Government prolongs Commonwealth Home Support Program for seniors until 2029

The Australian government announced that the Commonwealth Home Support Program, which offers low-level assistance to roughly 830,000 seniors, will be extended for two more years, now running through 2029, with an eye toward making it a permanent fixture. Aged Care Minister Sam Rae emphasized that the program should remain distinct from the Support at Home model and said consultations will begin to cement its future status.

Health Minister Mark Butler noted that some overlap between the two schemes needs to be resolved, particularly around cost-sharing arrangements. Opposition aged-care spokesperson Anne Ruston called the decision an "embarrassing, overdue backdown" after a Senate inquiry recommended keeping CHSP separate. Provider bodies such as Ageing Australia and the Council on the Ageing praised the extension for giving local councils and service providers certainty about continued funding.