CHSP in Western Australia
Last updated 21 August 2026
The short version
- CHSP is the entry-level home help program: occasional cleaning, meals, transport, minor home mods, with small per-service contributions - typically around $5-$15 an hour for domestic help.
- WA was the last state to join CHSP - its state-run HACC services only moved across on 1 July 2018. If you (or your mum) still call it "HACC", that's why.
- CHSP is not ending. On 20 August 2026 the government confirmed it stays standalone until at least 30 June 2029. What that means.
- Silverchain is WA's historic in-home care giant; community providers like Chorus also deliver CHSP across Perth and the regions.
From HACC to CHSP: why WA feels different
CHSP works the same across Australia - government grants fund around 1,300 organisations to deliver task-based help to about 830,000 older people, with clients paying a small contribution and hardship waivers available so inability to pay never blocks a service. But WA came to the program late: while the eastern states handed their Home and Community Care (HACC) programs to the Commonwealth years earlier, WA's HACC services only transitioned to CHSP on 1 July 2018. Plenty of long-term WA clients started under HACC and still use the name - the services carried over, and if you were a HACC client then, you didn't need to reapply. Today it's all CHSP, run through My Aged Care like everywhere else.
Delivery in WA is anchored by home-grown organisations. Silverchain, founded in WA more than a century ago, remains the state's dominant in-home care provider and delivers CHSP alongside its nursing and Support at Home services. Community providers such as Chorus deliver CHSP across Perth suburbs and regional centres, and sector support for WA providers comes through bodies like Independent Living Assessment. Provider footprints change - confirm who currently holds CHSP funding in your area through My Aged Care's Find a Provider tool, or ask us.
It's out of date. The planned fold-in to Support at Home was abandoned on 20 August 2026 - CHSP continues standalone until at least 30 June 2029, with consultation on its long-term design starting in 2026. Read our summary of the announcement.
Getting CHSP in WA
Access is the national pathway - there's no WA-specific application. Register with My Aged Care (1800 200 422 or myagedcare.gov.au), have a phone screening, then a home support assessment, usually at your home and more a conversation than a test. You'll receive referral codes and can start with any local provider that has capacity - typically within days to a few weeks, with no national queue. Contributions are set by each provider within national guidance and published; ask for the written schedule and the hardship policy before signing the service agreement. Our application guide and fees guide have the details.
CHSP while you wait - and beyond Perth
If you've been approved for Support at Home, expect a wait - WA's median from application to services starting was around 298 days in the first official wait-times report. CHSP is the standard bridge: My Aged Care can refer you for interim CHSP services so you're supported in the meantime. See the waitlist in WA.
Outside Perth, WA has the sharpest metro-country divide on the mainland east of the NT. The Kimberley, Pilbara, Goldfields and Gascoyne are classic thin markets where mainstream providers are scarce, distances are extreme, and remote Aboriginal communities are often served by NATSIFAC flexible aged care services rather than CHSP itself. If you're regional, being eligible doesn't guarantee local capacity - contact every provider on your referral list and ask My Aged Care to re-refer you if needed. See providers in regional WA.
Not sure which program - or which provider?
Tell us your postcode and what help you need. We'll tell you whether CHSP or Support at Home fits, and who genuinely covers your part of WA.
Common questions
I was a WA HACC client. Am I on CHSP now?
Yes - WA HACC services for older people transitioned to CHSP on 1 July 2018, and existing clients moved across without reapplying. Since 1 November 2025 all CHSP clients also need to be registered with My Aged Care (existing clients were transitioned automatically). If you've never had contact with My Aged Care and aren't sure of your status, call 1800 200 422 with your details.
Is CHSP ending?
No. The government confirmed on 20 August 2026 that CHSP continues as a standalone program until at least 30 June 2029. The previously planned 2027 merger into Support at Home was abandoned. Your services continue as normal. Full details.
What does CHSP cost in WA?
Each provider sets its own contributions within national guidance - typically around $5-$15 an hour for domestic assistance, $8-$12 for a delivered meal and $3-$10 per transport trip, though it varies between providers. Every provider must have hardship arrangements: if you genuinely can't pay, ask for a reduction or waiver. See CHSP fees explained.
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).
- WA Department of Health - transition of WA HACC services to the Commonwealth (CHSP), 1 July 2018.
- Aged Care Act 2024 Wait Times Report (System Governor, May 2026) - state median waits, Nov 2025-Mar 2026.
- CHSP 2025-27 Program Manual and Client Contribution Framework, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
- AIHW GEN aged care data - CHSP providers and outlets by remoteness.