In a significant reversal, the federal government has extended the Commonwealth Home Support Program, the entry-level service that helps hundreds of thousands of older Australians stay in their homes, for another two years, keeping it separate from the new Support at Home program. It’s a decision that protects a service 835,000 people rely on, and it’s being called an overdue backdown. Here’s the plain-language guide.
What Was Going to Happen
Under the original aged care reforms, the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) was due to be abolished in mid-2027 and folded into the new Support at Home program. CHSP is the entry-level tier of home support, the help that keeps older people independent without needing a full care package.
The plan to absorb it worried many, because CHSP works differently: it’s block-funded and delivers simple, accessible support to a very large number of people. Rolling it into Support at Home risked disrupting a service that, for all the new program’s troubles, was largely working.
What Changed
The government has now extended CHSP until 2029, and signalled its intention to keep the program separate from Support at Home on an ongoing basis, potentially making it permanent.
“This is an embarrassing, overdue backdown from Labor in the face of overwhelming evidence,” Shadow Aged Care Minister Anne Ruston said.
Whether you read it as a sensible correction or a backdown forced by evidence, the practical outcome is the same: a service 835,000 older Australians rely on continues, rather than being merged into a program still finding its feet.
What CHSP Actually Does
CHSP provides entry-level support for older people who need some help to stay at home but don’t require a full Support at Home package. Think practical, everyday assistance: help with shopping, transport, meals on wheels, social support, basic home maintenance and modifications, and personal care.
For many older Australians, CHSP is the first, and sometimes only, aged care they need, the light-touch support that makes the difference between managing at home and not. Its accessibility and simplicity are exactly why keeping it separate matters.
Why the Backdown Matters
The decision was welcomed across the sector. A Senate inquiry earlier this year had recommended CHSP be kept as a separate block-funded program, and provider bodies had pushed hard for it, given Support at Home was, in their words, “not yet delivering for older people.”
The significance is stability. At a time when the new Support at Home program has been beset by complaints about delays, pricing and complexity, preserving a service that works, and that so many people depend on, provides a measure of certainty. It also signals a government willing to adjust course when the evidence demands it, which matters for trust.
What This Means for You
If you or a family member relies on CHSP, the practical message is reassuring: the service continues, with no forced transition to Support at Home in mid-2027 as previously planned. You don’t need to do anything, your entry-level support carries on.
If you’re new to aged care and need only light-touch help, CHSP remains the accessible entry point, and it’s worth knowing it exists as a simpler alternative to a full package. To access it, you still start with a My Aged Care registration and assessment. Details are on the My Aged Care CHSP page.
The Bottom Line
Extending the Commonwealth Home Support Program to 2029, and signalling it may stay permanent, protects an entry-level service 835,000 older Australians rely on, reversing a plan to fold it into the troubled Support at Home program. Whether backdown or course-correction, it delivers stability for a service that works. If you rely on CHSP, it continues, and if you need light-touch support, it remains the accessible way in. This is general information, not aged care, medical or financial advice.
Epik Wire covers aged care in plain language for older Australians and their families. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed.
