NDIS, Support at Home, and residential aged care all split costs between government funding and what you pay — but they don't work the same way, and mixing them up is one of the most common (and expensive) mistakes families make. Pick the one you're trying to understand.
This page exists to stop three genuinely different funding systems from getting confused with each other, which happens constantly because families are often dealing with more than one at once. It explains, in plain terms, how each one actually splits the bill.
It is not a calculator, an eligibility check, or financial advice. For an actual personalised cost estimate for Support at Home or residential aged care, use the live estimator built into this page. For NDIS, your own approved plan and the NDIS Price Guide are the only accurate source of what you'll pay — nothing here overrides either.
NDIS funding doesn't work like a subsidy-and-co-payment split the way aged care does. If a support is included in your approved plan and priced within NDIS limits, it's paid in full through your plan — there's typically no personal contribution for it at all. How the payment actually happens depends on how your plan is managed:
Out-of-pocket costs on NDIS usually come from one of three places: the support isn't included in your plan at all; a provider charges more than the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits allow (self-managed participants can choose to accept a higher price — everyone else generally can't be charged above the cap); or you choose to pay privately for something NDIS doesn't fund. For how the three main budgets actually work and what you can move between them, see our guides on NDIS budget categories and self-managed vs. plan-managed vs. NDIA-managed.
Estimator provided by myagedcare.info — a sister site to CarerCompass. It gives an approximate personal estimate; it isn't a formal fee assessment.
Last verified: August 2026. This page explains how funding schemes are structured — it is general information only, not financial advice, and does not replace advice from your NDIS planner, Local Area Coordinator, Support Coordinator, or an aged care financial adviser. Rules, fee types, and thresholds change and are reviewed periodically. Verify current details directly at ndis.gov.au (1800 800 110) or myagedcare.gov.au (1800 200 422) before making decisions.