Aged care carer or close relative assessment

When someone moves into aged care, we assess their income and assets. We do this to work out how much they’ll pay towards their aged care costs. This is an aged care calculation of their cost of care.

If they own their current home, the value of the home may be counted as an asset. We may not count their home as an asset if you live in that home and you’re either a:

• carer
• close relative.

Who a carer or close relative is

Check if you’re a carer or close relative for aged care purposes before you complete the assessment.

Carer

You’re a carer if you meet all the following:

• you provide daily care for a person moving into an aged care home
• you’ve lived with that person for the past 2 years
• you’re eligible for an income support payment.

You don’t need to get an income support payment to be a carer. You just need to be eligible for one.

Close relative

You’re a close relative if you meet all the following:

• you’re the parent, sister, brother, child or grandchild of the person moving into an aged care home
• you’ve lived with that person for the past 5 years
• you’re eligible for an income support payment.

You don’t need to get an income support payment to be a close relative. You just need to be eligible for one.

What you need to do

If you’re an aged care carer or close relative you need to give us some details.

If you can give us your details online

You can only give us your details online if the person moving into an aged care home has completed their aged care calculation of their cost of care online. When they’re doing this, they’ll get an application ID and a temporary access code (TAC). They’ll need to give this to you so you can complete your assessment online.

You have 21 days from the date their application is submitted to complete the aged care carer or close relative assessment online.

To complete the assessment online:

1. Go to the Aged Care Carer or close relative assessment login.
2. Enter the Application ID and TAC, then select Login.
3. Answer the questions in each section to progress.

If you can’t give us your details online

If you get an income support payment, call the Aged Care line to give us permission to do your assessment.

If you don’t get an income support payment, use the Aged Care Carer or close relative assessment form. The form will tell you what documents to provide and how to return these to us.