CHSP Program Manual: The fine print matters
4 minute read
If you’re a CHSP provider, chances are you’ve skimmed the new 2025–27 Program Manual and thought “Hang on… didn’t we do this already?”
Yep. A lot is staying the same. But a handful of changes, some sensible, some eyebrow-raising, are worth your time. Especially when they’re setting you up to “prepare for reform” without any real reform actually happening.
So, here’s what matters, what’s confusing and what you need to do about it now minus the policy-speak.
Yes, CHSP is still alive. No, that doesn’t mean it’s healthy
The Department’s still saying CHSP won’t transition to Support at Home before July 2027 at the earliest. Which is weird, because half the manual reads like it’s already prepping you for that move.
You’re still getting:
Grant funding
Monthly payments in arrears
Indexation
National price ranges
DEX reporting
So far, so familiar. But don’t get too comfortable, what’s shifting is where the pressure’s going.
Everyone needs a My Aged Care ID. Even if DEX isn’t ready
From January 2026, MAC IDs will need to be reported in DEX. But here’s the kicker: providers are expected to start collecting and storing them now.
If you’re thinking “Wait, doesn’t DEX need an upgrade to even accept this?” Yes, it does. But that’s not your problem. Your problem is making sure every client file in your system has a MAC ID ready to go, because that’ll be your compliance headache soon enough.
If your CRM isn’t up to it, time to fix that now.
Client assessments: no more shortcuts
You’ve probably heard this one before but now they’re serious. Every CHSP client needs a formal aged care assessment. No more grey areas, no more “light touch” access models.
This is less about clinical need and more about making CHSP look like it fits the new Aged Care Act. If you’ve got legacy clients who snuck through or frontline staff who don’t know how to navigate the MAC system properly, start cleaning that up.
Because come November, you’ll be expected to run your access like a mini Support at Home.
Qualifications: the soft warning shot
There aren’t new mandated quals just yet, but the manual is crystal clear. Providers are responsible for making sure aged care workers have the right training and qualifications for the service they’re delivering.
Translation? If someone’s delivering allied health or nursing-type supports with nothing more than goodwill and a CPR card, that’s not going to fly for long.
Start doing the workforce audit now. Especially for support workers doing anything clinical or specialised. It’s not rocket science but it is going to get stricter.
Want to exit CHSP or drop a service? Hope you’re good with paperwork
The new CHSP Selections Framework lays out a very formal, very time-boxed process for relinquishing services.
5 months’ notice minimum
Exit dates must be either 1 January or 1 July
Yes, you need to provide full details of what you’re exiting, how you’ll wrap it up and when.
This locks providers into inflexible timeframes, regardless of why they need to pull out, funding cuts, workforce loss, lease issues, whatever. It makes a complex system harder to leave.
If you’re even thinking about exiting part of your grant, read Section 9.8 now. Don’t wait until you’re out of money and options.
The good news: home mod cap goes up to $15k
The client cap for home modifications has gone from $10,000 to $15,000 per financial year. That’s a win on paper.
But let’s be honest: a cap is only helpful if the funding’s actually there. In practice, whether clients ever see that $15k depends entirely on who holds the funding and how it’s rationed locally.
Some providers will love this. Others won’t be able to use it at all. Don’t get us started on how this will feed into the lifetime cap of $15k in Support at Home.
MM5 rural loading: a long-overdue boost
If you deliver CHSP services in small rural towns (Modified Monash Model 5), you may now be eligible for up to 20% loading.
Check your postcodes and confirm with your grant agreement that it applies to your funding. Because if you don’t ask, it probably won’t be offered. Note, however, that the Department isn’t making any new money available for this. Rather it is reducing the output targets you are expected to meet in the new contract.
Flexibility rules tighten up
The Flexibility Provisions still exist but now there are more exclusions. You can’t move money (without explicit written approval) out of:
Equipment and products
Home modifications
Specialised support services
So if you’ve been balancing the books with end-of-year fund shuffles, expect more hoops and longer wait times.
Admin updates: more statements, more compliance
Two more updates to bake into your governance calendar:
Child Safety Annual Statement of Compliance now required under your grant
New financial declaration confirming funds were only spent on assessed clients
You can’t ignore these. Build them into your board reporting or executive sign-off processes now or risk scrambling later
What you should actually do now
Let’s cut to it. Here’s what matters in practice:
Collect and store MAC IDs for every client
Make sure every client has a current assessment via MAC
Check qualifications across your workforce, especially clinical or specialist roles
If you might exit or change your grant, learn the new Selections Framework before it’s too late
Ask if your postcodes qualify for rural loading, especially if you’re in MM5 areas
Review home mod use in your area, don’t assume the increased cap helps unless the funding is there
Update your compliance calendar to include the new declarations and child safety statements
This manual isn’t a game-changer. But it is a mood-setter. It’s laying down the bones of a CHSP that starts to look, smell and act like Support at Home, without actually giving you the resources or clarity that transition would require.
You’re expected to act like reform is already here. But when it comes to funding, systems and reality on the ground? Feels like we’re still stuck in 2017.
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