Home Care Packages, Commonwealth Home Support Program & Support at Home explained

Australia’s in-home aged care system has changed significantly over the last few months and there is some catching up to do in terms of the terminology and best practices in play. 

If you’re a home care provider, coordinator, or finance lead trying to keep services (and claiming) running smoothly, there are updates to adapt to now and in the near future. 

If you’re an older person or family member, you may be wondering: “Why has everyone stopped mentioning my Home Care Package?”

This guide breaks down the three key programs:

• Home Care Packages (HCP) – now replaced
• Support at Home (SAH) – the current program for coordinated in-home aged care
• Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) – entry-level support that continues alongside SAH (for now)

It explains the changes, challenges and benefits, and will walk you through how Visualcare’s purpose-designed software makes client management, reporting and claiming easier for care providers.

Take a look at what you need to know, then contact us to request a demonstration of our helpful software. 

1. Home Care Packages (HCP): The transition to Support at Home

Home Care Packages were the Australian Government’s long-running program for people who needed ongoing, coordinated help at home (often with an approved “package level”). Many providers built their operations, rostering, and finance workflows around HCP funding rules and monthly statements.

The change:

From 1 November 2025, the Government’s Support at Home (SAH) program replaced the Home Care Package Program, and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme. 

That means HCP is no longer the active program for new or ongoing delivery. Seniors who previously received support through the HCP have transitioned into SAH.

While the intent is similar (supporting people to live safely at home), SAH places more emphasis on:

• Clearer visibility of what is being delivered
• A broader framing that includes access to products, equipment, and home modifications
• Provider readiness obligations and a heightened compliance environment

What changed for providers as part of the HCP to SAH transition

Benefits/improvements

• Providers benefit from a more standardised national program structure for “help at home” services.
• There is a stronger focus on service transparency and program guidance, which supports audit readiness when done well.
• SAH is more in line with NDIS style delivery and claiming, making it easier for providers who deliver services to people with disability as well as seniors. 

Operational impacts

Providers have had to adapt processes and systems quickly as SAH commenced (including readiness steps like service/pricing verification and finalising arrangements). 

Support at Home introduces a fundamentally different claiming environment for aged care providers, moving away from bundled hours to activity-based services funded under standardised criteria. 

Key differences include:

• New service categories include restorative care and end-of-life care, alongside clinical support, independence and everyday living categories, each with different participant contribution rates. 
• Claims are submitted in 15-minute increments, marking a significant shift from previous Home Care Package arrangements.

The program places much greater emphasis on real-time or near real-time record keeping and on clearer alignment between care plans, participant budgets, delivered services and supporting records. There is also the pressure for providers to adapt to new Assistive Technology and Home Modification reporting and claiming requirements, as well as the introduction of a direct Aged Care Claiming API under Support at Home.

At the same time, financial controls are tightening. A 10 per cent cap applies to care management charges, meaning providers cannot charge participants more than 10 per cent of their total package budget for care management, and fixed price caps on services will come into effect from 1 July 2026. 

While time spent on tasks often needs to be captured to the minute, claims must still comply with 15-minute rounding rules, making tightly connected rostering, time tracking and claiming systems essential to avoid confusion, errors and rejected claims.

Support at Home challenges for providers

The move to Support at Home has introduced a shifting operational and compliance environment for providers. 

Day-to-day challenges now include:

• Aligning rostered shifts with actual time worked
• Applying 15-minute rounding rules consistently across multiple visits
• Ensuring every activity claimed matches the participant’s approved services and service categories. 

Providers must also identify and correct errors quickly to meet submission timeframes, while submitting accurate claims to the appropriate government systems and maintaining clear, audit-ready evidence.

Without well-defined workflows and systems that connect rostering, time capture and claiming, these requirements can quickly overwhelm care and finance teams, increasing the risk of rejected claims, revenue leakage and compliance issues.

This is where Visualcare makes a difference, by providing rostering and claims management software designed for Support at Home that links care plans, worker suitability, real-time service delivery records and claiming-ready data in one platform. 

By using Visualcare, providers can reduce manual reconciliation, improve accuracy, and stay confident that services are delivered, recorded and claimed correctly.

What has changed for participants

Benefits/improvements of SAH vs HCP

The Government’s new Support at Home program is designed to improve access to services, products, equipment and home modifications so older people can stay independent at home for longer.

What participants need to know

If you previously received HCP, you have automatically transitioned into SAH, but your practical support should remain focused on your assessed needs and goals, with clearer program framing and information.

2. Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP): What it is and how it works

CHSP is different from the Support at Home program. Think of CHSP as entry-level support. It is ideal when someone needs a smaller amount of help, occasional help, or a “top up” to stay independent.

My Aged Care describes CHSP as a program that helps older people access entry-level services to live independently and safely at home, with an emphasis on supporting independence rather than doing everything for the person. 

What CHSP services generally cover:

CHSP can include practical supports such as:

• Domestic assistance
• Meals
• Transport
• Social support
• Basic home maintenance
• Allied health and nursing-type supports (where applicable)

Exact inclusions and service descriptions can vary based on program guidance and provider agreements. Seniors who are unsure about whether they are eligible may need to undergo a formal assessment through My Aged Care. 

The big question: is CHSP becoming Support at Home?

Not immediately.

The Department of Health and Aged Care says CHSP will transition to Support at Home no earlier than 1 July 2027. 

So for providers and participants, the “now” looks like:

• SAH = coordinated in-home aged care (replacing HCP)
• CHSP = entry-level support still operating alongside SAH
  
  

CHSP reforms: what’s changing

CHSP hasn’t stood still. Reforms and updated program guidance have been published, including a CHSP 2025–27 Manual (from 1 November 2025) that outlines provider responsibilities and program changes under the Aged Care Act 2024. 

There are also new operational requirements rolling out, including reporting changes involving My Aged Care ID reporting from 1 January 2026. 

Benefits/changes for CHSP providers

• Clearer program documentation and expectations for the 2025–27 period.
• A stronger push toward consistent reporting and system readiness (including data exchange/DEX-related changes).
  
  

Benefits/changes for CHSP participants

• CHSP remains a simpler entry point for many people who don’t need a fully coordinated at-home care program.
• Continued focus on maintaining independence, not replacing it.

How Visualcare helps Support at Home and CHSP providers

Whether you deliver SAH services, CHSP services or a mix of the two, the pressure is the same: to deliver great care, prove it and claim accurately without drowning your team in admin or confusing rosters.

Visualcare supports both types of providers by bringing the “front end” (care plan and rostering) and the “back end” (evidence and finance reporting) into one workflow, including:

• Care-plan aligned rostering that matches services to the participant’s requirements and worker suitability.
• Evidence capture: support stronger compliance by recording what was delivered (and when).
• Real-time visibility: operational dashboards help coordinators and finance teams spot issues early.
• Direct claiming support: streamlined exports and reporting designed to reduce manual reconciliation and improve audit readiness (particularly important as SAH claiming expectations tighten).
  
  

Our most recent software update was created with SAH and CHSP changes in mind, giving providers fewer surprises at month-end, fewer rework loops between operations and finance, and simplified reporting capabilities.

Find out more about our latest feature upgrades, or contact us to request a demonstration today. 

Support for Seniors at Home: FAQs

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