Who are CHSP services for?
The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) provides entry-level services. Depending on the person’s needs, these services can be:
- short term
- episodic, where services can be put in place to improve function or capacity
- ongoing
In general, CHSP services are not for:
- people with intensive, multiple or complex needs
- permanent residents of aged care residential facilities
- people whose needs are better met by other aged care programs
Under some circumstances, you can also provide CHSP services to people:
- already registered with the Disability Support for Older Australians Program
- receiving a Home Care Package
The most commonly used services under the CHSP are:
- domestic assistance
- allied health and therapy services
- transport
- home maintenance and repairs
- nursing
Services you can provide
The CHSP Service Catalogue shows the services being delivered under the CHSP for 2025-27.
Check the CHSP Manual for details of each service type, including out-of-scope activities, service delivery settings, output measures, required staff qualifications and fees.
Home Support
The services available under Home Support include the following:
- allied health and therapy services – including podiatry, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, social work, diet or nutrition, speech pathology and more
- therapeutic services for independent living – including acupuncture, chiropractic, remedial massage, diversional therapy, art therapy and osteopathy
- community cottage respite
- domestic assistance – including general house cleaning, shopping assistance and laundry services
- hoarding and squalor assistance
- home maintenance and repairs – including home maintenance and repairs, and gardening
- home adjustments
- home or community general respite – including flexible and community and centre-based respite
- meals
- nursing care
- personal care – including helping the client to care for themselves and manage their own medicine
- social support and community engagement – including individual and group social support activities, cultural support and digital education
- transport.
Assistive Technology
- equipment and products – including self-care aids, support and mobility aids, medical care aids, communication aids, reading aids and car modifications.
Home Modifications
- home adjustments including home modifications.
Advisory Services
- specialised support services – including continence, dementia, hearing and vision advisory services. As well as client advocacy and other clinical advisory support.
Sector Support and Development
This sub-program supports CHSP service providers with reforms to the CHSP, in preparation for the aged care reforms, and to align with the objectives of the CHSP.
Services you cannot provide
Check the CHSP Manual for detailed descriptions of what is out-of-scope for each CHSP service type.
See Funding for the CHSP for details of what CHSP funding cannot be used for.
Integration with other aged care programs
Disability Support for Older Australians and the CHSP
The CHSP can fund services to people under the Disability Support for Older Australians Program. For further information see the Disability Support for Older Australians Program Manual.
Home Care Package clients
There are 6 circumstances where HCP clients can get extra short term help from the CHSP, if their package budget is used up.
Level 1 or 2 HCP package:
- they need more allied health or nursing services after a setback, such as a fall
- they are waiting for a Level 3 or 4 package and need home modifications.
Any level HCP package:
- their carer needs short-term panned respite services
- they need extra CHSP services in an emergency, where they have an urgent and immediate health or safety need
- they can continue to access Group Social Support where they transitioned from the CHSP and attended a pre-existing CHSP Group Social Support service
- where there is an urgent need and the HCP care recipients has insufficient funds in their package for Equipment and products, they may access short term CHSP Equipment and products.
In all 6 circumstances, the extra CHSP support must be short term. The client’s aged care assessor should monitor and review their needs.
Clients pay the usual CHSP client contribution rate for the CHSP services. You must not charge the client’s HCP budget for services in these cases.
For more information on providing CHSP services to Home Care Package clients can read the CHSP Manual.
HCP clients can access urgent Equipment and products
New and existing HCP care recipients and approved HCP recipients waiting for a package will be able to access Equipment and products where:
- an aged care assessor has assessed the care recipient and they have urgent or immediate need for equipment
- they have insufficient funds in the HCP budget to fund the urgent equipment.
The CHSP national equipment provider GEAT2GO will provide equipment to eligible HCP care recipients with an urgent need.
Eligible HCP recipients will have access up to $2,500 per year in total for urgent Equipment and products.
Learn more in the CHSP Equipment and products for HCP clients fact sheet or in the CHSP Manual.