A coalition of more than 40 aged care organisations has called on the Federal Government to abandon plans to fold the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) into the incoming Support at Home model, warning the move could undermine access, affordability and system sustainability.
In a newly released position statement, the CHSP Alliance outlines 15 reasons why the long-standing program should be retained and strengthened as the foundational tier of Australia’s aged care system, rather than absorbed into a single, fee-for-service model.
The Alliance argues that CHSP plays a critical role in helping older Australians remain at home, providing early intervention and lower-level supports that reduce pressure on more intensive—and costly—forms of care.
A central concern is cost. The Alliance estimates services delivered under Support at Home are between 30 and 50 per cent more expensive per hour than equivalent CHSP services, due to the structural realities of an individualised, transactional funding model.
Co-convenor Professor Kathy Eagar said dismantling CHSP in favour of a more expensive system “makes no sense,” particularly given growing demand and fiscal constraints.
The statement also highlights the risk to community-based services such as Meals on Wheels, transport, social support and allied health programs, many of which rely on grant funding and volunteer networks that may not translate into a fee-for-service environment.
Co-convenor Paul Sadler, Chair of Meals on Wheels Australia, warned some providers “may not be able to keep their doors open” if CHSP is abolished.
The Alliance emphasises CHSP’s unique ability to support vulnerable groups, including First Nations communities, culturally diverse populations and older people experiencing homelessness.
“The simple fact is that CHSP is efficient, established and works well,” the statement concludes. “It should be built upon, not dismantled.”
It also points to the program’s long-standing role in fostering community connection, prevention and wellbeing through group-based and locally embedded services.
Demand pressures are expected to intensify significantly, with the number of Australians aged over 80 projected to increase by 60 per cent within the next decade. By 2035, more than two million people will fall into this age group.
Against this backdrop, the Alliance argues that relying solely on Support at Home would replicate structural issues seen in other sectors, including long wait times, assessment bottlenecks and limited flexibility to respond to changing needs.
The group is urging the government to retain CHSP as a distinct program, expand its funding, and formally position it as the primary entry point to the aged care system, working alongside, rather than within, Support at Home.
