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Technical update: Aged Care and HELP debts
Monday 27 October 2025
In this update, Aged Care and HELP debts were updated.
Changes to HELP Debts
In 2025/26, the method for HELP debt repayments calculations changed, and it is now mostly based on marginal rates, rather than a percentage of total income.
These new rules have not been implemented in Pathfinder, yet. However, an interim solution is in place:
Taxable income | New rules vs Pathfinder calculation |
|---|---|
$0 – $67,000 | The new rule is that the repayment is Nil for this threshhold. This matches the modelling in Pathfinder. |
$67,001 – $125,000 | The new rule is: 15c for each $1 over $67,000 In Pathfinder, an approximation is used, and results for income in this threshold will be within $340 of the correct value (and usually closer). |
$125,001 – $179,285 | The new rule is: $8,700 plus 17c for each $1 over $125,000 In Pathfinder, an approximation is used, and results for income in this threshold will be within $340 of the correct value (and usually closer) |
$179,286 and over | The new rule for this threshold is that the repayment is calculated as 10% of total income. This matches the modelling in Pathfinder. |
Note: If an individual is eligible for the 20% discount on HELP debts in 2025/26, then in the modelling tool enter the HELP debt balance after the 20% discount is applied.
Aged Care fees updated
Aged Care fees and thresholds were updated for Home Care and Residential Care.
Notes for existing users - Remember to refresh your results!
If you were in the middle of working on a case on or before the release date on Monday 27th October 2025, and it included a HELP debt, it’s a good idea to refresh your results by clicking the Start solve button, to be sure that you have results with the latest assumptions. If you are unsure when your results were created, see How to check when your results were created. Note that some numbers in your results may change when these new assumptions are applied.