BOA - Board and Lodging. The system will automatically apply the two thirds rule to the total amount when calculating the RA entitlement

The Resources page has links to lists of MPS and NATSIFAC services.

Some customers need to reside in a hospital while waiting to be admitted to aged care.

The hospital determines when a customer:

• is assessed as a 'nursing home type patient', and
• has to pay fees even if it is a public hospital

These fees are based on aged care home daily fees.

A customer may be eligible for RA if:

• the hospital stay is not for respite care, and
• they do not occupy a funded bed. This means the residential care subsidy is not payable under the Aged Care Act 1997 for that place (bed)

If the customer is eligible for RA, the rate is based on the rent component (accommodation only) of the fee payable by the patient.

Where the rent component:

• can be determined, the rent type is recorded as MNT - Maintenance fees for nursing home or retirement village
• cannot be determined, the total fee payable by the patient is recorded as rent type BOA - Board and Lodging. The system will automatically apply the two thirds rule to the total amount when calculating the RA entitlement

Respite care is provided for a permanently disabled care receiver, giving respite to their usual carers. RA cannot be paid for respite care fees.

RA is payable to the customer in approved respite for up to 52 days if they:

• were paying rent for their principal home immediately before going to respite care, and
• they continue to pay rent for their principal home while in respite care

The 52 days is not cumulative. It starts again for each respite care period.

Residents in the National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care (NATSIFAC) program are:

• treated as residential care recipients in a Commonwealth funded place, and
• not funded under the Aged Care Act 1997

RA is payable to NATSIFAC residents who:

• get an eligible social security payment
• pay rent as a component of their aged care fee, and
• pay rent above the rent threshold

The rate of RA is based on the rent component (accommodation only) of the fee payable by the NATSIFAC resident.

Where the rent component:

• can be determined then the rent type would be recorded as MNT - Maintenance fees for nursing home or retirement village
• cannot be determined, then the total fee payable by the resident would be recorded as rent type BOA - Board and Lodging. The system will automatically apply the two thirds rule to the total amount when calculating the RA entitlement

NATSIFAC residents are not classified as ineligible homeowners and are excluded from the general ineligible homeowners rule. This is because they are regarded as an income support recipient who is in a care situation. For more details search ineligible homeowners in the A-Z of Rent Assistance terms and codes.

RA can be assessed for customers who are living in care services such as a Supported Accommodation or Supported Residential Services.

RA for a temporary address can be assessed where the customer lives in temporary accommodation for at least 14 days to:

• receive a substantial level of care (other than respite care)
• access specific medical treatment not available where they live

If the customer is eligible for RA the rate is based on the rent component (accommodation only) of the fee payable by the patient.

Where the rent component:

• can be determined then the rent type would be recorded as MNT - Maintenance fees for nursing home or retirement village
• cannot be determined, then the total fee payable by the patient would be recorded as rent type BOA - Board and Lodging. The system will automatically apply the two thirds rule to the total amount when calculating the RA entitlement

Staff can assess RA separately for each member of a couple where:

• they are separated due to illness, and
• a relevant relationship qualifier has been recorded

If RA is payable it is calculated using the single persons rent threshold and maximum rate. See:

• Rates and Thresholds
• A-Z of Rent Assistance terms and codes.