If you or someone you care for has a significant disability, you may have heard about Supported Independent Living, but working out whether you actually qualify can feel like trying to read a second language. The NDIS has specific eligibility criteria, and the process isn’t always explained in plain terms.
This guide cuts through that. By the end, you’ll know exactly what SIL is, whether you or your family member qualifies, and what your next step looks like, without needing to wade through government policy documents.
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is an NDIS-funded support type that helps people with significant disability live as independently as possible, typically in a shared home with other NDIS participants, or sometimes alone with around-the-clock support worker assistance.
SIL funding pays for the support workers who help you with daily tasks. It doesn’t cover the home itself. (Purpose-built accessible housing is a separate NDIS support called Specialist Disability Accommodation, or SDA.) Think of SIL as covering the people who help you, not the place where you live.
Common tasks covered under SIL include:
– Personal care, showering, dressing, medication management
– Meal preparation and household tasks
– Managing daily routines and accessing the community
– Overnight and 24-hour support where needed
– Skill-building to increase independence over time
SIL is different from standard in-home support. It’s designed for people who need consistent, ongoing assistance, not occasional visits.
Not everyone with an NDIS plan is eligible for SIL. The NDIS applies specific criteria, and understanding them early helps you build a stronger case.
To be considered, you generally need to demonstrate all three of the following:
1. You have a significant functional impairment
SIL is for people who need regular support to complete tasks they cannot safely manage on their own. The NDIS assesses how your disability affects your capacity for self-care, communication, and daily living activities.
2. SIL is the most appropriate option for your situation
The NDIS considers whether lower-intensity supports, such as in-home visits or an Individualised Living Options (ILO) arrangement, could meet your needs first. SIL is generally approved when those alternatives aren’t sufficient or sustainable.
3. SIL represents value for money
Your NDIS planner or Local Area Coordinator (LAC) will weigh the total cost of SIL against other available options. For participants who need 24-hour oversight, SIL in a shared setting is often more cost-effective than one-on-one in-home care.
Evidence that supports your application:
– Functional capacity assessment from your occupational therapist
– Support letters from current carers or family documenting your daily support needs
– A Supported Independent Living Quote from a registered SIL provider
– A detailed SIL assessment prepared by your support coordinator
Your NDIS support coordinator plays a central role in the application process, gathering evidence, liaising with providers, and presenting your case to the NDIS. If you don’t yet have one included in your plan, that’s an important first step. How NDIS Support Coordination works explains this role and how to access it.
SIL looks different for everyone, depending on your goals and the level of support you need.
Most SIL participants live in a home shared with two to four other NDIS participants. Support workers are rostered across morning, afternoon, evening, and overnight shifts. The aim isn’t just maintenance, a good SIL provider actively supports you to build skills and work toward your personal goals.
A typical day in SIL might look like:
– Morning support with personal care and breakfast
– Skill-building or community access activities during the day
– Evening assistance with dinner and wind-down routines
– Overnight support where required
At Holistic Me, SIL participants have access to allied health services, including dietitian and behaviour support, built directly into their care. Connecting these services to your living arrangement means fewer separate appointments and more consistent support for daily wellbeing.
If you’re building toward greater independence before moving into SIL, NDIS funding for building independent living skills can be a meaningful step along the way.
Choosing the right SIL provider is one of the most important decisions in this process. Here’s what to look for:
Ask about staff continuity. High turnover is a common problem in SIL. Ask how long support workers typically stay, how rosters are managed, and what happens when a regular worker is absent.
Understand what’s included in the quote. SIL quotes cover support worker hours, but providers vary in what else they include. Community participation, allied health access, and transport may be bundled in, or they may draw on separate funding.
Talk to current participants if possible. A confident provider will welcome the chance to connect you with existing participants or their families. If they can’t or won’t, take note.
Work with a support coordinator. A support coordinator can shortlist registered providers, arrange home visits, and help you compare quotes objectively. You can access Holistic Me’s Support Coordination services to get guidance throughout this process.
From 1 July 2026, a significant change takes effect: all SIL providers must be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to receive NDIS funding for SIL supports.
This means that if your current or intended SIL provider is unregistered, your NDIS funding cannot be used for their services, regardless of what your plan currently says.
For participants and families, this change is a safeguard. Registered providers must meet mandatory quality standards, undergo regular audits, pass worker screening checks, and report critical incidents. These requirements protect participants and give families greater confidence in the care being delivered.
Holistic Me is a registered NDIS SIL provider. This means your SIL funding is secure, and the services you receive are held to national quality benchmarks.
If you are currently with an unregistered SIL provider, now is the time to speak with your support coordinator about your options ahead of the July 2026 deadline.
Working out your Supported Independent Living eligibility in Australia becomes much clearer once you have a support coordinator and a registered provider walking you through it. The process has specific steps, but none of them are impossible, and you don’t have to navigate it alone.
At Holistic Me, we support NDIS participants and their families across South Australia with SIL, allied health, and coordination services under one roof.
Explore our Supported Independent Living services or call us on (08) 7092 8680, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, we’re happy to talk through your situation before you commit to anything.
Yes, living with family doesn’t exclude you from SIL funding. If your disability means you need ongoing support for daily tasks and your current arrangements aren’t meeting those needs, you may still be eligible. A functional capacity assessment from your occupational therapist is the best starting point.
SIL covers the support workers who assist you day to day. SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) covers the cost of purpose-built accessible housing designed for participants with extreme functional impairment. Some participants receive both; many receive SIL without SDA, living in standard rental accommodation.
The process typically takes three to six months from when your support coordinator begins gathering evidence. Timelines depend on your assessments, the complexity of your needs, and NDIS processing times. Starting well before you need to move is strongly recommended.
Yes. You have the right to choose any registered SIL provider. Your NDIS plan will include SIL funding, and you work with your support coordinator to find a provider that suits your goals and preferences. You can also change providers if your circumstances change.