CHSP in Victoria
Last updated 21 August 2026
The short version
- Victoria is the one state where local councils have long been the backbone of entry-level home support - a legacy of the old Victorian HACC system that merged into CHSP from 2016.
- That era is ending: councils across the state are exiting home support and transferring clients to not-for-profit and private providers. If yours is one of them, your services continue - the organisation changes.
- CHSP itself is not ending. On 20 August 2026 the government confirmed it stays standalone until at least 30 June 2029. What that means.
- Don't confuse CHSP with HACC-PYP - Victoria's state-funded program for people under 65. Same family tree, different program.
Why Victoria is different: the council story
CHSP works the same everywhere - government grants fund providers to deliver task-based help (cleaning, meals, transport, personal care, home maintenance), and you pay a small contribution, typically around $5-$15 an hour for domestic help. But in Victoria, uniquely, the provider has often been your local council. When Victoria's Home and Community Care (HACC) program for older people merged into the Commonwealth's CHSP from 2016, councils came with it, and for many Victorians "the council ladies" have been home care for decades.
That's now unwinding. In 2025-26, councils including Melton, Wangaratta and the Borough of Queenscliffe (after roughly 40 years) announced exits from home support, and larger metro councils have followed - Mornington Peninsula Shire (around 600 clients, including a Meals on Wheels service run for 50 years) and the City of Monash (around 1,600 clients) both announced they'll leave by 30 June 2027, describing the new program requirements as unworkable for councils. Clients are being transferred to not-for-profit and private providers.
If you get a letter saying your council is exiting: your eligibility and funding don't change - they attach to you through My Aged Care, not to the council. You should get written notice naming the incoming provider and the transfer date. Before it happens, it's reasonable to ask three questions: will my regular workers move across, will my contribution rates change, and will my days and times stay the same? If you don't like the answers, you can ask My Aged Care to refer you to a different CHSP provider instead - the transfer isn't compulsory.
Victoria still runs its own HACC Program for Younger People (HACC-PYP) - state-funded home support for people under 65 (under 50 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people). It's often confused with CHSP because both grew out of the old HACC system. If you're under 65 and get "HACC" services, you're likely on the state program and this page's rules don't apply - HACC-PYP is run by health.vic, not My Aged Care.
Who delivers CHSP in Victoria now
As councils step back, large not-for-profits are picking up much of the load: Uniting AgeWell, Benetas, Bolton Clarke and mecwacare all run substantial home support operations across Melbourne and regional Victoria. Contributions vary by provider and are published - Uniting AgeWell's 2026 CHSP schedule, for instance, lists delivered meals up to $17.50, social support group days around $27.50, and home maintenance at $30-$37.50 an hour per crew member. Typical CHSP contributions statewide sit around $5-$15 an hour for domestic assistance, $8-$12 for a delivered meal and $3-$10 per transport trip - but the variation between providers is real, so ask for the written contribution schedule and hardship policy before you sign a service agreement. Footprints change: confirm who currently holds CHSP funding near you via My Aged Care's Find a Provider tool or ask us.
Getting CHSP in Victoria
Access is national: register with My Aged Care (1800 200 422 or myagedcare.gov.au), have a phone screening, then a home support assessment at home - a conversation about what you're managing and what you're not, rather than a test. You'll get referral codes and can start with any local provider that has capacity, usually within days to a few weeks; there's no national queue for CHSP. If the first provider is full, try others on your list and ask My Aged Care to re-refer you. Our application guide has the details.
CHSP while you wait - and in regional Victoria
Victoria has the shortest Support at Home waits of any state - a median of 273 days from application to services starting in the first official wait-times report - but that's still the better part of a year. If you're approved and waiting, CHSP is the standard interim support: My Aged Care can refer you for CHSP services in the meantime. See the waitlist in Victoria.
In regional Victoria the council exits bite hardest, because the council was often the only local door. Nearly 40% of CHSP clients nationally live outside major cities, and the program's block-funded outlets remain the practical backbone of country home support. See providers in regional Victoria for who covers your town.
Council leaving, or just getting started?
Tell us your postcode and situation. We'll tell you which providers cover your area, what they charge, and who has capacity now.
Common questions
My council is dropping my home care. Will my services stop?
They shouldn't. Councils exiting CHSP transfer their clients to another funded provider, and you're entitled to written notice of who and when. Your assessment, eligibility and referral codes stay with you through My Aged Care. If you'd prefer a different provider than the one chosen for you, ask My Aged Care to refer you elsewhere.
I'm under 65 and get HACC services. Is this me?
Probably not. Under-65s in Victoria are usually on HACC-PYP, the state-funded program - not CHSP, which is Commonwealth aged care (65+, or 50+ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people). HACC-PYP is managed through health.vic and your local provider, not My Aged Care. If you're not sure which you're on, ask your provider - the answer changes which rules and fees apply.
Is CHSP ending in 2027?
No - that plan was abandoned. On 20 August 2026 the government announced CHSP continues as a standalone program until at least 30 June 2029, with consultation on its long-term future starting in 2026. Anything you read citing a 1 July 2027 transition is out of date. Read the announcement summary.
Sources
- My Aged Care, myagedcare.gov.au - Commonwealth Home Support Programme, accessed August 2026.
- Ministers Butler and Rae, media release, 20 August 2026 - CHSP standalone until at least 30 June 2029 (as reported by ABC News and sector press).
- The Weekly Source - council home care exits: Melton, Wangaratta, Borough of Queenscliffe, Mornington Peninsula, Monash (2025-26).
- Victorian Department of Health (health.vic) - HACC Program for Younger People.
- Uniting AgeWell - CHSP Price Schedule 2026.
- CHSP 2025-27 Program Manual and Client Contribution Framework, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.