PM feels the political heat from higher home care fees
On the ABC’s Insiders program, the PM was asked if the Government intended that Australians would cut back on services due to higher fees.
In an end-of-year interview on the ABC, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was grilled about the fallout from consumer co-contributions amid reports home care clients are cutting essential services.
The PM was elected in 2022 on the promise of ‘fixing the aged care crisis’. This year, Labor rode to victory in part on the Government’s pledge to deliver “historic” aged care reforms.
With the reforms now in place, the political fallout is real – and the PM is feeling the pressure.
On the ABC’s Insiders program, the PM was asked if the Government intended that Australians would cut back on services, such as showers, due to higher fees.
The PM said – repeatedly – the Government will “monitor” and “review” the new system to ensure the reforms are being delivered as intended.
The Support at Home Program Senate Inquiry will also have the fallout from consumer contributions on its radar. Under the Terms of Reference, the Community Affairs References Committee will look into the “ability of older Australians to access services to live safely and with dignity at home”, among other issues.
Submissions for the Inquiry close 31 July 2026, with the Committee to report in just under a year’s time – 24 November 2026.
