Funding

The Australian Government subsides the cost of home support services that older people can receive in their own home. What they pay depends on the services and in some cases, their financial situation. Depending on care needs, services can be accessed through the Commonwealth Home Support or Support at Home programs.

The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) provides entry-level home support for older people who need assistance to keep living independently, as well as respite services to give carers a break. Clients pay a contribution, which varies between providers, towards the cost of services. CHSP providers receive Australian Government funding through grant agreements.

Types of services include assistance with:

The CHSP comes under the Aged Care Act 2024 (the Act) from 1 November 2025. Existing approved CHSP clients can continue to access their CHSP services. Older people who wish to access CHSP from 1 November 2025 must apply for an aged care assessment through My Aged Care. The CHSP 2025-27 Manual provides an overview of the program, eligibility and delivery requirements, and administration and provider responsibilities.

The Support at Home Program replaced the Home Care Packages (HCP) Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme on 1 November 2025. Support at Home is available for older people who require more care than can be provided by the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP). Support at Home assists older people to stay at home rather than entering residential aged care. The program provides ongoing personal and support services and clinical care.

There are 8 ongoing classifications with increasing funds to provide varying levels of care. In addition, there are 4 classifications for transitioned Home Care Package (HCP) care recipients who have not been reassessed under Support at Home.

There are 3 short-term support classifications:

• The Restorative Care Pathway to regain or maintain independence.
• The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme for older people with an assessed need for equipment, products and home modifications.
• The End-of-Life Pathway to support older people who have 3 months or less to live and wish to remain at home. More details on the End-of-Life Pathway are available in the Manage Dying element of the Home Care Toolkit.

Registered providers who will be delivering the Support at Home program can access the program manual.