Who is eligible for government-funded aged care services?
In Plain English
To be eligible for government-funded aged care services in Australia, you generally need to be:
- 65 years or older, or
- An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person aged 50 or older, or
- 50 years or older and homeless or at risk of homelessness.
The System Governor needs to determine that you are eligible for an aged care needs assessment. To do this, they will consider your age and information about your care needs. If you are under 65, you can still access funded aged care services if you elect to do so and are informed about other available services.
Detailed Explanation
The Aged Care Act 2024 outlines the eligibility requirements for accessing government-funded aged care services.
Eligibility Determination for Aged Care Needs Assessment:
According to section 58 of the Aged Care Act 2024, the System Governor must not make an eligibility determination for an aged care needs assessment unless they consider that the individual meets certain criteria:
- Age: The individual must be 65 years or over (58(a)(i)). For Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, the age threshold is lowered to 50 years (58(a)(ii)). Individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness can also be eligible if they are aged at least 50 (58(a)(iii)).
- Care Needs: Information relating to the individual's care needs, as prescribed by the rules, must be provided (58(b)). Aged Care Rules 2025 section 58-5 specifies that this information can include a declaration by the individual, a written statement by a relevant professional (e.g., supporter, health practitioner, aged care worker), or written medical records.
- Individuals Under 65: If the individual is under 65, they must elect to receive funded aged care services in the approved form and be informed of any other services that may be available to meet their care needs (58(c)).
Aged Care Needs Assessment:
Once an eligibility determination is made, the System Governor must arrange for an assessment of the individual's need for funded aged care services (61(1)). This assessment is undertaken by an approved needs assessor using an assessment tool prescribed by the rules (62(1)). The Aged Care Rules 2025 section 62-5 prescribes the Integrated Assessment Tool for this purpose.
Access to Funded Aged Care Services:
Following the aged care needs assessment, the System Governor makes a decision on whether to approve access to funded aged care services for the individual (65(1) and (2)). The Aged Care Rules 2025 section 65-30 prescribes that the decision must be made within 14 days after receiving an assessment report.
Specific Circumstances:
The Aged Care Act 2024 also addresses specific circumstances, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons (66) and individuals with impairments or sickness (67 and 68). These sections outline how these factors are considered when determining the appropriate type and level of aged care services.