Maximising Government Help in Aged Care: Know the Rules Before You Search
Looking for a concessional (low means) bed? Start here
Every aged care home in Australia must offer a percentage of beds to residents with low means (concessional) status.
But finding one of these beds isn’t easy:
• Availability is limited—especially in premium locations and popular homes.
• Extra Service homes have zero concessional beds (a common trap for families searching without guidance).
• Some regions have far fewer concessional places than others.
That’s why our Aged Care Home Near Me search tool lets you exclude Extra Service providers and focus only on homes likely to have concessional availability—saving you hours of time and avoiding dead ends.
Even more importantly:
To get a concessional place, you need to qualify as a low means resident under complex income and asset rules. Many families don’t discover whether they qualify until after applying for a place, leading to uncertainty, delays, and sometimes expensive mistakes.
This is where we can help.
Key Facts You Need to Know
• About 20% of aged care residents pay no accommodation costs (fully supported). Another 20% pay reduced costs (partially supported).
• Being a full-rate Age Pensioner does not automatically make you low means.
• If you qualify for low means status, this can secure concessional fees for the full duration of care—even if your finances later improve.
What to Do Next
1. Understand whether you or your loved one qualifies as low means.
• Income and asset tests are complex. The family home may be included or excluded depending on who lives there.
• Timing of when both members of a couple enter care can also affect the calculation.
2. Focus your search on homes that offer concessional beds.
• Use our search tool to save time and avoid applying to providers who can’t help.
3. Get advice early.
• We’ll help you understand your eligibility and develop a strategy to maximise government support while securing the right place.
How do I find a place as a low means resident?
By law, aged care providers must offer a percentage of their beds to low means (concessional) residents. The required percentage varies by region:
• In Northern Sydney, homes that are not “extra service” must allocate at least 16% of beds to supported residents.
• In some other regions, the requirement is as high as 40%.
But not all homes will have concessional beds available at any given time—and Extra Service homes have none at all.
To save time and avoid dead ends, use our Aged Care Homes Near Me search tool to filter out Extra Service homes and focus only on providers that may have low means places available.
Stop the Confusion. Get Expert Help.
We’ve helped families navigate aged care funding and placement for over 20 years.
Our mission: clarity, speed, and maximising government support so you don’t pay more than you should.
Call Brendan Ryan CFP® today at (02) 9173 8560