NDIS SIL: Eligibility, Funding and How to Apply

By DisabilityChoice · Sources checked 28 September 2026

Supported independent living (SIL) is NDIS funding for help or supervision with everyday life at home. It is intended for people with substantial ongoing support needs, including overnight. It pays for support, not rent or the home itself.

Reform update — 8 October 2026: The SIL registration transition deadline has passed. The Commission’s transition pathway below still allows eligible existing providers that applied in time to continue while their application is assessed. This is not a blanket exemption. The NDIA also announced updated SIL guidance on 1 October covering registration, arrangements that are not SIL and individual support criteria; check the current guidance for your circumstances.

What does SIL funding cover?

SIL pays for support workers to help with activities such as personal care, dressing, preparing meals and household tasks. Support can be shared with other participants or individual, depending on assessed needs. The purpose includes building skills and independence, not simply completing tasks for you.

The NDIA’s SIL explanation sets out what it covers. A house advertised as “SIL” is not proof that its support arrangement is funded or suitable for you.

When might SIL be suitable?

The NDIA describes SIL as potentially suitable when a worker needs to be with you throughout the day and night, help with daily activities for at least eight hours, and provide some help or supervision during the remaining hours.

• Shared versus individual help: a worker may support more than one person. Ask what staffing ratio applies to each activity and time of day.
• Overnight needs: distinguish an awake worker providing active support from a sleepover arrangement. Your evidence should describe what actually happens overnight.
• One-to-one SIL: the NDIA says it may fund this in limited situations. Explain why shared support would not meet your needs rather than assuming individual staffing.

If you need a few visits rather than around-the-clock support, another home and living arrangement may fit better. The NDIA considers your circumstances and funding criteria; meeting an hours description alone does not establish entitlement.

What SIL does not pay for—and what you pay yourself

SIL does not pay rent, groceries or ordinary day-to-day living costs. Ask for housing charges and disability-support charges to be shown separately before agreeing to move. For example, a household food contribution should not be confused with payment for a worker helping you cook.

Ask what your own income must cover, how shared household expenses are calculated, and whether there are other costs outside the quoted support arrangement. Do not assume “NDIS funded” means the whole living arrangement is free.

SIL versus SDA, ILO and onsite shared support

Swipe the table sideways to read all columns.

Read our guides to specialist disability accommodation and individualised living options, alongside the official home and living options guide. The right comparison is between arrangements that meet your needs, not just acronyms.

How to ask for SIL or home and living supports

1. Describe your current situation. Write down what support you need, what you currently receive, what is not working and where or with whom you would like to live.
2. Talk to your my NDIS contact. Ask which home and living options should be explored and what evidence is needed. If you have support coordination, your coordinator can help organise the process.
3. Gather current professional evidence. Ask a relevant treating practitioner to describe daily and overnight support needs, frequency, functional impact and alternatives considered. For changed needs, explain what has changed since your last plan.
4. Check the submission requirements. Use the current official guidance and confirm whether a particular assessment or supporting-evidence form is required for your request.
5. Keep the decision and approved scope. Do not assume a provider’s proposed roster or vacancy is NDIA approval. Match service commitments to what is funded and clarify any gap.

Start with how to ask for home and living supports. Contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110 if you do not know your contact. There is no guaranteed approval from completing a form or obtaining a provider quote.

SIL provider registration: the 2026 transition

Mandatory SIL registration arrangements commenced on 1 July 2026. For eligible existing unregistered providers covered by the transition, a valid application had to be submitted by the 1 October 2026 deadline. The Commission says they can continue delivering SIL while that application is assessed.

Applying and being approved are different. Ask which transition pathway applies and how the provider can substantiate its status. If anything is unclear, seek advice from the Commission and your NDIA contact before making changes that could interrupt essential support. An application still in progress does not, by itself, mean support must stop.

The Commission’s transition pathway explains this situation. Other providers may have different requirements; use the full SIL registration guidance to check.

Plan management does not bypass mandatory registration. Organising or employing your own workers can be a different, self-directed arrangement; do not assume that purchasing SIL from a provider and directly engaging your own workers have the same registration position.

Questions to ask before choosing a SIL provider

Take this checklist to a provider conversation. You can print the page and write answers beside each item.

• What help will I receive at each time of day, and when is a worker shared?
• How does overnight support work? Who responds if my needs exceed the planned sleepover arrangement?
• How are my preferences, communication needs, culture and routines included?
• How are housemate compatibility, privacy and conflicts handled?
• Can I choose or change support providers, and how is that separate from the housing agreement?
• What are the notice periods, exit terms and arrangements if I am in hospital or away?
• What must I pay from my own money, and how are shared expenses itemised?
• How will staffing absences, emergencies and changes in support needs be managed?
• What is the provider’s registration or applicable transition status?
• How do I make a complaint, get advocacy support or raise a safety concern without losing my voice in decisions?

The SIL Practice Standards provide a useful reference for safe, quality support. For provider concerns, use the NDIS Commission’s complaints information. For immediate danger, call 000.

When another arrangement may work better

Living alone, living with people who are not NDIS participants, or wanting a self-directed arrangement may make other options worth exploring. None of these circumstances should be reduced to a blanket rule that you cannot receive support.

Describe the help you need first. Then compare options with your NDIA contact and, if funded, your support coordinator. A plan manager can handle eligible invoices and spending records, but does not assess your housing needs or approve SIL. Our Core supports guide explains the broader funding context.

Frequently asked questions