Editorial · about Australia
By Our Mate editorial team ·
Turning 65 with a disability raises a hard question: NDIS or aged care? Here's who stays on the NDIS, who moves, and how the two systems differ.
Australia runs two different systems for funded support, and the line between them is your age. The NDIS supports people with disability under 65. The aged care system supports older Australians. When you're approaching or past 65 and you have a disability, it's natural to ask which one applies to you, and whether you'll lose support you rely on.
The short version: it depends on whether you were already on the NDIS, and when your disability needs began. Let's make it clear.
To apply for the NDIS, you must be under 65 when you make your access request. Once you turn 65, you can't apply to join the scheme, even if your disability began long before then.
But here's the part that reassures a lot of people: if you're already an NDIS participant when you turn 65, you can choose to stay. You don't get pushed off the scheme on your birthday. You can keep your NDIS plan, or you can move to aged care, but the choice is generally yours.
You can read the official position on the NDIS continuity of support page.
So your situation usually falls into one of these:
| Your situation | Which system |
|---|---|
| Already an NDIS participant before 65 | Stay on the NDIS, or choose to move to aged care |
| Turn 65 and never joined the NDIS | Aged care (via My Aged Care) |
| New disability or support need after 65 | Aged care (via My Aged Care) |
| Were getting state disability supports, found ineligible for the NDIS, now 65+ (50+ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) | May already be supported under Disability Support for Older Australians (closed to new clients) |
If you have a disability but were never an NDIS participant, and you're now 65 or over, the NDIS isn't open to you. Your path is My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
There's also the Disability Support for Older Australians (DSOA) Programme, which on 1 July 2021 replaced the older Commonwealth Continuity of Support (CoS) Programme. DSOA supports some older people who were existing clients of state-administered specialist disability services, were assessed as not eligible for the NDIS when it rolled out in their region, and are 65 and over (or 50 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people). Importantly, DSOA is closed to new clients, so it only covers people already in the programme. If you think you may already be covered, it's worth asking My Aged Care about it directly. You can read more on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's Disability Support for Older Australians page.
This is the rule that catches people out: you can't receive NDIS funding and aged care funding for the same kind of support at the same time. You're in one system or the other.
And it's a one-way door. If you leave the NDIS to move into aged care, you generally can't come back to the NDIS later. That's why the decision deserves real thought, not a snap choice.
If you're an existing participant weighing up whether to stay or move, the systems feel quite different day to day.
Funding and flexibility. The NDIS is built around disability-specific goals and tends to fund more individualised, higher-intensity support. Aged care is built around age-related needs and is structured differently, with its own assessment and fee arrangements.
Goals. The NDIS leans toward building capacity and independence. Aged care leans toward maintaining wellbeing and managing the changes that come with ageing.
Cost to you. Aged care can involve means-tested contributions toward your care. NDIS supports are funded without that kind of means test. This alone is a reason many existing participants choose to stay.
The assessment. Each system has its own front door: the NDIS access process versus an aged care assessment through My Aged Care.
Because the trade-offs depend heavily on your exact needs, finances, and the support you currently get, this is a genuinely personal decision.
Ask yourself:
If you're an existing participant, there's rarely a rush to leave the NDIS just because you turned 65. Get advice first.
I turn 65 next month and I'm on the NDIS. Do I have to move to aged care?
No. You can choose to stay on the NDIS. You don't lose your plan automatically at 65.
I have a disability but never joined the NDIS, and I'm 67. Can I still apply?
No, the NDIS is closed to new applicants 65 and over. My Aged Care is your path. (The Disability Support for Older Australians programme that replaced Continuity of Support is closed to new clients, so it only covers people already in it.)
If I move to aged care, can I switch back to the NDIS?
Generally no. Leaving the NDIS for aged care is usually a one-way move, which is why it's worth getting advice first.
This is general information, not personal advice. Check current eligibility at ndis.gov.au and myagedcare.gov.au before making any decision.
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