The future of the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) is becoming one of the biggest conversations in aged care reform. A coalition of more than 40 aged care stakeholders is publicly calling for the program to remain separate from the upcoming Support at Home (SaH) model.
As the future of aged care reform evolves, the newly formed CHSP Alliance has released a position statement outlining 15 reasons why CHSP should not be folded into Support at Home. They argue that the two programs serve fundamentally different purposes within Australia’s aged care system.
The "Primary Aged Care" Layer
At the center of the Alliance’s argument is the belief that CHSP acts as Australia’s “primary aged care” layer, similar to the role GPs and community health services play within the healthcare system. The paper notes that CHSP provides low-level preventative, community-based supports that help older Australians remain independent for longer while reducing pressure on hospitals, residential aged care, and more complex care services.
Core Concerns Raised by the CHSP Alliance
- Risk to Volunteer and Community Infrastructure:
Many existing CHSP-funded services may struggle to survive under a transactional fee-for-service environment. This includes services such as Meals on Wheels, community transport, social support groups, volunteer-led initiatives, and wellness programs that rely heavily on community infrastructure and grant funding. - Challenges for Vulnerable Cohorts:
The Alliance highlights concerns for First Nations communities, culturally and linguistically diverse Australians, regional communities, and older people experiencing homelessness. The paper argues these groups are often poorly suited to highly individualised competitive market models and are currently better supported through CHSP’s community-based structure. - Significant Financial Inefficiency:
According to the position statement, Support at Home services are estimated to cost approximately 30–50% more per hour than equivalent CHSP-delivered services due to the structure of transactional funding models. The Alliance argues it “makes no sense” to dismantle an established and efficient program in favour of a significantly more expensive alternative. - Operational Bottlenecks:
The statement also raises concerns around assessment bottlenecks, wait times, high consumer co-payments, and the limited ability within Support at Home to flex services quickly as client needs change.
Meeting the Demands of an Ageing Population
Importantly, the paper warns that Australia’s ageing population will place unprecedented demand on the sector over the next decade. With the number of Australians aged over 80 expected to increase by around 60% by 2035, the Alliance argues the system will require both preventative and complex care layers to remain sustainable long-term.
The debate is gaining momentum as the Government’s Senate Inquiry into transitioning CHSP into Support at Home continues, with findings expected later this year.
What the CHSP Alliance Means for Aged Care Providers
For providers across home care, CHSP, allied health, transport, wellness, and community services, the outcome of this discussion may significantly influence future funding structures, operational models, workforce planning, and service delivery expectations across the sector.
View the full CHSP Alliance Position Statement here.
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