NDIS Home and Living Support Explained
Supported Independent Living: How SIL Works and Who Qualifies
Supported independent living (SIL) is NDIS funding for the support workers who help you at home. It does not pay for the house. This guide covers what SIL funds, who qualifies, and how the budget is set. Astrad’s AHPRA-registered occupational therapists write the assessment reports used as evidence for a SIL request.
What Supported Independent Living Actually Funds
SIL pays for people, not property. It covers the help and supervision you need with daily tasks inside your home. That means personal care, meals, cleaning and building a workable daily routine. Rent, groceries and other living costs sit outside SIL.
Meals, Cleaning and Laundry
Support Through Day and Night
Building Everyday Skills
SIL, SDA and ILO: The Difference
SIL Funds the Support
SIL pays for support workers. It covers the practical assistance that gets you through the day at home. The kind of home you live in does not change what SIL is for.
SDA Funds the Dwelling
Specialist Disability Accommodation, or SDA, pays for the building. These homes are designed or modified for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. SDA is separate funding, and most participants do not receive it.
ILO Is the Flexible Option
Individualised Living Options, or ILO, suits people who want a tailored arrangement instead of a standard shared model. Choices include living alone with drop-in help, living with a host, or sharing with one other person.
You Can Have One Without the Other
Some people receive SIL and SDA together. Many receive only one. You can hold SIL funding while renting privately or living in a family home. Mixing these two up is the most common source of confusion.
Eligibility and Evidence
Who Qualifies for Supported Independent Living
SIL generally suits participants who need a high level of help for most of the day. Overnight support is often part of that picture. If a few hours of drop-in help each week covers your needs, a different option is likely a better fit.
Every funded support has to relate to your disability and help you pursue your goals. This test applies to SIL like any other support. Goals about how and where you want to live should appear clearly in your plan.
SIL is most commonly claimed where participants share a home with housemates who also hold funding. Sharing a support worker between residents is part of how the model works. Living on your own with SIL is possible where your assessed needs justify it.
SIL is a home and living support for adult participants. You need an active plan and a goal that relates to your living arrangements. Your planner or support coordinator can confirm where you currently stand.
A funding request needs evidence about your functional capacity. An occupational therapist looks at how you manage tasks such as showering, cooking, moving around the house and managing medication. The report sets out what you can do and where help is genuinely needed.
Astrad writes the occupational therapy assessment and the report. We do not deliver SIL supports, staff SIL homes, or decide funding. The National Disability Insurance Agency makes that decision. Our job is to give your planner clear, honest clinical evidence to work from.
How to Apply for SIL Funding
The path from first enquiry to funded supports usually runs through three steps:
- 1
Raise It With Your Planner or Support Coordinator
Start by putting home and living goals on the table at your planning meeting or plan reassessment. Ask what evidence will be expected. A support coordinator can walk you through the current process and likely timeframes.
- 2
Book an Occupational Therapy Assessment
An occupational therapist visits you at home and watches how you manage everyday tasks. The assessment covers personal care, household jobs, health and medication, safety awareness, and getting out into the community.
- 3
Submit the Report With Your Home and Living Request
Your report goes in alongside a home and living request. The agency weighs the evidence against its funding rules and decides. If SIL is approved, you then choose a provider to deliver the day-to-day supports.
Working Out the Budget
How SIL Funding Is Calculated
A SIL budget follows your assessed support needs, not a flat rate. Two people living in the same house can hold very different amounts.
Your Assessed Support Needs
The starting point is how much help you need, and when. Daytime, evening and overnight needs are all counted. Higher and more constant needs generally point to a larger budget.
A Roster of Care
A roster of care maps out the supports in a home across a typical week. It shows who is working, at what times, and how hours are shared between residents. It works as a planning tool rather than a fixed timetable.
Shared and One-to-One Ratios
Some supports are shared with housemates. Others are delivered one to one. That mix has a large effect on the final budget, which is exactly why an accurate assessment matters.
Supported independent living is one of three main home and living supports in the NDIS. The other two are Specialist Disability Accommodation and Individualised Living Options. Reading all three side by side makes the choice much clearer. We cover the housing side in our guide to SDA housing and who qualifies, and the flexible alternative on our page about Individualised Living Options.
Getting the Evidence Right
Most requests rise or fall on the quality of the clinical evidence. An occupational therapist needs to describe what you can do, where you struggle, and what help would make a practical difference to your week. Our SIL assessment service is the natural next step once you are ready to book. Where your needs run wider than housing, a functional capacity assessment gives a fuller picture of daily living skills.
Timing matters as well. Raising the request at the right point in your plan cycle can save months of waiting. Our guide to the NDIS plan review explains when to bring fresh evidence forward, and our NDIS housing options guide compares the wider set of choices.
Working With Astrad
Astrad is a mobile allied health provider. Our occupational therapists are registered with AHPRA and come to you, so there is no clinic to visit. We assess you where you actually live, because that is where supported independent living happens. Where distance is an issue, our therapists fly in.
One thing is worth being clear about. We write the assessment and the report. Delivering the day-to-day supports is a separate job, done by a SIL provider, and the funding decision rests with the agency. For questions about your own plan or budget, speak with the person who manages your plan. To book an assessment, contact our team.
Supported Independent Living FAQs
What is supported independent living under the NDIS?
Supported independent living, or SIL, is NDIS funding for support workers who help you with day-to-day tasks in your home. That includes personal care, cooking, cleaning and building a routine. It is usually for people who need a substantial amount of help across most of the day, and often overnight as well. SIL is most commonly used in shared homes, though living alone with SIL is possible where your assessed needs justify it.
What is the difference between SIL and SDA?
SIL pays for the people who support you. SDA, or Specialist Disability Accommodation, pays for the building itself. SDA homes are designed or modified for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. The two are separate funding types and are commonly mixed up. You can receive SIL without SDA, for example while renting privately or living in a family home. Some people receive both.
Who is eligible for supported independent living?
There is no single checklist. In practice, supported independent living suits participants who need a high level of help for most of the day. The NDIS looks at whether the support is reasonable and necessary, relates to your disability, and helps you pursue your goals. You will need an active plan with a goal about your living arrangements, plus clinical evidence from an occupational therapist describing how you manage everyday tasks.
Can I choose my own SIL provider?
Yes. You choose which provider delivers your SIL supports, and you can change provider if the arrangement is not working for you. Because SIL is treated as a higher risk support, providers need to be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. A support coordinator can help you compare options. Astrad does not deliver SIL supports and is not a SIL provider. We write the occupational therapy assessment and report only.
Does SIL funding cover rent and groceries?
No. SIL covers the support you receive, not your living costs. Rent, groceries, power bills and other everyday expenses are paid from your own income, the same as for anyone else. If you live in a Specialist Disability Accommodation home, SDA funding covers the dwelling, though you still contribute towards rent. Your planner or support coordinator can explain how the money side works in your own situation.
How is my SIL funding amount decided?
Your SIL budget follows your assessed support needs rather than a flat rate. The agency looks at how much help you need and when, including overnight. A roster of care is often used to map out the supports in a home across a typical week, showing who works when and how hours are shared between residents. Whether support is one to one or shared with housemates has a large effect on the final amount.
Not Sure Whether SIL Fits Your Situation?
Astrad’s occupational therapists assess how you manage at home and write the report that backs your request. We travel to you across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Call (07) 3477 9366 to talk it through.
Our Services
Astrad Allied Health offers a comprehensive range of services, including:
Mobile Occupational Therapy
Registered occupational therapists providing support for daily living skills, independence and participation in work, school and community activities.
Mobility Equipment Assessment
Assessment and recommendations for mobility equipment and assistive technology to support participation in daily activities across your environment.
Speech Pathology Services
Registered speech pathologists helping with communication, swallowing and language development across Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.
Home Assessment & Modifications
Professional home evaluations identifying modifications and equipment recommendations to improve safety, accessibility and independence.
Assistive Technology Assessment
Recommendations for assistive technology solutions like communication devices, computer access & adaptive equipment to support daily participation.
Comprehensive Therapy
Complete allied health support including ongoing therapy sessions, rehabilitation programs and personalised interventions to address all your therapy needs.
