The Government went on the defensive in Federal Parliament yesterday, attacking the Opposition for “scaremongering” over the delayed release of the Aged Care Taskforce’s Final Report.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ruled out changes to the means testing of the family home during a debate in the House of Representatives after Aged Care Minister Anika Wells refused to comment.

“There is no change to the treatment of the family home in any of the documents that are before the Government,” he said.

Currently, the means test threshold for the family home is capped at $197,735 and has not moved since 2014 – despite the surge in house prices in the past decade. The median price for a house across the five capital cities, according to CoreLogic on 4 February 2024, is $836,013.

Several aged care commentators – including DCM Group’s Plan B for increased consumer contributions – have been advocating for the threshold to be raised to reflect higher property values.

The Prime Minister’s comment followed an earlier question by Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Sussan Ley, to Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, on whether the Government, elected in May 2022, would change the treatment of the family home in aged care assessments that prompted an angry response from Minister Wells.

The Federal Government has yet to release the Aged Care Taskforce’s Final Report, which was widely expected to recommend a suite of measures to increase aged care funding including changes to means testing arrangements. The Minister's office said it would be made public in January.

Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Anne Ruston, earlier this week labelled the delay “secretive” with media speculation suggesting the Report’s release was being delayed due to the Dunkley by-election on 2 March and the belief that the move to greater ‘user pays’ in aged care could lead Labor to lose votes.