Supported Independent Living is designed for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants with high disability support needs who may require help full-time. It usually encompasses round-the-clock supports for daily tasks and activities.
Not sure if this is the right path forward for you or your loved one? In this clear guide from a registered NDIS provider, you’ll learn about this core component of the NDIS. Read on to discover what aids are covered, who is eligible for this assistance, and how it can foster participants’ capabilities and fulfilment in day-to-day life.
Key takeaways
- SIL is designed for NDIS participants with higher day-to-day disability support needs, including those who may require regular or 24/7 assistance at home.
- SIL helps participants gain greater independence with everyday tasks, with support tailored to their goals, abilities and living situation.
- Funding can cover assistance with personal care, household tasks, skill development, overnight support and some community access activities where these form part of the participant’s approved supports.
- SIL supports independent living, but doesn’t pay for the home itself. Rent, groceries, utilities and other ordinary living expenses are separate.
- SIL and SDA have different roles: SIL funds support workers, while SDA relates to specialist housing for eligible participants.
- The amount of SIL funding depends on individual support needs, including support hours, staffing ratios, shared or one-to-one assistance and overnight requirements.
- Accessing SIL usually requires clear evidence of your daily support needs, with the NDIA considering your functional capacity, living situation and whether SIL is an appropriate funded support.
- Participants can choose their SIL provider and living arrangement, and should understand their service agreement, support schedule and provider responsibilities before services begin.
What is Supported Independent Living?
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is specialised housing support for NDIS participants with significant and ongoing disability care needs. Funded under the Core Supports budget, it’s reserved for those who need help at home, often 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Ultimately, the goal is to provide the assistance needed to lead a more independent and rewarding life.
Tailored to your unique needs, these support services build daily living skills and encourage community involvement. That can mean helping with a range of routine activities, from grocery shopping to personal care.
Provided individually or in a shared living setup, they are offered in properties owned and operated by NDIS-registered SIL providers. Options can vary from villas and townhouses to apartments and shared living spaces, depending on your requirements and preferences.
Importantly, disability support workers operate according to a personalised Roster of Care that your chosen SIL provider designs. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) must review and approve this roster to make sure your NDIS plan includes the required funding.
What supports for daily activities are covered under SIL?
SIL covers a range of supports to help participants perform daily living activities. Depending on your goals, these can include:
- Assistance with household tasks like cleaning and cooking
- Help with personal hygiene and care, such as bathing and getting dressed
- Support with social and community access that would otherwise be difficult
- Organising travel to appointments
- Personal skill building
- Overnight supervision
To make sure you access the right types of support, discuss your needs and aims with your Support Coordinator and NDIS planner.
With a deep understanding of your situation, capabilities and aspirations, we can work together to decide where best to direct your SIL funding.
What costs are not covered by SIL funding?
SIL funding does not cover everyday living costs like groceries, rent, utilities, social activities and vehicle use.
It also doesn’t apply to holiday travel expenses, personal care fees during hospital stays, or the cost of items that fall under different categories of the NDIS price guide, such as assistive technology, transport, and therapy.
The difference between SIL and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
SDA and SIL are two complementary components of the NDIS. SIL covers the cost of support staff to help with daily activities in the home, whereas SDA pays for the home itself.
More specifically, SDA funding covers the physical housing and any home modifications that have been designed for individuals with disabilities who have very high support needs.
As with SIL, SDA funding is assigned to the person, not the house. This funding goes to the SDA provider, who manages and maintains the property, much like a landlord.
An SDA provider:
- Usually builds and owns the physical home
- Is typically who you pay rent to
- Must maintain the home and take care of any damage
A SIL provider:
- Designs your Roster of Care
- Screens, provides and manages disability support workers
- Delivers disability supports within the SDA home
You can qualify for both SIL and SDA. If you are eligible for SDA, then you’ll also be eligible for SIL funding to cover the costs of supports needed within that home.
The difference between SIL and Individualised Living Options (ILOs)
SIL and ILOs are often mistaken for one another, as they both involve at-home living supports funded by the NDIS.
Let’s clear up some key distinctions.
Added to the NDIS price guide in June 2020, ILOs are designed to offer greater flexibility in living arrangements. In other words, this pathway funds everyday supports in your chosen home environment (but it does not pay for your house!).
ILO funding is available at three levels; the lowest provides at least six hours of support daily, and the highest offers up to 24 hours of support each day.
Therefore, ILOs can rely heavily on informal care provided by friends, family, or others who voluntarily choose to offer disability support without payment.
On the other hand, SIL involves a fixed Roster of Care with professional support staff available 24/7. As a result, it’s typically considered more suitable for people with high disability support needs.
How SIL funding works
SIL is funded through the NDIS Home and Living support category. It’s a stated support, which means funding allocated for SIL must be used for the home and living supports specified in your plan rather than being freely moved to other Core supports.
The amount of SIL funding in your NDIS plan depends on your individual disability-related support needs, including:
- How many hours of support you need each day and week
- Whether support is one-to-one or shared with other participants
- Your required staff-to-participant ratio
- Whether you need sleepover or active overnight support
- Any irregular support required for unexpected situations
Importantly, SIL pricing includes two main rates:
- Standard intensity: Used for most SIL supports, including help or supervision with everyday activities such as personal care, meal preparation and household tasks.
- High intensity: May apply when support workers need additional skills, qualifications or experience to safely support complex disability-related needs, such as high-intensity personal activities or complex behaviour support.
To qualify for SIL, you’ll need to show your NDIS planner that such support is reasonable and necessary given your particular circumstances. More on this below.
How to receive funding for SIL housing
To receive SIL funding, you need to show the NDIA that you require significant daily support at home and that SIL is an appropriate NDIS support for your needs.
This usually involves discussing your home and living goals and providing current evidence about the assistance you require.
The process generally includes the following steps:
- Discuss your home and living needs: Talk to your my NDIS contact about your current situation, future goals and the support you need at home.
- Gather supporting evidence: The NDIA uses evidence about your daily support needs to decide whether SIL should be funded and how much support is appropriate. This may include reports from treating health professionals, information from you and your family or carers, and details about how your supports will be delivered.
- Explore your options: The NDIA will consider SIL alongside other home and living supports to determine which option best meets your disability-related needs and the NDIS funding criteria.
- Submit your evidence: Provide the NDIA with your reports and any other information needed to assess your request.
- Receive a funding decision: The NDIA will decide whether SIL should be included in your plan and the level of support that is reasonable and necessary.
- Choose a SIL provider: Select a suitable provider and agree on how your supports will be delivered. If your provider claims SIL as a weekly amount, your service agreement needs to include an agreed typical schedule of supports showing what will be delivered within that weekly funding.
How to choose a SIL provider
Not sure which SIL provider to opt for?
Look into each provider’s background, reputation and values to find the right fit.
You might also want to visit the SIL housing you’re considering and speak directly with the staff there about the care they offer, the experience of their support workers, and their operating guidelines.
It’s also always helpful to talk with your Support Coordinator. We can help you choose the most suitable local SIL provider for your situation, guiding you through each step and preparing all paperwork for a smooth move.
FAQs
How do I apply for the NDIS?
To apply for the NDIS, you generally need to follow the steps below:
- Connect with an NDIS partner: They can explain the eligibility requirements, help you gather evidence and support you through your application.
- Gather supporting evidence: Your treating health professional, such as an occupational therapist, will need to provide recent information about your disability, functional capacity and how it affects your daily life.
- Complete your application: Your NDIS partner can help you apply, or you can complete an Access Request Form yourself.
- Submit your application: Your NDIS partner can submit it for you. If applying yourself, you can submit your completed form through the NDIS service hub, by mail or in person.
- Wait for an access decision: The NDIA will assess your application and may ask for additional information if needed.
- Create your first NDIS plan: If you’re accepted into the NDIS, you’ll meet with an NDIA planner to discuss your goals, support needs and the NDIS supports included in your plan.
If you have significant support needs at home, you can also discuss whether home and living supports such as Supported Independent Living (SIL) may be suitable for you.
What does SIL stand for under the NDIS?
SIL stands for Supported Independent Living. It’s NDIS funding for support workers who help or supervise you with everyday tasks in your home, so you can live as safely and independently as possible.
Who is eligible for SIL under the NDIS?
SIL is reserved for NDIS participants with higher support needs who require significant help or supervision at home every day.
What types of homes can I receive SIL funding in?
SIL services can be provided in different types of homes, depending on your needs and living arrangement. While SIL is most often used in shared homes, participants can live in:
- Shared or group accommodation
- Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), if you’re eligible
- A private rental
- A home you own
- Social or community housing
What is a SIL service agreement?
A SIL service agreement is a written agreement between you and your provider that explains what supports they’ll deliver, how these will be delivered and how payment will be claimed from your NDIS funding.
It should clearly cover your agreed support schedule, costs, roles and responsibilities, cancellation terms, how changes will be handled and what to do if you have a concern or complaint. SIL providers must have a service agreement in place before they can claim for SIL supports.
Your SIL service agreement should also be separate from any tenancy or housing agreement. This helps protect your choice over where you live and who provides your daily supports.
Can SIL include overnight support?
Yes. Overnight support is an integral part of SIL and can be funded based on your individual disability-related needs. It’s designed for participants who need a support worker available 24 hours a day, including overnight.
The type of overnight support can vary. A sleepover may be appropriate if a worker can sleep, but you may need up to two hours of awake assistance during the night. If you regularly need more than two hours of awake support overnight, active overnight support may be funded instead.
Can I receive SIL if I live alone?
Yes. SIL can be funded if you live alone, but one-to-one SIL is generally funded only in limited circumstances.
The NDIA considers each person individually, including how much support they need, when they need it and whether supports can reasonably be shared with others.
Can I apply for NDIS SIL housing if I’m over 65?
You can’t apply to join the NDIS once you’re 65 or older. Instead, you may be eligible for Support at Home services through Australia’s aged care system.
If you became an NDIS participant before turning 65, you can usually remain in the NDIS after your 65th birthday. You may continue receiving SIL if it’s still suitable for your disability-related needs and you haven’t moved into residential aged care.
Does a medical diagnosis qualify me for SIL?
No specific diagnosis automatically qualifies you for SIL. It can support your application, but doesn’t determine whether SIL will be funded.
Instead, funding is based on your disability-related support needs, functional capacity and whether SIL is appropriate for your circumstances.
You’ll need to meet the NDIS eligibility requirements and provide evidence about your impairment, its likely permanence and how it affects daily activities.
The NDIA then considers how much support or supervision you need at home and how often you need it.
How can a support coordinator help me secure SIL housing?
A support coordinator can help you explore SIL options, connect with suitable providers and organise the supports you need to put your NDIS plan into practice.
If support coordination is included in your plan, your support coordinator can help you understand your home and living options, explore suitable SIL providers, coordinate assessments and supporting information, compare services and prepare for a move into a new living arrangement.
We can also work with you to find a home where you can use your SIL supports.
Note that a support coordinator doesn’t decide whether you qualify for SIL or approve SIL funding. The NDIA makes funding decisions based on your disability-related needs, supporting evidence and the NDIS funding criteria.
What supporting evidence helps with a SIL application?
Supporting evidence for SIL should clearly explain your disability-related needs at home, including what support you need, when you need it and how often you require assistance or supervision.
Depending on your circumstances, useful evidence can include:
- Allied health reports or assessments from a relevant treating health professional
- Information about your functional capacity and daily support needs
- Evidence explaining what you can and cannot do independently at home
- Details about your current living arrangement and existing supports
- Information about how your disability affects your safety, independence and everyday activities
- Details of other home and living options you have explored and why they do not meet your disability-related needs
A functional capacity assessment can share useful evidence, but it isn’t automatically required in every case. The documentation required will depend on your individual circumstances and the information the NDIA needs to assess your home and living supports.
How long does it take to get approved for SIL?
There’s no standard timeframe for SIL approval. How long the process takes depends on your circumstances, the complexity of your support needs, whether SIL is being considered as part of a new or existing NDIS plan and whether the NDIA needs further evidence.
Providing clear, current information about your functional capacity, daily support needs and living situation can help prevent delays caused by requests for additional evidence.
Can I choose or change my SIL provider?
Yes. You have the right to choose your SIL provider and can change providers if the service no longer meets your needs.
Before changing, check your service agreement for any notice periods or cancellation conditions and arrange your new provider to help avoid a gap in support.
SIL providers are also subject to mandatory NDIS registration requirements introduced in 2026, so check that any new provider meets the current registration requirements before engaging them.
Can my SIL supports change if my needs change?
Yes. Your SIL supports can change if your disability-related needs or circumstances evolve and your current NDIS plan no longer provides the right level of support.
For example, you might need different support if your functional capacity improves, you require more overnight assistance or your living arrangements shift.
Depending on the circumstances, you may need to request a plan variation or reassessment and provide updated evidence about your support needs.
If your existing plan can already accommodate the change, a formal plan change may not always be necessary. Your my NDIS contact can help you work out the next step.
Discover NDIS supports in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley
Take the next step towards greater autonomy, connection and fulfilment. By providing personalised assistance with daily living, this NDIS funding plays a pivotal role in enhancing each participant’s quality of life.
At Hunter Care Group, we are dedicated to empowering people with disabilities every day. As an NDIS-registered SIL provider in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, we offer comprehensive support to help participants live safely and independently.
To discover more about our disability support services throughout the Hunter, contact our friendly team at (02) 4950 2269 or enquire online. We’re always happy to help.