Thank you to everyone who has signed and shared our petition calling on the government to stop co-payments for basic care like showering.

Some have noted that our headline - “No Pensioner Should Have to Pay $50 for a Shower” - reflects the cost for part-pensioners and self-funded retirees. Under the new Support at Home Program, full pensioners will contribute 5% of the cost, while self-funded retirees will pay 50%.

But let’s be clear: the principle is the same.

No older person should ever have to choose between paying for food or paying to stay clean. For someone living on the age pension, even $6.50 per shower is a heavy burden. Over weeks and months, that cost adds up and many will quietly go without.

This is not about luxury services. It’s about dignity, safety, and the basic human right to personal care. When an older person skips showers because they can’t afford them, they risk infections, isolation, and shame. 

The government has shifted aged care from a universal right to a user-pays system, where private companies profit from assessing and selling the very services older people rely on. Letting aged care assessors also deliver paid services creates a conflict of interest that undermines fairness and trust. Those who can pay will be prioritised, while those who can’t will be left behind.

We are calling on the government to:

• Fully fund essential personal care such as showering, dressing, and meal preparation;
• Separate aged care assessment from service delivery to restore independence and accountability; and
• Uphold dignity as the foundation of aged care, not a privilege you have to buy.

Join us in standing up for what’s right. Add your voice. Share the petition. Tell your local MP that no older Australian should have to pay for the simple act of being clean and cared for.