NDIS or My Aged Care: what changes after 65 and which system applies to you

The line between the NDIS and My Aged Care confuses a lot of families, and it isn’t always intuitive, because it’s based on timing as much as age itself. Here’s the practical version of how it actually works.

The basic rule

If you became an NDIS participant before turning 65, you usually get to choose whether to stay in the NDIS or move across to My Aged Care once you reach that age. If you’re over 65 and haven’t previously accessed the NDIS, new access requests for age-related support needs are directed to My Aged Care instead, not the NDIS. The distinguishing factor is largely when the need for support began and whether it meets the NDIS disability criteria, not simply a person’s age on the day they apply.

Why the systems don’t map onto each other cleanly

The NDIS and My Aged Care are built around different models. NDIS plans are individualised and goal-based, built around a person’s specific circumstances and funded categories like core supports, capacity building and capital supports. My Aged Care works through a different structure of home care packages and residential care levels, assessed and funded differently. Because of this, comparing the two isn’t a simple matter of which one is “worth more”; they cover different things in different ways.

If you’re already an NDIS participant nearing 65

This is the situation with the most at stake, and the most flexibility. If you’re already in the NDIS, you’re not automatically moved to My Aged Care at 65, the choice to stay is yours. This matters because switching systems can mean different providers, different processes, and in some cases a different mix of supports available. It’s worth having this conversation with your support coordinator or plan manager well before you turn 65, rather than leaving the decision until it becomes urgent.

Comparing the two systems at a glance

	NDIS	My Aged Care
Who it’s for	People with permanent, significant disability, usually under 65 at first access	Older Australians needing aged-related support
Funding structure	Individualised plan, goal-based categories	Home care packages or residential care levels
New access after 65	Not available for age-related needs	The relevant entry point
Already in the NDIS before 65	Can usually choose to stay	Optional alternative

A note on disability that emerges later in life

Not every disability shows up early. If someone develops a significant, permanent disability after 65 that isn’t age-related in the usual sense, it’s worth getting advice on which system actually applies, since the boundary isn’t always obvious from the outside. This is general information, not a substitute for an individual eligibility assessment; the NDIA and My Aged Care can both clarify how the rules apply to a specific situation.

What to weigh up if you do have a choice

For participants who can choose to stay in the NDIS past 65, the decision often comes down to what’s already working. If your current providers, therapy team or support workers are a good fit and registered under the NDIS, moving to My Aged Care can mean starting some of those relationships over, which is a real cost even if the funding itself works out similarly. On the other hand, some people find My Aged Care’s home care package structure simpler once their needs stabilise into more of a routine. Neither is the wrong answer, and it’s fine to stay in the NDIS for a while and reassess later if circumstances change again.

What happens if you’re not sure where you sit

If you genuinely don’t know which system you fall under, whether that’s due to timing of a diagnosis or an unclear history with either scheme, it’s worth raising it directly with the NDIA rather than guessing and applying to the wrong one. A wrong application isn’t a dead end, but it does cost time that’s often better spent getting the right process moving from the start. Our roundup of free and low-cost disability advocacy in Perth is a good place to start if you’d rather talk it through with someone before applying.

Making the decision less stressful

This is rarely a decision anyone wants to make quickly, and it often comes up at a point when a family is already managing a lot. Starting the conversation early, well before a 65th birthday if you’re already an NDIS participant, gives you time to weigh up providers and supports under each system rather than deciding under pressure.

If you’re comparing disability support providers as part of working this out, the homepage covers the full range of categories available in Perth, and our methodology explains how listings across the directory are assessed.

Getting clarity on which system applies early tends to save a lot of confusion down the track, particularly if a plan review or a change in support needs is approaching around the same time.