The Higher Everyday Living Fee (HELF) commenced on 1 November 2025, replacing the Additional Service Fee and Extra Service Fee frameworks. If you’re admitting residents, managing agreements, or fielding questions from families, here’s what’s actually changed operationally.
HELF is an optional fee for enhanced everyday living services sitting above the standard of care required under the Residential Care Service List and the Aged Care Quality Standards. It is not a means-tested contribution, and it is not a backdoor way to charge for anything already mandated. The clean distinction to know: HELF pays for lifestyle enhancements beyond what you’re already legally required to deliver, not for care.
This includes services like premium meal services, in-room TV, and Wi-Fi usage. The test for anything you’re considering charging under HELF is whether it sits above the Service List, isn’t already required under legislation, isn’t accommodation-related, and is deliverable consistently with the Quality Standards and Statement of Rights.
The mechanics changed meaningfully, not just the label. Standing HELF arrangements must now be in writing, separate from the accommodation agreement, and specify each service, cost, frequency, service standard, and charging method. Ad hoc charges (eg. a drink bought on the spot) don’t need a standing agreement, but anything ongoing does.
If a resident already had an Additional Service Fee/Extra Service Fee agreement before 1 November 2025, it can continue until 31 October 2026. Two operational triggers to build into your admin processes:
A few mechanics directly affect admissions and care coordination workflows:
The highest-risk failure mode is charging for something that belongs in the Residential Care Service List under HELF, effectively creating a two-tier standard of care. If a service is already mandated, it cannot be moved into HELF pricing, regardless of how it’s marketed to families.
Other risk areas worth noting:
Keep it consistent across admissions, nursing, and care staff: HELF is optional, it isn’t part of standard care, standard care doesn’t change if a resident declines it, most services can be stopped or varied, and it’s documented separately from the accommodation agreement.
Rather than working from fee amounts quoted informally, direct your team to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s guidance on higher everyday living, additional and extra service fees, and the HELF fact sheet, for current caps, indexation, and any framework updates.
When we have Bus Trips at our facility, they are charged at a HIGH rate on every excursion, even though we have a Volunteer driver .( The higher rate is for “incase” we need to employ a driver at any time). We have never had to employ a driver as they are all volunteers , still residents are charged the high rate. They do understand that a fee is required for Petrol and upkeep of our bus and they would be happy to pay extra if on occasion they had to employ a driver for a couple of hours.
This seems money grabbing from the organisation.