The Albanese Government is today releasing the Aged Care Taskforce’s Final Report, an important next step towards delivering a sustainable aged care system that provides high quality care to all Australians now and into the future.
After considering the evidence and meeting several times throughout 2023, the Taskforce has not recommended a new tax or levy to fund aged care.
The Government confirms today it will not impose any increased taxes or a new levy to fund aged care costs or change to the means testing treatment of the family home for aged care.
We will continue to analyse this report and finalise our response to its other recommendations.
The principles that guide our response to the Taskforce’s report are to deliver lasting and enduring reforms that will benefit not just those in and entering the system now, but Australians who rely on the system as they age in decades to come.
With the number of Australians aged 65 and over expected to more than double and the number aged 85 and over to more than triple over the next forty years it is clear we must start work now to deliver a sustainably funded aged care sector.
Already, the Albanese Government’s delivery in line with the recommendations of the Aged Care Royal Commission have delivered greater quality, viability and availability of residential aged care.
The Government has put nurses back into nursing homes, given carers more time to care, lifted wages in the sector and improved transparency and accountability.
However, it is clear there is more work to do.
Chaired by the Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells, the Aged Care Taskforce brought together representatives of older Australians, aged care providers, and experts, to consider the great unanswered question of the Royal Commission: how to sustainably fund aged care into the future.
The Taskforce Report delivers 23 recommendations to improve the sustainability of aged care.
The Government will be carefully considering the recommendations of the report.
The Albanese Government thanks the Taskforce members for their time in developing the Taskforce Report and its 23 recommendations.
Taskforce Final Report
Quotes attributable to Minister Wells
“Australia’s aged care system is under stress. There is universal acceptance that something must change in order to ensure all Australians can age with the dignity, safety and high-quality care they deserve.
“After spending their lives building up our country, we have a solemn responsibility as a nation to respectfully care for older Australians as they age.
“All of us have a stake in a sustainable, high-quality and dignified aged care sector – whether it’s for our parents, ageing loved ones, or even eventually for ourselves.
“As we consider the Taskforce Report and continue to implement the reforms of the Royal Commission, our focus will always be ensuring dignity and respect for older Australians.”
