This New Zealand calculator helps older people and their families understand the means assessment for the Residential Care Subsidy, which determines how much the government contributes towards rest home or hospital-level care and how much you pay yourself. You enter your assets and income, and the tool compares them against the relevant thresholds to give an indicative view of whether you may qualify for the subsidy and the contribution expected from you. Because the asset and income thresholds are set by the government and change over time, the calculator uses current figures as inputs and points you to confirm the rules. The breakdown shows your assessable assets and income against the thresholds, helping families plan ahead for one of the largest costs of later life.
This is a simplified, indicative estimate. The real means assessment has detailed rules on what counts as an asset, different thresholds depending on whether a partner remains at home, income from assets, and a maximum contribution. Thresholds change over time. Confirm with Work and Income, as eligibility and amounts depend on the full assessment.
The means assessment has two parts. The asset test checks whether your assessable assets are below the threshold; if they are, you may qualify for the subsidy. The income test then determines your contribution, where you generally pay most of your income towards the care and the subsidy covers the rest up to the fee. If your assets are above the threshold, you generally pay the fees yourself until your assets reduce to the threshold, at which point you can apply.
With $180,000 of assets against a $284,636 threshold, you are below the threshold and may qualify. If your weekly income is $600 and the care fee is $1,400, you would contribute most of your income, and the subsidy would cover the rest of the fee, subject to the detailed rules and the maximum contribution.
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