Continuity of Support is now DSOA
If you are looking for Continuity of Support, the programme you need is the Disability Support for Older Australians (DSOA) Program. It replaced the Commonwealth Continuity of Support Programme on 1 July 2021 and is run by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
The aim is the same: older people with disability who were not eligible for the NDIS should not simply lose the support they already had.
Who DSOA supports
DSOA supports existing clients who, when the NDIS started in their region:
- were 65 or over, or were a First Nations person aged 50 to 64, and
- were not eligible for the NDIS, and
- were already a client of state or territory government specialist disability services
It is closed to new clients
DSOA does not accept new clients. It continues until the last eligible client leaves the program. If you are an older person looking for disability support and you are not already a DSOA client, contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or apply for an aged care assessment online.
If you are under 65, you may be able to apply for the NDIS instead. You must make your access request before you turn 65.
How DSOA works
Each client has an Individual Support Package, which sets out the disability care and services they have agreed. A DSOA service coordinator manages the package, gives the client choice over their services and control over how providers deliver them, and charges a management fee. If a client's needs change, the service coordinator can submit a change of needs application.
DSOA also funds respite so carers can have a break. The department publishes a program manual and a service and pricing schedule, most recently updated for 2026/27.
Moving from DSOA to aged care
One goal of DSOA is to help clients understand their aged care options and move into other services, such as aged care, when their needs change. Since 1 November 2025 aged care runs under the new Aged Care Act, and in home aged care is delivered through the Support at Home program, which replaced Home Care Packages.
If you or someone you support is a DSOA client, talk to the service coordinator before making changes, and ask how aged care would compare with your current package.