Liberals accuse government of backdown on aged care program
A government program that helps older people with shopping and transport has been extended until 2029 after ongoing uncertainty about its future.
The federal government has decided to prolong the Commonwealth Home Support Program for a further two years, according to the latest update. The opposition has criticized this move, calling it an "embarrassing, overdue backdown from Labor in the face of overwhelming evidence." The Ministry of Ageing Care maintains that they aim to keep the program separate from Support at Home indefinitely.
The Commonwealth Home Support Program, which supports over 830,000 seniors with tasks such as shopping, transport, and meals on wheels, will be extended until 2029. However, the government has hinted at making the program permanent beyond that timeframe. The CHSP was initially set to be abolished in mid-2027 and merged with the Support at Home program, but providers and councils dropped their services due to the lack of clarity regarding the program's future.
In response, the Ministry of Ageing Care is now initiating consultations to keep the CHSP distinct from Support at Home. The Aged Care Minister, Sam Rae, expressed the government's belief that the CHSP should remain an independent program. The Health Minister, Mark Butler, acknowledged that the CHSP program would need to undergo some reforms due to its overlap with the Support at Home program.
The Senate inquiry recommended keeping CHSP as a separate block-funded program, and Shadow Aged Care Minister Anne Ruston deemed the decision to be an "embarrassing backdown" given the substantial evidence supporting the retention of the program.
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