The big Australian systems get all the attention: the NDIS, the Disability Support Pension, Medicare. Underneath them sit small, specific payments that are easy to qualify for and almost never mentioned in a neurology appointment. Three of them matter for Parkinson’s, and the first one names the condition outright.
Continence Aids Payment Scheme: Parkinson’s is on the list
Bladder problems are a common part of Parkinson’s, and continence products are a recurring cost that no other programme obviously covers. The Continence Aids Payment Scheme (CAPS) is “a yearly non-taxable payment to cover some of the cost of products that help you manage incontinence.”
To qualify you must:
- be 5 years or older
- have permanent and severe incontinence confirmed by a registered health professional
- be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or have permanent residency rights for as long as you get the payment
- have an eligible neurological condition, or an eligible other condition, from the lists the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing publishes
We checked that list. The department’s CAPS eligible neurological conditions document names Parkinson Disease and Parkinsonism directly. It also names Multiple Systems Atrophy and Progressive supranuclear palsy — so the related parkinsonian conditions are covered too.
What it pays, and how
The 2026-27 payment rate is up to $739.40 per person. Services Australia adds two useful guarantees: the payment “doesn’t add to your taxable income and doesn’t prevent you from getting other payments from us.”
You choose the rhythm — an annual payment each July at the start of the financial year, or a bi-annual payment in July and January. Apply mid-year and the first payment is prorated to bring you into line with your chosen frequency.
One more line that resolves a question people often get wrong: “Customers can get both CAPS and Support at Home at the same time, if they meet the CAPS eligibility criteria.” Being in the aged care system does not switch CAPS off.
Who can confirm your condition
You do not need a specialist letter. Services Australia lists the registered health professionals who can confirm the condition:
| Who can confirm it |
|---|
| General practitioner |
| Continence nurse |
| Registered nurse |
| Physiotherapist |
| Occupational therapist |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker |
| Medical specialist |
Physiotherapists and occupational therapists are on that list, which matters if you are already seeing one — you may not need another appointment with anyone.
The hardest part of this claim is usually not the paperwork. It is raising the subject. Continence is the symptom people conceal longest, from their family and from their neurologist, and the concealment costs money as well as dignity. A GP appointment made specifically to discuss bladder symptoms is the whole first step.
Essential Medical Equipment Payment: the power bill, not the equipment
This one is misread constantly because of its name. It does not buy equipment. It helps with the electricity to run equipment, and with heating or cooling needed for medical reasons.
To be eligible, you or the person you care for must:
- need heating, cooling or certain eligible equipment for medical needs
- have a Commonwealth Concession Card
- pay for the energy running costs
- be in Australia when you claim
The amount is $203.00 per year, and the structure is the part worth understanding:
We’ll pay you $203.00 per year for: heating or cooling used for medical needs; each piece of eligible essential medical equipment.
Services Australia gives the arithmetic themselves: “if you have 2 pieces of equipment and need heating for your condition, you’ll get 3 payments each year.” It is per item, not per household.
Two administrative facts save trouble later:
You do not reclaim each year. “We’ll keep paying your payment each year until your circumstances change or you move address.”
Moving house stops it. “If you change your address, we’ll cancel your claims at the old address and your payments will stop.” You then have to claim again at the new address for each item. For anyone downsizing or moving closer to family — a common step with Parkinson’s — put this on the moving list, because nothing will remind you.
Note that this payment requires a concession card, unlike CAPS. Which cards count, and how to get one, is covered in concession cards.
Mobility Allowance: for getting to work, not for getting around
Mobility Allowance helps with travel costs if you “can’t use public transport without a lot of help.” It is tied to activity, not to daily life. You may be eligible if you:
- are 16 years or older
- meet residence rules
- have a disability, illness or injury
- need help using public transport for at least 12 months because of your condition
- need to travel from home for paid work, voluntary work, training or to look for work
The rates are:
| Rate | Amount per fortnight | Broadly, who |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $122.80 | At least 32 hours every 4 weeks of paid work, voluntary work, self-employment, vocational training, independent living or life skills training — or job seeking through an employment services provider |
| Higher | $171.70 | On DSP, JobSeeker Payment, Parenting Payment or Youth Allowance as a job seeker, and working or looking for work of 15 hours or more a week |
Two softer edges are worth knowing. Voluntary work counts towards the standard rate, so this is not only for people in paid employment — for someone who has stopped working but volunteers, it is still live. And if things stop, “we may pay you for an extra 12 weeks” after work, self-employment, study or training ends, or after an agreement to look for work ends.
If continuing to work is the live question for you rather than the transport to get there, our page on continuing to work with Parkinson’s covers the other half.
The order to check them in
If this applies to you
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| You have bladder symptoms and have never raised them | Book a GP appointment specifically for this. Parkinson Disease is named on the CAPS eligible neurological conditions list |
| You assumed CAPS needs a pension or concession card | It does not, for neurological conditions. The card requirement applies to non-neurological conditions only |
| You have MSA or PSP | Both Multiple Systems Atrophy and Progressive supranuclear palsy are on the same eligible list |
| You are already in Support at Home | You can hold CAPS at the same time — Services Australia says so explicitly |
| You already see a physiotherapist or occupational therapist | Either of them can confirm your condition for CAPS. You may not need a new appointment |
| You run equipment at home that uses power | The Essential Medical Equipment Payment is $203.00 a year for each item, plus $203.00 for medically needed heating or cooling |
| You are about to move house | Your Essential Medical Equipment Payment will be cancelled at the old address. Plan to reclaim at the new one |
| You travel to work or volunteering and struggle with public transport | Check Mobility Allowance — voluntary work counts towards the standard rate |
| You are an NDIS participant | Mobility Allowance is closed to you. Raise transport in your NDIS plan instead |
This page is not medical or financial advice. Payment rates and eligibility rules were checked against Services Australia and Department of Health, Disability and Ageing pages in August 2026. The CAPS rate is set per financial year and the other amounts are adjusted periodically, so confirm the current figures with Services Australia before relying on them.