What is the difference between CHSP (Commonwealth Home Support Programme) and a Home Care Package (HCP)?
CHSP remains the entry-level home support program for people who generally need a smaller amount of help. Home Care Packages were replaced by Support at Home on 1 November 2025, so in 2026 the more useful comparison is CHSP versus Support at Home. People who previously had a Home Care Package were transitioned into the new system.
Key points
- CHSP remains the entry-level home support program.
- Home Care Packages were replaced by Support at Home on 1 November 2025.
- Support at Home is designed for more coordinated, ongoing or complex support.
- CHSP is expected to remain separate until at least 1 July 2027.
- An aged care assessment determines which program and services you are eligible for.
If you are comparing CHSP with a Home Care Package, there is one important change to understand first: the Home Care Packages Program no longer operates as a separate program. It was replaced by Support at Home on 1 November 2025.
CHSP still operates separately. So, in 2026, the practical comparison is really CHSP versus Support at Home, with some people in Support at Home still having transitioned arrangements based on their former Home Care Package.
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01Guide sectionCHSP: entry-level help at home
The Commonwealth Home Support Program is designed for older people who need a lower level of support to remain living safely and independently at home.
It is often appropriate when you need one or two services rather than a fully coordinated package of care. Depending on your assessment, CHSP can include services such as:
- domestic assistance
- meals
- transport
- personal care
- nursing or allied health
- social support
- respite
- home maintenance or modifications.
02Guide sectionHow CHSP is organised
You are approved for particular CHSP services rather than receiving one personal budget to spend across everything. You may have a separate referral code for each approved service, and you can use different providers for different CHSP services if that works better for you.
03Guide sectionWhat do I pay under CHSP?
The government subsidises CHSP services and providers may ask you to make a contribution. The amount can vary by provider and service. CHSP does not use a formal income and assets assessment to set your contribution, and providers must have arrangements for people who cannot afford the usual contribution.
04Guide sectionSupport at Home: coordinated and higher-level support
Support at Home is designed for people whose needs are more coordinated, ongoing or complex. It replaced the Home Care Packages Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme on 1 November 2025.
Support at Home includes:
- 8 ongoing funding classifications for ongoing care
- a defined list of approved services
- short-term pathways for restorative care, assistive technology and home modifications, and end-of-life care
- care management for people receiving ongoing services.
Your aged care assessment determines which services you are approved for and whether CHSP, Support at Home or another pathway better suits your needs.
05Guide sectionWhat do I pay under Support at Home?
Support at Home contributions depend on the type of service and your financial circumstances. Clinical supports do not attract a participant contribution. From 1 October 2026, approved personal care services will also be fully government funded when you have sufficient Support at Home funds available.
06Guide sectionWhat happened to people who had a Home Care Package?
People who were already receiving a Home Care Package moved into Support at Home when the new program started. They did not need a new assessment simply to enter Support at Home.
The new program includes four transitioned Home Care Package classifications so people who moved from the old system can retain an equivalent level of funding. This is why you may still see terms such as HCP Level 1, 2, 3 or 4 on older letters, provider records or conversations even though new care is now delivered under Support at Home.
07Guide sectionIs CHSP also being replaced?
Not yet. CHSP continues as a separate program and the Australian Government says it will transition to Support at Home no earlier than 1 July 2027.
08Guide sectionSo which one is right for me?
You do not have to choose the program yourself. An aged care assessment looks at your needs and determines the services and program you are eligible to access.
As a simple guide:
- CHSP generally suits people who need a smaller amount of entry-level support.
- Support at Home generally suits people who need more coordinated, ongoing or complex support.
The dividing line is not simply your age or diagnosis. It is based on your assessed needs.
09Guide sectionWhat should I do next?
If you have not been assessed, start with My Aged Care. If you already have an approval, check exactly which services and program are listed in your outcome before comparing providers. A provider that offers Support at Home is not automatically a CHSP provider for every service, and vice versa.
10Guide sectionHelpful Local Home Help resources
Check whether your assessment outcome refers to CHSP, Support at Home or a transitioned Home Care Package classification, then compare providers that are approved for the services you need.
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