Navigating the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) can be tricky, particularly when it comes to the various types of accommodation and supports that could be funded in your plan.
More specifically, Supported Independent Living (SIL) and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) are often confused for one another. This is an important distinction to clear up, as knowing the difference between SIL and SDA is essential to making informed decisions about disability support.
While both are designed to empower people with disabilities and improve quality of life, they have distinct focuses, forms of assistance and eligibility criteria.
As a registered NDIS provider, Hunter Care Group Home In Place is here to help you compare SIL vs SDA and ultimately determine the right option for your needs and goals.
Here, we define each funding option, explain its purposes, and clarify who qualifies. Keep reading to discover the features, benefits and key considerations of each.
What is Supported Independent Living (SIL)?
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is a type of NDIS funding designed to help people with disabilities maximise independence. With SIL, you’ll receive daily support from dedicated workers who assist with everything from personal care to household tasks and staying active in your community.
If you’d like to move out on your own but need regular help with day-to-day living, SIL can be the key to making that dream a reality.
SIL supports can include:
- Around-the-clock support: Ensuring your safety and well-being at home.
- Help with daily tasks: From personal grooming to cooking and cleaning, you’ll have the assistance you need to manage your day-to-day life.
- Minor home modifications: Custom changes to your living space that boost your independence and make other supports more effective.
What’s great about SIL is its flexibility—it’s tailored to your unique needs and goals. As you grow more independent, the level of support adjusts accordingly, giving you more freedom while still providing the help you need when you need it.
SIL is all about empowering you to reach your full potential, offering you choices, and helping you become more involved in your community. It’s not just about providing support; it’s about fostering the skills and confidence needed for long-term, independent living.
What is Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)?
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is an NDIS-funded housing solution designed for individuals with significant functional impairments or high support needs. These purpose-built homes cater to residents’ specific challenges—whether that’s a significant physical disability, unique care requirements, or complex behavioural needs.
SDA funding centres around the physical design of accommodation. These homes are thoughtfully crafted with features like assistive technologies, wheelchair accessibility, hoists, sensory rooms, and other modifications that make independent living not just possible, but comfortable and safe.
What’s more, SDA is adaptable to your personal needs. Whether you prefer to live independently or share your space with others, SDA offers the flexibility to choose what works best for you. It’s about creating a home that supports your lifestyle and empowers you to live the way you want.
Funding for SDA covers the cost of your specially designed home. However, like SIL you’ll still contribute a ‘reasonable rent contribution’ – usually a portion of your disability support pension.
In return, your SDA provider takes on the responsibility of managing the property and ensuring that all accessibility features are maintained in top condition.
With SDA, you’re not just getting a roof over your head—you’re securing a living space that’s designed to meet your unique needs and help you thrive.
The difference between SDA and SIL
Nature of support
The core difference between SIL and SDA is how they support NDIS participants. While SIL focuses on the “who” and “what” of support, SDA is all about the “where.”
SIL centres around ongoing, onsite assistance for daily living activities within both SIL and SDA homes. Its support services focus on building skills, fostering independence, and encouraging social participation.
Meanwhile, SDA provides support by ensuring a safe and suitable living space, offering specially designed or modified homes for those with significant care needs. It ensures that the environment is suited to the individual’s requirements, helping to make daily life not just manageable, but fulfilling.
Building requirements
SIL homes provide a more flexible range of options than SDA, with no need to meet specific building requirements. Whether you prefer a shared living space or a self-contained unit, own a house or need social housing, SIL allows you to live in a home that aligns with your lifestyle and support needs.
On the other hand, SDA homes are carefully designed to meet precise standards, addressing specific needs across four categories:
- Improved Livability: These homes are designed with enhanced physical access and features that support individuals with sensory, intellectual, or cognitive impairments. This might include high-contrast walls and floors, open layouts for easier supervision, and minimal stairs, all intended to make daily living more comfortable and safe.
- Fully Accessible: These homes are built for individuals with significant physical challenges, offering advanced accessibility features such as wheelchair access.
- Robust: Strength and durability are key in these homes. They are constructed to withstand frequent use and minimise the need for repairs. This design is particularly suited for those who exhibit complex or challenging behaviours.
- High Physical Support: These homes are equipped with the highest level of accessibility features, such as ceiling hoists, backup power systems, and advanced home automation. They are specifically designed for individuals requiring extensive support.
Role of providers
SIL providers are the hands-on team that delivers onsite support in SDA and SIL properties, assisting with daily living activities. Their focus is on helping you develop and strengthen your independent living skills.
In contrast, an SDA provider takes on the role of building and maintaining your home, much like a landlord. You pay rent to the SDA provider, and in return, they handle all the repairs and upkeep to ensure your living environment remains safe and comfortable.
While these services often go hand-in-hand, they don’t have to. You can access SIL support even if you’re not living in an SDA home, giving you flexibility in choosing the right combination of services for your needs.
Funding
Although both SIL and SDA are funded by the NDIS, these distinct streams cover different elements of living.
Think of SIL as covering the support services you receive from a dedicated support worker to help navigate daily life and build capacity.
On the contrary, SDA helps to finance the expense of the physical space itself—the home where you live. SDA funding is geared towards ensuring your living environment meets your needs, whether through constructing a new home, purchasing a suitable property, or modifying an existing space to make it more accessible and comfortable.
Eligibility
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is intended for NDIS participants with disabilities who need a high level of personal support to maintain their independence.
In contrast, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is reserved for those with the most intensive support needs or significant functional impairments. These people need a specialised living environment to meet their unique challenges.
Eligibility criteria for SIL
To qualify for SIL funding, you must:
- Be an NDIS participant with funding for support services in your NDIS plan
- Not need specialised housing
- Have the capacity to maintain a tenancy with independent living support
Eligibility criteria for SDA
To qualify for SDA funding, you must:
- Be an NDIS participant with approval for SDA funding in your NDIS plan
- Need specialist housing that caters to extreme functional impairment or very high support needs
- Be unable to live safely in standard housing, even with daily support
- Be able to supply proof of your need for SDA
How to choose between SIL and SDA
Understanding the difference between SIL and SDA is one thing. Knowing which one best suits your specific requirements is another.
When deciding between Supported Independent Living (SIL) and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), consider your personal needs and goals.
Both SIL and SDA offer distinct benefits for those with functional impairments. Here’s a closer look at the key advantages of each option:
Benefits of SIL
- Promotes greater independence and control over daily routines
- Offers a more flexible living space than SDA with fewer requirements
- Enhances privacy and autonomy
- May make more financial sense than SDA
Benefits of SDA
- Caters to individuals with significant functional impairments who require high levels of support
- Fitted with specialised facilities and equipment tailored to each tenant’s needs
If your main goal is to maximise independence and engage more with the community, SIL could be the better option. It allows you to live independently while receiving support as needed.
On the other hand, if safety, accessibility, and intensive support are top priorities due to very high needs, SDA may be more suitable.
At the end of the day, this decision should be based on your capabilities, preferences, aspirations and eligibility for NDIS funding. Discuss your options with your support team and NDIS plan manager to work out the best way forward for your situation.
Can I have SIL and SDA in my NDIS plan together?
Yes. An NDIS plan can include funding for SIL and SDA. If you qualify for daily living support and specialist housing, SIL and SDA funding will be allocated separately in your NDIS plan.
This arrangement gives you the freedom to live in accommodation that meets your needs while receiving your required SIL supports. For instance, you can adjust support services without having to move out of your SDA home.
Adding SDA or SIL to an NDIS plan
Whether taking the first step in your NDIS journey or waiting for an upcoming plan review, it’s important to determine whether Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and/or Supported Independent Living (SIL) could help you lead a more independent life.
To make the most of your meeting with your NDIA planner, it’s crucial to come equipped with clear reasons and evidence why these supports fulfil your needs.
NDIS providers can be valuable partners in this process, helping you to craft a compelling case for your planning meeting and secure the most suitable funding —whether that’s SIL, SDA, or a combination of both.
Discover SIL housing in Newcastle and the Hunter
SIL and SDA are key pillars in Australia’s disability care space.
SIL is all about empowering individuals to live independently and engage with their communities through daily support.
On the other hand, SDA is designed for those with more complex needs, providing a living space that’s thoughtfully crafted to accommodate their unique challenges.
Now that you know the difference between SIL and SDA, you can take the next step in your NDIS journey.
At Hunter Care Group, our mission is to empower people with disabilities each and every day. Proud to be an NDIS-registered Supported Independent Living provider, our dedicated team provides holistic support to participants across Newcastle and the Hunter Valley.
To learn more about our disability support services, get in touch with our friendly team at (02) 4950 2269 or enquire online.