Higher Everyday Living Fee (HELF)
The Higher Everyday Living Fee (HELF) is an optional fee that gives aged care residents the opportunity to enjoy a higher standard of everyday living services.
It replaces the former Extra Service Fees.
What the Higher Everyday Living Fee covers
If you choose, the HELF allows you to pay for services that go above and beyond what every aged care provider must already supply under Australian Government rules.
These services might include things like enhanced dining options, lifestyle extras, premium amenities, or special comfort items.
It’s important to know that:
The HELF cannot be charged for accommodation or room costs.
Providers can set their own prices for these higher-level services.
Services can be offered as a bundle, but every service in the bundle must also be available separately, and residents must not end up paying more than they would if they selected only the services they use.
Providers may also offer ad-hoc paid services, such as buying a coffee from an on-site café.
Your rights and protections
The HELF includes several strong consumer protections to make sure residents and families can make informed choices.
Before you agree
You cannot be required to enter a HELF agreement before moving into care.
It cannot be a condition of receiving a place, and it must be separate from your accommodation and service agreements.
You’ll receive clear information about each service, including:
what it costs
how often it will be provided
the standard of service you can expect
how fees will be charged.
Choosing only what you use
You cannot be asked to pay for a service that you cannot, or will not, use.
Bundles can still include services you don’t use, but you must not be financially disadvantaged compared to selecting services individually.
Cooling-off period
You have a 28-day cooling-off period after signing a HELF agreement.
During this time you can:
cancel or change your higher-level services
do so without paying any cancellation fees
give notice to your provider at any time (no minimum notice period).
After the cooling-off period
You can cancel a service at any time with 28 days notice.
If you cancel, providers may pass on unavoidable costs (such as a subscription fee) for up to 90 days, but only if they can prove these costs.
If the provider is unable to keep offering a service, it must be cancelled immediately.
Providers must acknowledge any request to vary or cancel services and confirm the date the change takes effect.
Your HELF agreement must be reviewed every year to ensure the services still suit your needs.
Fees can only increase in line with indexation, not by discretionary increases.
Changes to Extra Service and Additional Service Fees
From 1 November 2025, providers can no longer enter into new Extra Service Fee or Additional Service Fee arrangements.
For residents who already have these arrangements in place:
They can continue until 31 October 2026.
Fees may increase as allowed in their existing contract (no IHACPA approval needed).
Providers should not unreasonably refuse a request to exit these arrangements.
Providers should discuss the transition options with affected residents before 1 November 2026.
Want more information?
Further details about the Higher Everyday Living Fee and the changes to aged care service fees are available on the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website.