Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)

Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)

What is it and who is it for?

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme provides entry-level support for older people who need some help to stay at home. Service providers work with them to maintain their independence and keep them as well as possible.

About the CHSP

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme is an entry-level in-home aged care support program that helps older people to live independently in their homes and communities. The CHSP also provides respite services to give carers a break.

The program aims to:

• help older people live as independently as possible
• focus on working with them, rather than doing things for them
• give a small amount of help to a large number of people.

Most people in the Commonwealth Home Support Programme only need 1 or 2 services to help them stay independent.

The CHSP replaces 4 programs:

• Commonwealth Home and Community Care (HACC) program
• planned respite from the National Respite for Carers Program (NRCP)
• Day Therapy Centres (DTC) program
• Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) program.

Why it is important

Most people want to stay at home for as long as possible as they age. To support this, we subsidise a range of in-home aged care services.

These services help older people to:

• stay independent and safe in their own homes
• delay or avoid high-level care such as residential care in an aged care home
• stay socially active
• stay connected with their community.

The CHSP is an important part of the government-subsidised aged care system, which also offers:

• the Home Care Packages program for more complex needs
• residential aged care for people who can no longer live at home.

Who it is for

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme is for frail older people who need support to live independently at home and are either:

• aged 65 years or over (50 or over for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples) and have functional limitations and need assistance
• prematurely aged (50 years or older; 45 years or older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) on a low income who are either:
  • homeless or at risk of homelessness as a result of experiencing housing stress, or not having secure accommodation
  • living with hoarding behaviour or in a squalid environment and at risk of homelessness or unable to receive the aged care services they need.

The CHSP also supports carers by providing planned respite services for CHSP clients. This allows carers to take a break from their caring duties.

Disability Support for Older Australians and CHSP 

The CHSP can fund services to people under the Disability Support for Older Australians (DSOA) Program.

What services the CHSP can provide

The CHSP can provide services such as:

• help around the house
• transport
• meals
• personal care
• home modifications
• social support
• nursing and allied health
• planned respite care.

How it works

CHSP is available across Australia and funds a large variety of organisations (called service providers) to deliver care and services. 

The program aims to build on clients’ individual strengths and abilities to help them remain living independently and safely at home.

Under the CHSP, trained assessors work out what support each person needs during a face-to-face assessment in the home.

Service providers must:

• work with the client to develop their care plan based on their support needs
• support the client to safely keep doing things for themselves where they are able to
• review support services every 12 months to make sure they are meeting needs
• meet Aged Care Quality Standards.

What it costs

CHSP providers receive government funding through grant agreements. They then provide subsidised services to older people.

Clients pay a contribution or fee (which varies between providers) towards the cost of services. Clients are expected to contribute towards the cost of the services they receive, if they can afford to do so. 

Clients will not be asked to cover the full cost of services, and any fees must be agreed between the client and the service provider before services start.

We expect providers to have a publicly available client contribution policy that outlines how they determine their fees. 

Clients will not be denied services if they are unable to contribute to the cost of the services. Providers have their own arrangements for protecting those least able to contribute towards the cost of their care.

Who provides CHSP services

There are more than 1,200 CHSP providers in Australia, including government, non-government and not-for-profit organisations.

The CHSP is being extended from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2027. 

If you’re an older person who wants to access government-funded help at home, you will need to apply for an assessment on the My Aged Care website or call the My Aged Care contact centre.

My Aged Care – Ph: 1800 200 422

Visit My Aged Care.