The age rule for joining the NDIS
To become an NDIS participant you must be under 65 when you make your access request. If you are 65 or over and have never been a participant, disability support comes through the aged care system instead, starting with My Aged Care.
Aged care is generally for people 65 and over, with younger ages for some groups, including First Nations people from 50.
If you are already a participant when you turn 65
Nothing changes automatically on your 65th birthday. You can keep your NDIS plan and supports for as long as you need them.
You will leave the NDIS if, after turning 65, you:
- Move into residential aged care on a permanent basis, or
- Start receiving in home aged care on a permanent basis, which is now the Support at Home program
You cannot have both
Older people with disability can be supported by the NDIS or by aged care, but not both at the same time. Leaving the NDIS because you entered permanent aged care after 65 is a legal requirement, and it is not a decision you can ask the NDIA to review. Think it through carefully before accepting a permanent aged care service.
How Support at Home compares
On 1 November 2025 the new Aged Care Act started, and Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages and Short Term Restorative Care. It funds services to help older people stay at home longer.
Things to compare with your NDIS plan:
- How much support you would get, and how it is assessed
- Whether you would pay contributions toward your care
- Whether your current providers deliver aged care services
- Disability specific supports, such as assistive technology, home modifications, therapy and community participation
- How your needs are likely to change over time
If you already live in residential aged care before 65
If you are an NDIS participant living in residential aged care before you turn 65, you can stay in the NDIS after 65 and keep getting NDIS support. You can also choose to leave and get your support from aged care instead.
Younger people in residential aged care
Government policy is that people under 65 should not be living in residential aged care except in exceptional circumstances. Targets set in 2020 aimed for no people under 65 living in residential aged care by 2025. That target was not fully met, and work continues to help younger people find age appropriate homes, such as Supported Independent Living, Specialist Disability Accommodation or an Individualised Living Option.
Planning the move
- Talk with your my NDIS contact or support coordinator about whether aged care would suit you
- Get an aged care assessment before deciding, so you know what you would actually receive
- Make sure your current needs are included in the aged care assessment
- Do not accept a permanent aged care service until you are sure