There are and always will be people in Australia with disability who are deemed not eligible for the NDIS at the point of an Access Request. This may be because of eligibility constraints, or it could be for a number of other reasons.
Age limit: access to the NDIS if you are over 65
Unfortunately, eligibility ceases to the NDIS for those over 65 years of age at the time of the access request. The person will then be referred to My Aged Care, for them to be assessed for access to aged care support, through a Home Care Package, residential aged care or the Commonwealth Home Support Program.
However, if deemed eligible for the NDIS prior to the age of 65 years, it is entirely up to the individual to decide whether they want to stay with the NDIS or transition over to aged care support when they turn 65. It is not an automatic process and is not warranted if the participant chooses to stay with the NDIS.
Who is eligible for the NDIS?
To be eligible for the NDIS, the person must meet:
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- The age requirement
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- The residency requirement
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- The disability requirement or the early intervention requirement.
A person meets the age requirement if the person was aged under 65 when the access request was made.
Learn more about eligibility for the NDIS. A class action is currently ongoing involving hundreds of Australians with disability who applied for the NDIS after the age of 65.
Can an access request decision be reviewed?
Currently, all eligibility decisions can be challenged via a process called a ‘review of a decision’ review. Therefore, if you have applied for access to the NDIS and your application for the NDIS has been rejected, you have the right to request a review of that decision. If your application is denied again, you can get apply for a review by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).
If you are again found not to be eligible for support under the NDIS, there are other avenues for support available.
I’m not eligible for the NDIS – where can find support?
If you are not eligible for the NDIS, you can still find support by booking independent support workers on Mable and paying privately.
By booking and managing support through Mable:
- You have choice and control over who supports you, when and where they support you, and how much you pay for the support
- You’re safeguarded by Mable’s verification and the high-level suite of insurances arranged by Mable on behalf of support workers.
Alternatively, on the NDIS website, a number of supports and services provided by Government and the community sector are listed and provide information to people with disability who are not eligible for the NDIS.
This information provides a list of organisations that might be helpful depending on your circumstances and where you live in Australia and what your particular needs are.
| Area of need | Possible avenues of support |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians | – First People’s Disability Network Australia – Community Development Programme – National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation |
| Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Australians | – National Ethnic Disability Alliance – Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association – Translating and Interpreting Service |
| Education | – Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme – Department of Education (including Disability Standards for Education and Higher Education) – Disability Support Program – Positive Partnerships |
| Employment | – Disability Employment Services – JobAccess (including Employment Assistance Fund) |
| Health Interface | – Hearing Australia – Primary Health Networks |
| Housing | – Disability Housing – Carer Gateway – Home Modifications Australia |
| Information for Parents and Carers | Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres |
| Justice | Australian Human Rights Commission |
| Legal Aid | Australian Human Rights Commission |
| Mental Health | – Beyond Blue – Mental Health Australia – Head to Health |
| Mental Health support for young people | – Headspace – Children of parents with a Mental Illness – Kids Matter – Sane Australia – Orygen Youth Health (VIC only) – Kids Help Line |
| Support for Older People with Disability | My Aged Care |
| Transport | – Care Gateway – Mobility Allowance – Australian Disability Parking Scheme |
At Mable, our vision is for an inclusive society where everywhere belongs. Mable was established to connect people with disability who need support, with independent support workers on Mable. For those who are not eligible for the NDIS, Mable offers the option of booking support workers and paying privately for support services.
