Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Seselja for his question and his strong work on the community affairs committee of the Senate. Colleagues may be aware that, on 1 July, the Commonwealth Home Support Program will commence as the entry level service for aged-care services. The Commonwealth Home Support Program will bring together Commonwealth Home and Community Care Program, planned respite from the National Respite for Carers Program, Day Therapy Centres and the Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged Program into one streamlined program. Under this program around 550,000 older people and their carers will continue to be supported with services such as delivered meals, domestic assistance and support for people with dementia, which is all core business for the CHSP. Providers will benefit from streamlined funding arrangements, less red tape, simplified grant agreements and more time to provide services. Also, older people will benefit from a standardised national assessment process and a single entry point through the My Aged Care gateway.

Importantly, the government has announced that CHSP funding agreements will be extended from 30 June 2018 to coincide with the implementation of the 2015 budget measure to merge the CHSP and the Home Care Program from July 2018 to create an integrated Home Care Program. The funding announcement through to June 2018 will provide three years of certainty for CHSP providers and more than $1.6 billion annually in funding. It is an important change that will provide some certainty for providers.