What is CHSP? Entry-level home support, explained
Last updated 21 August 2026
The short version
- CHSP - the Commonwealth Home Support Programme - is government-funded help for people who just need a bit of support to stay independent at home: cleaning, meals, transport, a social group, a grab rail.
- You pay a small contribution per service (often $5-$15 an hour); the government funds the rest through grants to around 1,300 providers.
- It suits low-level, occasional needs - typically one or two service types, around 2-4 hours a fortnight. For ongoing or complex needs, Support at Home is the right program.
- CHSP is not ending. On 20 August 2026 the government confirmed it will run as a standalone program until at least 30 June 2029.
The biggest aged care program you’ve barely heard of
Around 830,000 older Australians use CHSP - roughly three in five of everyone receiving government-funded aged care, and nearly 40% of them live outside the major cities. It works differently from Support at Home. Instead of giving you a personal budget, the government pays grants directly to providers, who deliver individual services - a fortnightly clean here, a delivered meal there - and charge you a small contribution for each one. On average the government puts in around $3,900 per client per year; most people contribute a few hundred.
The design goal is independence, not dependency. Providers are required to work in a “wellness and reablement” way - helping you keep doing things for yourself, rather than taking tasks over permanently.
Who CHSP suits - and when Support at Home is the better fit
The honest rule of thumb:
- CHSP fits if you need one or two kinds of occasional help - say, cleaning every fortnight, a weekly social group, transport to appointments, or minor home safety modifications. It’s faster to start (often days to weeks) and cheaper for most people.
- Support at Home fits if you need several services working together, regular clinical care such as nursing, or simply more hours. It gives you an assessed quarterly budget across eight classifications and a provider who coordinates your care - but contributions are means-tested and there’s a substantial waitlist.
If you’re not sure, apply through My Aged Care and let the assessment sort it out - the same front door serves both programs. Our guide to Support at Home vs CHSP compares them side by side.
Who is eligible
CHSP is for people who are:
- 65 or older (50 or older for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people), or
- 50 or older (45 or older for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people) if you’re on a low income and homeless, or at risk of homelessness,
- and living in Australia with appropriate residency.
Since the new Aged Care Act commenced on 1 November 2025, every CHSP client must be registered with My Aged Care and have an aged care needs assessment - existing clients were moved across automatically. New clients also sign a service agreement setting out services, agreed contributions, and rights and obligations. See how to apply for the steps.
Can you use CHSP and Support at Home at the same time? As a rule, no - ongoing services sit in one program. There is one narrow exception: a Support at Home participant can access short-term CHSP services in an urgent health-or-safety situation when their quarterly budget is fully spent, if a local CHSP provider has spare capacity. It’s a stopgap of around two months, not a top-up - if the need continues, the answer is a Support Plan Review for a higher classification.
CHSP was previously due to merge into Support at Home from mid-2027. That plan was abandoned on 20 August 2026 - CHSP continues as its own program until at least 30 June 2029. Read what changed and what to watch.
Wondering which program fits your situation?
Tell us what kind of help you’re after and we’ll talk you through CHSP, Support at Home, and how to get started - free, no obligation.
Common questions
Is CHSP means-tested?
No. Unlike Support at Home, there’s no means assessment. Providers set small per-service contributions based on your ability to pay, under national guidance - and if you genuinely can’t afford them, hardship arrangements mean you still get the service. See what CHSP costs.
Can I get CHSP while I wait for Support at Home?
Yes - this is standard practice. If you’ve been approved for Support at Home but are still in the queue, My Aged Care can refer you to CHSP for interim services so you’re not waiting unsupported. Once your Support at Home funding starts, your ongoing services move across.
I already get CHSP services. Do I need to reapply?
No. Existing clients were automatically registered with My Aged Care when the new Act started on 1 November 2025, and your services continue. You’ll be moved onto a compliant service agreement at a routine review. You only need a new assessment if your needs grow and you want more or different support.
Is CHSP the same as HACC?
CHSP replaced the old Home and Community Care (HACC) program for older people - most states moved across in 2015-16, Western Australia in 2018. If you were a HACC client, CHSP is its successor. Victoria still runs a separate state program (HACC-PYP) for younger people, which is not aged care.
Who actually delivers CHSP services?
Around 1,300 organisations hold CHSP grants - mostly not-for-profits, plus some councils and private providers. Who operates near you varies a lot by state and region; our state pages, starting from the CHSP hub, cover the local picture.
Sources
- My Aged Care, myagedcare.gov.au - “Commonwealth Home Support Programme”, accessed August 2026.
- Productivity Commission, Report on Government Services 2026, section 14 (Aged care services) - CHSP client numbers, 2024-25.
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing - Commonwealth Home Support Programme 2025-27 Program Manual.
- Ministers Mark Butler and Sam Rae - media release on the future of CHSP, 20 August 2026; reported by ABC News, Australian Ageing Agenda and Inside Ageing, August 2026.