How to Apply for My Aged Care - A Quickstart Guide

Getting help as you get older starts in one place: My Aged Care. It's the Australian Government's front door to subsidised aged care, whether you need a bit of help at home or you're looking at residential care. The system can feel confusing, so here is the whole journey in plain steps.

The short version

To get government-funded aged care, you follow five steps:

1. Apply for an assessment through My Aged Care.
2. Have your assessment (usually a chat in your home or by phone).
3. Get your outcome letter, which says what you've been approved for.
4. Choose a provider to deliver your services.
5. Start your services and review them over time.

You can't get funded services until you've been assessed, so step one is the one that matters most. Don't put it off, because there can be a wait.

Step 1: Apply for an assessment

There are three ways to apply. Have your Medicare card handy. It takes about 10 to 20 minutes.

• By phone: call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. Staff will answer questions and complete the application with you on the call.
• Online: apply online at My Aged Care. Someone can do this for you, with your permission.
• In person: book a face-to-face appointment with an Aged Care Specialist Officer at a Services Australia centre by calling 1800 227 475.

You can have a family member or friend with you, or ask them to apply on your behalf.

Step 2: Have your assessment

After you apply, an assessment organisation will contact you to arrange a time. This usually happens within 2 to 6 weeks. There are two types of assessment, and you'll be matched to the right one:

• a home support assessment, for lower or entry-level needs
• a comprehensive assessment, for higher or more complex needs.

The assessor will talk with you about how you're managing day to day and what would help. It's a conversation, not a test. (We cover what happens in detail in a separate guide, "Your My Aged Care assessment: a quick guide")

A safety note: the assessor may call from a private or "No Caller ID" number. If you miss the call, they'll usually try again. If you're ever unsure whether a call is genuine, hang up and call My Aged Care back on 1800 200 422 to check. Never give bank details to someone who calls you out of the blue.

Step 3: Get your outcome letter

After the assessment, you'll get a letter telling you what you've been approved for. Keep it somewhere safe. It includes a referral code that you'll give to your chosen provider so they can start your services.

You can also track everything through your My Aged Care Online Account, set up through myGov. There you'll find your Aged Care ID (it starts with the letters AC), your approved services, and your referral codes.

Step 4: Choose a provider

Once approved, you choose who delivers your care. You're in control here, and you can compare providers on price, services and availability. (See our guides "Questions to ask when choosing an aged care provider" and, if you're already with someone and unhappy, "Not happy with your provider? How to change.")

How long will all this take?

This is the question everyone asks, and the honest answer is that it depends, and it can take a while. It helps to picture the wait as three separate stages.

1. Waiting for your assessment. After you apply, an assessor usually contacts you within 2 to 6 weeks to arrange a visit. In busy areas it can take longer.
2. Waiting for your decision. After the assessment, it usually takes around 2 weeks to get your Notice of Decision letter telling you what you've been approved for.
3. Waiting for funding. Once you're approved for Support at Home, you join a national priority queue. This stage depends on your priority and on demand, and it's usually the longest part.

At your assessment you're given a priority category based on your needs and risks (for example, urgent, high or standard). People with the most urgent needs are funded first. If your needs are urgent, full funding is generally allocated within about a month. For standard needs, the funding wait can run to several months or more.

The government publishes current estimated wait times by priority category, and these change over time. Check the latest figures on the My Aged Care website (look for Support at Home wait times), or just ask when you call.

Good to know: if your funding wait is longer than expected, you may be offered interim funding. This releases 60% of your approved budget early so you can start the most important services while the rest catches up.

An important deadline once you're funded: when your funding is allocated, you have 56 days from the date of the letter to sign a service agreement with a provider and start services. If you need longer to find the right provider, call My Aged Care and ask for a 28-day extension. If you don't start in time, the funding can be withdrawn and offered to the next person in the queue.

Following up: when and how

You don't have to sit and wonder. Here's when it's worth picking up the phone.

• Track it anytime. Log in to your My Aged Care Online Account (through myGov), or call 1800 200 422, to check where things are up to.
• No assessor contact after about 6 weeks? Call My Aged Care to make sure your application is moving.
• No decision letter a couple of weeks after your assessment? Call and ask for an update.
• Waiting in the funding queue? You can call to ask your priority category and roughly where you sit.
• If things get worse while you wait (your health declines, or a carer can no longer help), call My Aged Care and ask for a reassessment. This can move you to a higher priority and shorten your wait, so don't stay quiet if your situation changes.
• Keep your details current. Make sure your phone number and address are up to date so you don't miss a call or letter, and remember the assessor may call from a private number.

What to have ready before you apply

• your Medicare card
• some idea of the help you're finding hard (showering, cooking, cleaning, getting out, medications)
• your myGov details if you want to apply or track things online
• a family member or friend to sit with you, if that helps.

What to ask on the call

It helps to go in with questions. Good ones include:

• Am I eligible, and what kinds of services might I be able to get?
• Which assessment will I have, and how long is the likely wait?
• Can I have a family member or carer with me during the assessment?
• Can I set someone up as my representative or supporter to help manage things?
• Is there anything I can get now while I wait?
• Once I'm approved, how do I find and choose a provider?

What if I need help urgently?

If you need support soon and haven't been assessed yet, call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and explain your situation. Some services can be arranged on a short-term basis before, or without, a full assessment. (Our guide "What you can do now while you wait for My Aged Care" has a short checklist.)

Help in your language, or if you need support

• Interpreters: call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and ask them to connect you to My Aged Care. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interpreters, call My Aged Care and ask for one.
• Free, independent advocacy: the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) can help you understand the system and speak up. Call 1800 700 600.
• A representative: you can ask a trusted person to be set up to help make and communicate your decisions.

Quick contacts

Summary of How to Apply for My Aged Care

• Everything starts with one call to My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
• You must be assessed before you can get funded services, so apply early.
• After approval, you choose your provider and you stay in control.
• Expect a wait at three stages: assessment, decision, then funding. Apply early and follow up if things stall or your needs change.
• Free help is available, from interpreters to independent advocates.

This guide is general information, not personal advice. Details and wait times can change, so confirm anything important with the My Aged Care website or by calling 1800 200 422.