Helpful Information

CAPS - Continence Aids Payment Scheme NDIS - National Disability Insurance Scheme National and State Continence Funding Schemes

CAPS is a Medicare Scheme that provides a once off yearly payment to help you with some of the costs incurred of their continence products. If you have permanent and severe incontinence and you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident 5 years of age or older you may be eligible for CAPS.

The Department of Human Services is responsible for the administration of the CAPS, including the processing of applications and delivering payments through the Medicare Australia program. 
All enquiries regarding the processing of CAPS applications and payments should be directed to Medicare on 132 011 or the CAPS Team on 1800 239 309.

Children 5 to 15 years of age should have their continence reassessed at least every 2 years and all other applicants should have a regular review of their continence needs with a Continence Consultant.

All People with permanent and severe incontinence should have a continence management plan in place.

Permanent and severe incontinence is defined as the frequent and uncontrollable, moderate to large loss of urine or faeces which impacts on a person's quality of life and which is unlikely to improve with medical, surgical or clinical treatment.

• Spina Bifida and Syringomyelia (Category-1) 
• Cerebral Palsy (Category-2) 
• Intellectual Disability (Category-3) 
• Autism (Category-3) 
• Paraplegia and Quadriplegia  (Category-4) 
• Acquired Neurological Conditions (Category-5) 
• Degenerative Neurological Diseases (Category-6) 
• Bladder, Bowel Innervation Disorders (Category-7) 
• Other (Category-8)   

• If you are eligible for CAPS, your payment is paid from the day the Department of Human Services receives your application
• The payment is indexed each year
• The CAPS Payment for 2018-19 is up to $596.60

• You can choose one full payment in July, or two half payments in July and January.
• Visit the CAPS - Payment page for more information.

Did you know

According to the 2015 ABS, there are 1.473 million Australians living with a disability who require full-time care assistance:

Ages of people

• 1.45% of these people are aged 0-14 yrs
• 4.7% of these people are aged 16-64 yrs
• 3.4% of these people are aged 65 yrs and above

Types of People

• 1/3 of these people have a profound or severe disability
• 3 in 5 people with disability require assistance with at least one activity of daily life
• ½ of these people use aids or equipment to help manage their disability

Population Statistics

• In 1998 almost one in five people in NSW (1.2 million), or 19% of the population had a disability.
• There were similar numbers of males and females.
• Most of these people (88% or 1.1 million) had a specific restriction consisting of a core activity restriction (self care, mobility and/or communication)
• and/or a schooling or employment restriction.

In response to the growing need for a more responsive acquired spinal or brain injury nursing service I am providing a highly specialised neurological clinical service.

I encourage you to speak to me if you have any further questions or clients you wish me to assess.