CAPS vs NDIS: Which Continence Funding Applies to You
By William Belmont
, BBiomedSc (Hons), La Trobe University
│ 01 July 2026
Last reviewed: 27 June 2026
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Most people find out the hard way that the two continence funding schemes most of us choose between work differently, and that you usually land on one rather than the other. They apply for the one a friend mentioned, get knocked back or accepted, then later wonder if the other one would have suited them better. The two schemes most people weigh up are CAPS and the NDIS, and the difference between them comes down to your age and how you came to need continence products. This is the part of CAPS vs NDIS that trips people up, so it is worth getting straight before you fill in a single form. Our complete guide to NDIS continence funding covers the NDIS side in full; this article is about choosing between the two.
The short answer: most people are eligible for one scheme, not both, and you cannot draw on both at the same time for the same products.
What CAPS is and who it is for
CAPS is the Continence Aids Payment Scheme. It is an Australian Government payment run by Services Australia, paid to people with a permanent and severe loss of bladder or bowel control caused by an eligible neurological condition or other specified condition. It is a flat annual payment to help with the cost of continence products, paid to you in one or two instalments, not a reimbursement for each purchase.
The CAPS annual payment is set at a single national rate. As at 2025-26 it is subject to annual indexation, so the current figure is best confirmed directly with Services Australia rather than taken from any third-party page. The CAPS payment is a yearly non-taxable payment and does not count as income. To qualify you generally need to be 5 years or older, meet the clinical eligibility criteria, and not be receiving funding for the same products through certain other schemes, including the NDIS. If your incontinence is from a non-neurological condition, you generally also need to hold a Pensioner Concession Card. Services Australia lists the full criteria.
What NDIS continence funding is and who it is for
The NDIS funds continence products for participants whose disability creates an ongoing need for them. Continence products sit in the Core Supports budget, under the Consumables support category. There is no fixed national continence figure the way there is with CAPS; the amount is worked out as part of your plan based on assessed need, which is exactly why we never quote NDIS dollar amounts. Your plan manager or the NDIS is the only reliable source for what your plan covers.
To access NDIS continence funding you need to be a participant with an approved plan that includes the need for continence consumables. Eligibility for the NDIS itself is broadly for people younger than 65 when they make their access request, with a permanent and significant disability. If that describes your situation, NDIS funding is usually the pathway, and CAPS is not.
The rule that catches people out: you cannot use both
This is the single most important point in any continence funding comparison. You cannot receive CAPS and NDIS funding for continence products at the same time. The schemes are designed not to overlap, so if you become an NDIS participant and your plan funds continence consumables, you are no longer eligible for the CAPS payment for that period. It is one or the other, not a top-up arrangement.
In practice the decision usually makes itself. If you are an NDIS participant with continence in your plan, that is your pathway. If you are not on the NDIS, or your plan does not fund continence products, CAPS is the scheme to look at. The grey area is mostly for people who are eligible for the NDIS but have not yet applied, or whose plan is being reviewed. If that is you, talk to your plan manager before applying for CAPS so you do not set up a clash.
How to work out which one applies to you
Start with two questions. Are you an NDIS participant, or eligible to become one? And does your need for continence products come from a disability the NDIS recognises? If the answer to both is yes, the NDIS is almost always your pathway, and you would raise continence consumables at your planning meeting. If you are not on the NDIS, particularly if you are over 65, CAPS is the more likely fit, and you would apply through Services Australia with support from a health professional who can confirm your eligibility.
When you are genuinely unsure, the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66 is a free, Australian Government funded service that can talk you through which scheme suits your circumstances. For NDIS-specific questions about your own plan, your plan manager or ndis.gov.au is the right place. You can also read our NDIS page to see how Comfort First works with NDIS participants, since we are a registered NDIS provider.
Whichever scheme you land on, getting the product right matters as much as getting the funding right. The most common mistake we see is people sticking with a size or product type that was guessed at rather than measured. Before you commit a year of CAPS payment or a slice of your plan to one product, it is worth ordering a free trial pack so you can check the fit and feel first. If the size is wrong, we sort the swap, no forms and no fuss. Or call us in Bendigo on 03 5443 2239 and we will talk it through.