Media Release by Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield

Transition to new CHSP arrangements announced

The Australian Government today announced further details of the new Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), which will begin from 1 July 2015.

The CHSP consolidates four Commonwealth-funded home support programmes into one streamlined and simplified programme:

  • Commonwealth Home and Community Care (HACC) Program;
  • National Respite for Carer Program (NRCP);
  • Day Therapy Centres (DTC) Program; and the
  • Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) Program.

Today the Government announced that two years of funding will be offered to the majority of service providers with contracts under existing programmes that will form the CHSP.

This will provide a degree of continuity and certainty to providers and their clients as we transition to the new Programme.

The overwhelming majority of providers funded through the current programmes will continue to deliver services under the new CHSP, while people receiving services under the existing programmes will continue to receive the same level of support now and when the CHSP begins.

The CHSP is one of several changes being made to help older people stay independent and in their own homes for longer. It will continue to support around 550,000 older people and their carers as the entry level of Australia’s aged care system.

Providers will benefit from significantly streamlined funding arrangements, with less red tape, simplified grant agreements and more time to deliver important services for older Australians.

And older people and their carers will benefit from a standardised national assessment process and single entry point for services through the My Aged Care Gateway.

CHSP funding will be around $1.7 billion in 2015-16, which will continue to grow over the coming years, resulting in more services for more people. It will continue to provide services such as planned respite, delivered meals and domestic assistance.

A more equitable and sustainable national fees policy will be introduced to address the variations that currently exist, with protections remaining for people who can’t afford services.

There will also be a review of sector support and aged care advocacy activities that are currently funded within existing programmes, which will be extended to October 2015. Providers of these services will be contacted in the new year regarding review arrangements.

Consultation with the National Aged Care Alliance and the sector more broadly will be prioritised for the Government as further details of the CHSP are finalised. There will be opportunities for the industry to provide feedback on the CHSP manual, fees policy, sector support and advocacy services.

For more information please visit www.dss.gov.au/CHSP.