Skip to navigation Skip to content

Aged Care fees and charges – care subsidy reduction to zero 065-19103005

This document outlines the circumstances when a care recipient has their care subsidy reduction (CSR) set to zero. It provides information for when a manual letter can be issued to confirm CSR to zero.

Care subsidy reduction (CSR) to zero

Step	Action
1	Check if care recipient is still in care and determine start date Confirm care details by checking Aged Care Staff Portal (ACSP): Locate care recipient record from Care Recipient search Care recipient summary screen will display entry and departure for all care types Care recipient > Event summary screen will display departure reasons Is this care recipient currently in any Support at Home service or residential care? Yes, go to Step 2 No, go to Step 6
2	Review period of care that CSR to zero applies What period of care is the enquiry related to? Current period of care: Care recipient is still in care with the same provider, go to Step 3 Previous period of care: Care recipient is no longer in care, go to Step 6 Care recipient is now in care with a new service provider, go to Step 6
3	Check if fees set for current care period Check ACSP – Fees and charges > Fees and charges details Have fees/contributions been set for this care recipient? Yes, go to Step 4 No, further remediation is needed before advice is given see Profiling and manual refresh of aged care means assessment data once fees are set, CSR to zero or rate reduction will be applied automatically for previous periods of care, go to Step 6 procedure ends here
4	Has a fee advice been issued for current care period Check to see if the care recipient has been correctly notified of their care subsidy reduction: ACSP Correspondence > Letters summary for home care (pre-1 November 2025, Support at Home and residential care ACSP Care recipient > Care recipient notes for home care (pre-1 November 2025) Support at Home and residential care ACMPS Communication History for home care and residential care recipients ACMPS Notes tab – for home care and residential care For residential care recipients, RC39 letters sent from ACMPS before 14 November 2015 qualify as fee advice as they contain the means tested fee RC39 letters sent after this date do not contain a means tested fee. The care recipient has not been correctly notified of their fees Customer First – Document Tools and Document List Has the care recipient received advice of fees within 6 months of entry into care? Yes, CSR to zero does not apply for the current care period For previous period of care, go to Step 6 Procedure ends here No, Go to Step 5
5	No fee advice issued and remains in care When fees are set and advice issued to the care recipient more than 6 months after entry, the care recipient does not pay any ITF/MTCF/contribution from the date of entry until the day before the advice was issued. The care recipient is issued with an advice which states: the period of $0 fees or 0% contribution, and the correct ongoing fees/rates These advices commenced automatic production in February 2019. For any CSR to zero period before February 2019 a manual calculation may be required. Action required: Service Officers are to escalate to ICT through MySupport when: fees have been set more than 6 months after entry into care 7 days have elapsed, and the fee advice has not been issued Service Officers are to refer for further investigation when: fees were set more than 6 months after entry into care, and an incorrect advice was issued use Fast Note - select Auto Text use Aged Care > Enquiry > Aged Care Man Adj Request Fees Procedure ends here
6	Care recipient departed before registered provider receives fee advice Fee advice must be sent before to the departure date. Check the following to decide whether a registered provider has been correctly notified: ACSP Correspondence > Letters summary for home care and residential care ACSP Care recipient > Care recipient notes for home care and residential care ACMPS Communication History for home care and residential care recipients ACMPS Notes tab – for home care and residential care Customer First – Document Tools and Document List Note: Previously the fee advice must have been sent at least 7 days earlier than the departure date, where sent within 7 days of the departure, CSR to zero was applied. Is the care recipient requesting a letter to confirm that they are eligible for CSR to Zero? (including where a care recipient transfers to another facility, has not passed away and requires a letter) Yes, Service Officers who complete Deceased Manual assessments, go to Step 8 to create a work item to refer to Deceased Manual assessment team, go to Step 7 Letter auto generated after departure – resend if required No, document outcome of investigation in Customer First and ACSP procedure ends here
7	Create a work item requesting a manual letter be issued Creation and issue of a manual letter confirming CSR to zero is restricted to staff with the MANADJ or RCADEA skill tag. Use Fast Note - select Auto Text use Aged Care > Enquiry > Aged Care Departed CR – Man Let Req Procedure ends here
8	Issue manual CSR to zero letters For Aged Care – Manual deceased assessment staff only Care recipient is now departed from care. They require a manual letter advising that they do not have to pay any ITCF/MTCF/contribution for their time in care. Details of letter types are available in Aged care letter codes and descriptions. Issue a manual letter for each entry into care where CSR to zero is to be applied: Complete the relevant letter templates for advice to: Care recipient and nominee if applicable – if not deceased Estate of care recipient – if care recipient deceased Service provider Upload PDF copies to the Customer First record as Form Type: UNS005 – Financial See Attaching electronic documents to a Centrelink customer's record for assistance On the letter PDF file, select the Print File icon letter is sent to local printer letter is then manually posted to required addressee
9	Document action taken In Process Direct for home care (pre-1 November 2025) and residential care Add a DOC through Auto Text in Fast Note: Category 1: select Aged Care Category 2: select Assessment Template: select Aged Care – CSR to Zero – Granted Text: add/edit information as indicated In ACSP for home care (pre-1 November 2025) Go to Care recipient > Care recipient notes: Select Add note Subject: Correspondence fee advice issued and uploaded to ACMPS DD/MM/YY S88(1)(b) applied for periods DD/MM/YY to DD/MM/YY for SVC <insert Service name and ID>, and DD/MM/YY to DD/MM/YY for SVC <insert Service name and ID> In ACSP for residential care Go to Care recipient > Care recipient notes: Click on Add note Subject: Correspondence Add note including all relevant care periods if covering different providers: fee advice issued and uploaded to Customer First DD/MM/YY S39(1)(b) applied for periods DD/MM/YY to DD/MM/YY for SVC <insert Service name and ID> DD/MM/YY to DD/MM/YY for SVC <insert Service name and ID> In ACSP for Support at Home Go to Care recipient > Care recipient notes: Select Add note Subject: Correspondence fee advice issued and uploaded to ACMPS DD/MM/YY. Contribution rate reduction applied for periods DD/MM/YY to DD/MM/YY for SVC <insert Service name and ID>, and DD/MM/YY to DD/MM/YY for SVC <insert Service name and ID>