Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)

Yes, CHSP still exists

A lot of content published in late 2025 says CHSP was absorbed into Support at Home. It was not, and if you have read that somewhere, that is the source of the confusion.

Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme on 1 November 2025. CHSP was not part of that change and continues to operate.

What did change is regulation. CHSP came under the new Aged Care Act on the same date, which means its providers became regulated in the same way as other aged care providers for the first time. So the programme continued, but the rules around it tightened.

Note the wording carefully. The Department says transition will happen no earlier than 1 July 2027. That is not the same as saying CHSP ends on that date, and we would not write it that way until a firm date is announced.

What CHSP is for

People who need a bit of help rather than ongoing structured care. Someone who is managing well but cannot get to the shops, or needs help with the heavy cleaning, or would benefit from a weekly social group.

The funding model is different from Support at Home. CHSP money goes to providers in blocks to deliver approved services, rather than being allocated to an individual as a budget they direct.

What it covers

CHSP or Support at Home

The plain version: CHSP is for people who need a bit of help occasionally. Support at Home is for people with ongoing assessed needs, and it comes with an individual budget.

What CHSP costs, and why nobody can tell you

There is no national fee schedule for CHSP, and any page quoting you a national CHSP price is making it up.

Providers set their own client contributions under the National Client Contribution Framework, which is principles based rather than a price list. They must publish a contribution policy, and they cannot charge more than the actual cost of delivering the service.

That means two providers in the same suburb can legitimately charge different amounts for the same service. So ask each provider for its published contribution policy before you commit. It is a reasonable question and they should have it ready.

The framework also recognises hardship. The standing principle is that nobody should be denied a service because they genuinely cannot afford to contribute. Raise it with the provider if it applies.

How to get CHSP

Start through My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. CHSP generally requires a home support assessment, which is the lighter of the two assessment types.

See how to get an aged care assessment for what happens and how long each stage takes.

Can you have CHSP and Support at Home together?

The general rule is no duplication. CHSP should not fund something the Support at Home budget already covers.

But the Department lists specific exceptions where a Support at Home participant can access short term CHSP services:

• Social support group activities they were already attending
• Hoarding and squalor assistance
• Respite services
• Access to emergency services

The respite exception is genuinely useful and almost nobody knows about it. If you are on Support at Home and your carer needs a break, CHSP respite may still be available without eating into your quarterly budget.

Frequently asked