Guide
Respite for family carers
How CHSP respite works, at home or on a few hours out, and why it is worth asking early.
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Aged care · Guide
The Commonwealth Home Support Program, explained
What CHSP is, who it is for, what we deliver under it, and what help around the house covers.
Most of what we do in aged care is ordinary. A hand with the vacuuming. A morning where a family member can go to their own appointment because somebody else is sitting with the person they care for. Ordinary things are what hold a life at home together, and they are usually the first things to go.
together² is a Commonwealth Home Support Program provider in Sydney’s Inner West. Under it we deliver three things: help around the house, respite for family carers, and one-to-one social support.
CHSP is deliberately modest. It is not a full package of care, and it is not meant to be. It is the bit of support that keeps someone independent for longer, and for a great many people it is the only aged care they will ever need.
It is for people who need a hand, not a whole care plan
The Commonwealth Home Support Program, usually shortened to CHSP, is the entry level of the aged care system. It is built for people who are managing well at home and would manage better with some regular, practical help.
The government pays most of it
The Australian Government funds providers directly to deliver CHSP services. You contribute something towards the cost, and you are never asked to cover the whole of it.
You need an assessment first
CHSP services are only available to people who have been assessed as eligible through an aged care assessment. The assessment is free, and we can talk you through how to arrange one.
It is funded through to 2029
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has extended CHSP grant funding to 30 June 2029, so this is a program you can plan around rather than one that is about to disappear.
Help around the house
CHSP calls this domestic assistance. It covers the household jobs that keep a place safe and comfortable to live in, and it is meant to be done with you rather than around you wherever you want a hand in it.
Which of these you are funded for is set out in your assessment. We will read it with you, and we will tell you plainly if something you want is not in there.
What domestic assistance covers
- General house cleaning: mopping, vacuuming, washing up, and keeping surfaces clear so the place stays safe to move around in
- Laundry: washing clothes and bedding, and ironing
- Shopping assistance: working out the list with you, doing the shop, and bringing it home
What it does not cover
- Professional cleaning such as pest control, carpet cleaning, dry cleaning or an end of lease clean
- Moving or rearranging furniture and other heavy items
- Pet care
- The cost of the groceries themselves, and anything to do with managing your money
Last reviewed 17 September 2026 by Steven Lowrie, Governance and Case Management Lead. Rules and funding can change. If something here does not match your situation, ask us.
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