What Is SIL? Complete Guide to Supported Independent Living in the NDIS for 2026

Home » What Is SIL? Complete Guide to Supported Independent Living in the NDIS for 2026

If you, your family member, or a participant you support has high daily support needs, you have probably heard the term SIL. But what is SIL exactly, who can get it, how is it different from housing, what does it cost, and what is changing on 1 July 2026? This is one of the most important and most expensive supports in the NDIS, and getting the details right matters.

The short answer to what is SIL: SIL stands for Supported Independent Living. It is funding for the support workers who help a participant live in their home, around the clock if needed. SIL is not the house itself. It is the people, the rosters, and the daily living help that make independent living possible for participants with the highest support needs.

This guide explains every part of SIL in plain language, verified directly from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, and the official NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-26. With mandatory registration starting on 1 July 2026, every participant, family member, and provider involved with SIL should be across what is changing.

What Is SIL? The Official Definition

According to the NDIA, the official definition is straightforward:

“Supported independent living (SIL) is personal support for people with higher support needs who need some level of help at home all the time. This means they need the help of a support worker 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

Source: NDIA, What Is Supported Independent Living

The “24/7” part is what defines what is SIL at its core. If a participant needs paid support for less than 24 hours a day, SIL might not be the right funding type. Other options like Individualised Living Options (ILO), drop-in support, or general Core funding might be a better fit.

What Is SIL Funding Actually Covering?

SIL funding pays for the support workers who help a participant with day-to-day life inside their home. Common examples:

Personal care: showering, dressing, grooming, toileting, medication prompts
Meal preparation: planning meals, cooking, eating support
Household tasks: cleaning, laundry, shopping, organising the home
Daily routine support: getting ready in the morning, evening wind-down, structured activities
Overnight support: active overnight, sleepover, or wake-up support depending on the participant’s needs
Skill-building: developing independence skills so the level of support can reduce over time
Behaviour support implementation: workers trained to follow the participant’s Behaviour Support Plan

SIL does NOT cover the cost of the housing itself. It does not pay rent, mortgage payments, utility bills, or property maintenance. Those costs are the participant’s responsibility, usually covered from their own income, the Disability Support Pension, Rent Assistance, or in some cases Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding.

What Is SIL Eligibility? Who Is It For?

So, what is SIL eligibility? In short, SIL is for NDIS participants who need ongoing support to live in their home. The NDIA looks at several criteria when deciding whether SIL is reasonable and necessary:

Support need level: typically the participant needs at least some level of help around the clock
Disability-related need: the support is required because of the participant’s disability, not just life circumstances
Less intensive options not suitable: drop-in support, family supports, or community-based options would not meet the participant’s needs
Goal alignment: SIL supports the participant’s NDIS goals around independence, choice, and quality of life

SIL participants commonly have intellectual disability, autism with high support needs, acquired brain injury, complex physical disability, severe mental health conditions, or a combination of these. It is one of the highest-cost NDIS supports, so the NDIA carefully assesses what is SIL needed for each individual and whether it is the right level of support.

SIL Living Arrangements

You can receive SIL while living in different arrangements:

Shared SIL home: typically 2 to 5 participants share a home and the support workers
Individual SIL home: the participant lives alone with their own support workers
SIL in a family home: less common, but possible in some circumstances
SIL in SDA housing: SIL pays for the workers, SDA pays for the housing – a common combination for participants with very high support needs

SIL vs SDA vs ILO: Knowing the Difference

One of the most common sources of confusion in NDIS home and living is the difference between SIL, SDA, and ILO. They are not interchangeable, and they often work together.

Type	What It Funds	Who It’s For
SIL (Supported Independent Living)	The support workers and daily living help in the home	Participants needing some level of 24/7 support
SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation)	The housing itself (purpose-built or modified)	Participants with very high physical or behavioural support needs whose housing needs cannot be met through standard rentals
ILO (Individualised Living Options)	A flexible package of supports designed around the participant’s choice of where and how they live	Participants who want more control over their living arrangements and don’t need 24/7 paid support

Some participants have both SIL and SDA in their plan. SDA pays for the building. SIL pays for the staff. ILO is a separate alternative for participants who want to live with a host family, share with a housemate, or arrange their own combination of supports.

What Is SIL Funding Based On? How It’s Calculated

SIL is one of the most rigorously assessed parts of any NDIS plan. The NDIA does not just allocate a dollar figure. They work through a detailed process:

Roster of care submission: the SIL provider builds a proposed roster of when support workers are needed across each day of the week, with shift type (standard, high intensity, sleepover), shift length, and ratio (1-to-1, 1-to-2, etc.)
Evidence of need: the provider includes evidence of why the participant needs each part of the roster (allied health reports, behaviour support plan, medical letters)
NDIA review: the NDIA reviews the roster against its SIL Tool, which compares the quote to similar participants and benchmarks for value for money
Negotiation: in some cases, the NDIA negotiates with the provider on the proposed hours or rates
Funding decision: the agreed roster becomes the basis for the SIL funding in the participant’s plan
Annual review: SIL is reviewed at least annually, with changes possible if circumstances change

Standard vs High Intensity SIL Support

The hourly rate the NDIA agrees depends on the type of support:

Support Level	Definition	2025-26 Standard Weekday Rate
Standard Support	For most participants. Workers have core qualifications and experience.	$70.23/hr
High Intensity Support	For participants needing workers with additional training (complex behaviour, clinical care, restrictive practices). Requires evidence at roster submission.	$75.98/hr

Saturday, Sunday, evening, night, and public holiday rates are higher again. For the complete breakdown of every rate that applies to SIL, see our NDIS Price Guide 2025-26 and our NDIS Public Holiday Rates 2026 guide.

What Is SIL Overnight Support?

Most SIL participants need some kind of overnight presence. There are three main overnight support types, each with different rates and rules:

Overnight Type	What It Means	2025-26 Rate
Sleepover	Worker sleeps at the home, available if needed. Up to 2 hours of active support included.	$297.60 per shift (national)
Active overnight	Worker awake and actively supporting the participant overnight	Charged at hourly weekday night rate ($78.81/hr standard)
Wake-up calls	Short bursts of support during the night, then back to sleep	Calculated case-by-case in roster

The right overnight model depends on the participant’s needs. Someone who sleeps through the night with rare wake-ups typically uses sleepover. Someone needing frequent repositioning, medication, or seizure monitoring typically uses active overnight.

What Is SIL Mandatory Registration? The 1 July 2026 Deadline

This is the most important change to know about right now. From 1 July 2026, every provider delivering SIL must be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

The Hon. Senator Jenny McAllister, Minister for the NDIS, announced this change in December 2025. The change applies to:

All providers currently delivering SIL, whether registered or unregistered
Platform providers (online marketplaces that connect participants and support workers)

What this means in practice:

Registered SIL providers continue operating, but face updated practice standards and independent audits
Unregistered SIL providers must apply for registration during the transition window or they cannot deliver SIL after 1 July 2026
All SIL workers must hold an NDIS Worker Screening Check (if they don’t already)
Participants in unregistered SIL arrangements may need to change providers or move to a registered arrangement

For a deep dive on what this means for participants and providers, see our NDIS SIL Mandatory Registration 2026 guide. For more on the screening check, see NDIS Worker Screening Check 2026.

What Is SIL Application Process for Your NDIS Plan?

Getting SIL into an NDIS plan is a process. It is not approved at a single planning meeting. Here is the typical pathway:

Gather evidence of your support needs. This includes allied health reports (especially occupational therapy), behaviour support plans, medical reports, current care arrangements, and a clear description of the support you currently receive (from family, paid workers, or other services).
Set a clear goal in your NDIS plan that includes home and living independence.
Engage a support coordinator (preferably Level 2 or Level 3) to help you explore home and living options.
Complete a Home and Living Supports Request form with your support coordinator. This formally asks the NDIA to fund a home and living solution.
Wait for the NDIA’s Home and Living team to review your request. This can take weeks or months. They may request more information.
If approved, you’ll work with your support coordinator and chosen SIL provider to develop a roster of care.
The provider submits the roster to the NDIA for quoting and approval.
SIL is included in your plan as a stated support with the agreed funding amount.

The full process can take 3 to 12 months. Start early, gather strong evidence, and be patient. SIL is one of the most carefully assessed NDIS supports because of the cost and the impact on the participant’s life.

What Should Participants and Families Look For in a SIL Provider?

Choosing the right SIL provider is one of the most important decisions a participant and family will make. Key things to check:

NDIS Commission registration status: from 1 July 2026, registration is mandatory. Verify the provider is registered or actively applying.
Worker screening compliance: every worker should have a current NDIS Worker Screening Check.
Match between roster and participant: visit the proposed home, meet the workers, see whether the staffing model matches the participant’s daily life.
Behaviour support and clinical capacity: if the participant has complex needs, ensure the provider has trained staff and quality oversight.
Track record: ask for participant references, read NDIS Commission compliance history (which is publicly searchable), and check independence of advocacy.
Quality of service agreements: clear, plain-language agreements that spell out roster, costs, and how concerns are raised.
Voice of the participant: does the provider involve the participant in decisions about their home, housemates, and routines?

Common Mistakes When Deciding If SIL Is the Right Choice

Confusing SIL with SDA. They are not the same. SDA is the building. SIL is the workers.
Assuming SIL covers everything inside the home. It doesn’t cover food, rent, utilities, or general household consumables.
Choosing a provider before exploring all home and living options. Many participants who request SIL might actually be better suited to ILO or higher Core funding with drop-in support.
Forgetting to claim Core funding alongside SIL for community access. SIL covers support inside the home. Going out into the community typically still uses Core Social and Community Participation funding.
Missing the 1 July 2026 registration deadline. Both providers and participants need to be ready for the change.
Not reviewing the roster annually. As participants build skills, less SIL support may be needed. As needs grow, more might be needed. The roster should match.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is SIL in the NDIS?

SIL stands for Supported Independent Living. It is NDIS funding for the support workers who help a participant with daily living tasks inside their home, typically around the clock. SIL is not the housing itself – it is the staff and support that go into the housing.

Who is SIL for?

SIL is for NDIS participants with higher support needs who need some level of help at home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you need support for less than 24 hours a day, SIL might not be the right funding type for you.

Does SIL pay for rent or housing?

No. SIL pays only for the support workers inside the home. The housing itself (rent, mortgage, utilities, property maintenance) is the participant’s responsibility, usually covered by income, pension, Rent Assistance, or in some cases SDA funding.

What is the difference between SIL and SDA?

SIL is funding for the support workers. SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) is funding for the housing itself. Some participants have both: SDA pays for the building, SIL pays for the workers inside it. Most participants who have SIL don’t have SDA.

How much does SIL cost?

SIL costs vary enormously depending on the participant’s needs and roster. A single participant might use anywhere from $80,000 to $500,000+ per year in SIL funding. The hourly rate for standard support is $70.23/hr (2025-26), with overnight sleepovers at $297.60 per shift, and higher rates for high intensity, weekend, evening, and public holiday shifts.

How long does it take to get SIL approved?

The full process typically takes 3 to 12 months from initial request to funded SIL in your plan. The Home and Living Supports Request, NDIA review, provider quoting, and roster negotiation all take time. Strong evidence and a good support coordinator speed things up.

Can SIL be delivered in my own home or only in a shared house?

Both are possible. SIL can be delivered in a shared SIL home (typically 2 to 5 participants), an individual SIL home, sometimes in a family home, or in SDA housing. The right model depends on your needs, preferences, and what providers are available in your area.

What is the 1 July 2026 SIL change?

From 1 July 2026, every SIL provider in Australia must be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. This was announced by the Minister for the NDIS in December 2025. Unregistered providers must apply for registration during the transition window or they cannot deliver SIL after the deadline. Platform providers also become subject to mandatory registration.

How is SIL different from ILO?

SIL is structured 24/7 paid support, typically with rostered workers in a shared or individual home. ILO (Individualised Living Options) is a more flexible package that may include living with a host family, sharing with a housemate, or combining paid and unpaid supports. ILO is generally for participants who want more control over their living arrangement and don’t need 24/7 paid support.

Can I change my SIL provider?

Yes. You have the right to change your SIL provider if it is not working for you. Your support coordinator can help you transition to a new provider while protecting continuity of care.

How Centre of Hope Can Help

Understanding what is SIL is only the start. Getting the right SIL setup is a long process that involves evidence, advocacy, and careful provider choice. At Centre of Hope, we help participants and families across Western Sydney and NSW:

Explore whether SIL is the right home and living option for you, or whether ILO or other supports might fit better
Gather and present evidence to the NDIA in a Home and Living Supports Request
Connect with registered SIL providers with strong track records in Western Sydney
Review proposed rosters of care to make sure they match the participant’s real needs
Advocate during negotiations with providers and the NDIA
Prepare for the 1 July 2026 mandatory registration deadline if your current provider is unregistered
Monitor and review SIL arrangements over time so they grow and adapt with the participant

SIL is one of the most significant supports the NDIS funds, both in cost and impact. Choosing well changes lives. We are here to walk alongside you through that process.

Your goals. Your plan. Our support.

📞 Call us: 0432 250 900
🌐 Visit: centreofhope.com.au
📝 Refer: Submit a referral

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you’re looking for NDIS help in NSW or want to better understand what support coordination really means, the team at Centre of Hope is here for you.

We offer personalised NDIS services that focus on your goals, your voice, and your future. Whether you’re just starting out or need more tailored support, we’re ready to walk the journey with you.

Visit our Services page to explore what we offer, or make a referral online if you’re ready to get started.

Still have questions? You can contact us directly, or reach out using the details below:

📧 Email: hello@centreofhope.com.au
📞 Phone: 0432 250 900

Together, let’s build the life you want.