15 reasons to keep the CHSP: Alliance

The CHSP Alliance, a coalition of more than 40 aged care stakeholders, has issued a position statement outlining 15 reasons to retain the low-care in-home aged care program.

The Alliance was formed earlier this year to advocate for retaining the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), which the Government is proposing to roll into Support at Home.

“The Alliance recognises serious flaws in the design of the Support at Home program. But this is only one of our 15 reasons not to proceed with merging the two programs,” said Alliance Co-Convenor Professor Kathy Eagar AM.

Among the key reasons to retain the CHSP are:

• Many CHSP services, such as Meals on Wheels, community transport and social programs, would be unable to operate;
• Support at Home services estimated to be 30-50% more expensive per hour than CHSP;
• current funding model unlikely to meet growing demand; and
• 60% increase in Australians aged over 80 in the next decade

It “makes no sense to dismantle an efficient, established program in favour of a more expensive alternative,” Eagar said.

The Alliance has released four position papers since its inception. This month, it has also released a paper outlining proposed changes to the Aged Care Act 2024 that would expand the CHSP by establishing it as the primary tier of the aged care system.

The Government has established a Senate Inquiry into the Transition of the CHSP into Support at Home. Over two hearings in February, witnesses including Joel Reading, acting CEO of Ozcare, representing peak body Catholic Health Australia (CHA), said merging the CHSP into Support at Home could risk services.

Ageing Australia CEO Tom Symondson said the peak body for aged care providers is “very, very worried” that rushing the transition of a program the size of the 830,000-user CHSP could be catastrophic for both providers and consumers.

Many called for an extension to the transition timeline, which is currently pledged for no earlier than 1 July 2027. The Inquiry is due to report by 23 June 2026 – two months’ time.

You can access both CHSP Alliance statements, and others, here.