The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) will be extended for a further two years, giving 830,000 older Australians and about 1,300 providers certainty that the program will continue until 30 June 2029.
The Albanese Government says the extension will provide stability for services including domestic assistance, shopping, Meals on Wheels, transport, home maintenance, social support and allied health.
CHSP is the entry point to aged care for many older Australians, with almost 40 per cent of clients living outside major cities. The program is delivered by state and local governments, not-for-profit organisations and community groups, including many providers that are the only available service in regional, rural and remote communities.
The government has also confirmed CHSP will remain a standalone program rather than being folded into the Support at Home program.
Health and Ageing Minister Mark Butler said the decision followed feedback from older Australians and providers.
“I know how much this program means to older Australians, their families and communities,” Mr Butler said.
“We have listened to the feedback people have given us about CHSP, and we’re giving providers and older Australians the certainty they need to continue while the future of the program is developed.”
Aged Care and Seniors Minister Sam Rae said the extension would ensure continuity for older people while the government worked on the program’s longer-term future.
“830,000 older Australians rely on these services – today we’re giving them the certainty they need that their care will not change while we plan for the future of CHSP,” Mr Rae said.
“We said we would listen before we made decisions about the future of this program. Providers told us they needed certainty to keep their doors open, and older people told us they wanted continuity.”
The government said the extension would also allow it to consider how CHSP can become more sustainable and better integrated with Support at Home.
Consultation will begin this year on the program’s long-term future, including the continuation of block funding, equitable contributions towards home care costs and the role of early intervention in reducing pressure on the broader aged care system.
Mr Rae said community-based, block-funded services played a distinct role in supporting older people before they required more intensive care.
“Block-funded, community-based services do something Support at Home was never designed to do – they keep people well and independent before they need more intensive support,” he said.
“There is a continuing role for that system, and we are going to design it properly, with the people who deliver it and the people who use it.”
Sector welcomes certainty
The aged care sector has welcomed the decision, with Ageing Australia saying it had worked with the government and MPs across the political spectrum over the past year to secure the future of community-based aged care.
Ageing Australia CEO Tom Symondson said CHSP supported more older Australians than any other single program.
“CHSP supports more older Australians than any other single program, so it’s vital older people have certainty that these services will continue,” Mr Symondson said.
“As an entry-level program, CHSP helps older people remain in their homes for longer and helps them maintain their independence and live fulfilling lives in their own communities,” he added.
Mr Symondson said the decision avoided the risk of simply transferring CHSP into a Support at Home system that had not yet delivered for older people.
“We have said from the start that we must preserve what works well in CHSP and avoid simply allowing it to be rolled it into a Support at Home (SaH) program that is not yet delivering for older people,” he said.
However, Ageing Australia said the extension should be used to address longstanding funding pressures facing providers.
“Providers need that certainty to keep the services running. Without it, many have been forced to consider closure or service reductions. I hope that much of that can be avoided with today’s announcement,” Mr Symondson said.
He called for existing CHSP contracts to be reviewed, arguing that many were outdated and provided inadequate funding to meet community needs.
“It’s critical that we use this time to look at existing contracts, and make sure they’re sufficient to provide the support needed for local communities,” he said.
“We also need to use this time to consult with the community and the sector to get the program right, long term.”
The government said the extension would ensure CHSP contracts continue without interruption until 2029, addressing concerns raised by some councils and other providers about uncertainty over the program’s future.
