Whats' the difference between and Support at Home (SAH) and the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) when it comes to accessing home delivered ready meals?

This is a common questions and one that trips up a lot of people navigating aged care meal services. We agree, its not easy! 

This is our understanding of the difference between the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) and Support at Home (SAH) programs when it comes to accessing home-delivered ready meals like those from We Feed You:

Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)

Think: Entry-level support for older Australians.

• Target group: People aged 65+ (or 50+ for First Nations) who need a little extra help to stay independent at home.

• Meals access: You can access subsidised meals, but you will need to contribute a co-payment which is usually the cost of the food itself (the "ingredient cost").

• Subsidy is paid directly to the provider of the CHSP, not the person receiving care.

• You generally cannot choose your own provider freely – it must be someone the local council or CHSP-approved provider partners with.

• We Feed You is not a CHSP provider. 

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Support at Home (SAH)

Think: Tailored, higher-level support. You’re in the driver’s seat.

• Target group: Older Australians with more complex or ongoing needs.

• Meals access: Ready-made meals like We Feed You can be partially funded from your package (depending on budget and your package).

 

• You may still pay a co-payment of 30% as an out-of-pocket expense, but the 70% can be covered by the package.

• You choose your provider, including meal suppliers like We Feed You. So speak with your HCP provider and request We Feed You. We Feed You is set up with many providers but not all. It is up to the provider if they are willing to onboard new providers, which means we may not be able to work with everyone. 

• Funds are managed by your case manager or provider, and meals can be arranged to suit your preferences and dietary needs.

We Feed You meals are approved for many SAH clients. Just chat with your case manager to set it up - we’re happy to help.

 

Quick Comparison

 

Feature	CHSP	Support at Home
Level of support	Entry-level	Coordinated, ongoing
Eligibility	65+ (50+ First Nations)	65+ (50+ First Nations)
Meal funding	Subsidised, co-pay required	70% funded, 30% co-pay (typically)
Provider choice	Limited to approved partners	You choose (e.g. We Feed You) from a list of meals providers through your approved SAH provider.
Flexibility	Less flexible	Highly flexible

Still confused? Let’s chat.

Our team is happy to discuss this with you with no pressure, no jargon. Just real food and real support.

📞 Call us on 1300 853 239 or 0435 199 513

Visit our Support at Home page to learn more.