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Who can apply for CAPS Funding? - CAPS Eligibility
Can you claim for incontinence pads?
ELIGIBILITY
Who can apply for CAPS Funding? CAPS Eligibility
A person may be eligible for CAPS funding if they are five years of age or older, an Australian citizen or permanent resident and meet either of the following requirements:
- have permanent and severe incontinence of bladder and/or bowel function due directly to an eligible neurological condition. See CAPS eligible neurological conditions.
Or
- have permanent and severe incontinence of bladder and/or bowel function caused by eligible other condition, provided the person has a Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card or a Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Pensioner Concession Card. See CAPS eligible other conditions.
There are also further requirements a person must meet to be eligible for CAPS. Please see look at the CAPS website for further information.
If a person is eligible for the CAPS funding and is currently receiving assistance with continence products through a state or territory government funded continence scheme, they should contact their state or territory scheme provider to find out if the assistance will be affected by their eligibility for the CAPS.
A person is not eligible for CAPS funding if:
- they are not an Australian citizen or a permanent Australian resident
- they reside in residential aged care on a permanent basis (not including respite, short-term restorative, or flexible care)
- they receive an Australian Government funded Home Care Package and their care plan includes continence products
- they are eligible to receive assistance with continence products under the DVA Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP) which is available through Department of Veteran Affairs (please contact DVA on 1800 550 457)
- they receive a consumables budget from the Australian Government National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and their NDIS plan includes continence products
- they are currently living outside Australia and have done so for a continuous period of three years
- their incontinence is one of the following types:
o transient (not permanent)
o can be treated with an existing conservative treatment regime (e.g. pelvic floor muscle exercises or bladder re-training), medication or surgery
o confined to night time bed wetting (nocturnal enuresis) - their incontinence results from a condition other than an eligible neurological condition AND they do not have Centrelink or DVA Pensioner Concession Card entitlement
- they are serving a prison sentence.
If a person is eligible for the CAPS funding and is currently receiving assistance with continence products through a state or territory government funded continence scheme, they should contact their state or territory scheme provider to find out if the assistance will be affected by their eligibility for the CAPS.
Can you claim for incontinence pads?
The CAPS funding or payment an eligible person receives can help to towards covering the cost of the continence pads they use.
Please see above section on Who can apply for CAPS.
How Do you apply for CAPS ?
CAPS application form
To apply for CAPS you need to complete a CAPS Application Guidelines and Form which is also available on the Australian Government's Department of Health and Aged Care website. If you are searching for the Continence Aids Payment Scheme form please use the link above.
You may need to provide extra documents with your application – this is explained in the application form.
If your circumstances mean you cannot complete an application form, your representative may complete it for you – this is explained in the application form.
Get your registered health professional to complete Section 3 - Health Report
Your registered health professional will need to provide their details and information about your condition including checking that you have an eligible condition. The health professional will need to have assessed or investigated your incontinence and provided a management plan or referred you to another health professional to do this.
Submit your application
Applications can be submitted in either of the following ways:
Post your application to:
Services Australia
Continence Aids Payment Scheme
GPO Box 9822
Sydney NSW 2001
Fax your application to: 02 9895 3523
If fax or post are not available, a scanned copy can be sent via email. Please note there may be risks with sending personal information through unsecured networks or email channels. Email: [email protected]
Help applying for CAPS:
The National Continence Helpline can help with any questions you have about CAPS, including eligibility for CAPS and how to apply for CAPS plus information on continence funding schemes throughout Australia:
Questions about a CAPS application or payment:
Call the CAPS Information Team to report a change in your circumstances, if you want to check the status of your application or if you have questions about CAPS payments. The CAPS Team is part of Services Australia and operates from 8.30am to 5pm (AEST) Monday to Friday.
Wait for the result
If your application is approved a payment will be made to the bank account you provided on your application form. If your application is rejected, you will be informed of this in writing and you can appeal the decision.
CAPS Payment
Questions about CAPS payments
The CAPS payment rate varies each year. Please see the CAPS website for more information on the current financial year’s payment rate.
The payment may increase or decrease each year following the Government’s budget process. Payments are either made once a year, sometime in July, or twice a year in a split payment, sometime in July and January. You can choose if you want once or twice yearly payments.
Yes. A payment can be made directly into a nominated representative's bank account (details of the relationship are required) or to a nominated organisation, who may assist you to purchase your continence products.
No. The CAPS payment is income tax exempt and will not be included in any Centrelink assessment as income.
Report a change in circumstances, to the CAPS Information Team on 1800 239 309 , 8.30am to 5.00pm AEST, Monday to Friday. Only the person receiving CAPS, or their nominated representative, can speak to the CAPS Information Team to change / update / check on details. Have your Medicare number with you when you call.