EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by the authority of the Minister for Ageing
Aged Care Act 1997
Aged Care (Residential care subsidy – amount of pensioner supplement)
Determination 2008
Subsection 44-28(7) of the Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act) provides that the Minister may determine, by legislative instrument, the amount of the pensioner supplement.
All care recipients who meet the requirements of subsection 44-28(2) of the Act and who are not excluded under subsection 44-28(3) of the Act are eligible for a pensioner supplement. This includes residents who receive an income support payment (but who have not agreed to pay a large bond), residents with dependent children and residents provided with respite care.
This determination sets the pensioner supplement rate at $6.64 effect from 20 March 2008. This Determination is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.
The pensioner supplement will be indexed on 20 March and 20 September each year to align with the indexation of the new accommodation supplement. This represents a change from current indexation arrangements whereby indexation has occurred on 1 July each year.
Consultation
As the indexation of this supplement uses a well established formula for indexation, no specific consultation with industry was undertaken with respect to this instrument.