What Is SIL? Supported Independent Living Explained

If you or someone in your family is exploring NDIS housing options, you’ve probably come across the term “SIL”. It’s one of the most common types of NDIS funding, but also one of the most misunderstood. 

This article breaks down what Supported Independent Living (SIL) actually is, what it funds, who it’s designed for, and how to find the right provider. If you’d like to brush up on broader NDIS terminology first, our Plan Navigator is a good place to start.

Whether you’re a participant, a family member, or a support coordinator helping someone plan their next step, the goal here is simple: to give you a clear, plain-English picture of how SIL works so you can make confident decisions.

What does SIL mean in the NDIS?

SIL stands for Supported Independent Living. It’s an NDIS-funded support that pays for the assistance you may need to live as independently as possible, most commonly in a shared home with other NDIS participants, although it can also be funded in individual living arrangements.

The key thing to understand is that SIL funds the support you receive, not the home itself. You’ll often see SIL paired with a Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) home, but the two are separate supports with separate funding. You can browse Supported Independent Living and SDA vacancies to get a feel for what’s currently available across Australia.

What does SIL funding cover?

SIL funding typically covers help with everyday tasks that you may not be able to do on your own. This includes personal care (such as showering, dressing and grooming), meal preparation, medication management, household tasks like cleaning and laundry, and overnight support where required. It can also fund capacity-building supports, such as developing skills in cooking, budgeting, or using public transport, as well as support to participate in social and community activities.

What SIL does not cover is just as important. SIL funding doesn’t pay for rent, board, food, utilities, or the cost of the home itself. Those everyday living costs are paid for with your own income, just as they would for anyone else. SIL is designed to fund the support hours you need across a 24-hour roster, not your cost of living.

SIL vs SDA: what’s the difference?

This is one of the biggest sources of confusion, so it’s worth being clear. Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funds the home itself, if you have very high physical support needs or complex behavioural needs. Supported Independent Living (SIL) pays for the support workers who help you with everyday tasks while you live there (or in any other home).

You might have SIL only, SDA only, both, or neither in your NDIS plan. Most people in SIL don’t live in SDA homes; they live in standard rental homes often shared with housemates. Browsing SIL listings on a marketplace like MySolas is a great way to explore available homes, learn about the people already living there, and see the support arrangements each provider offers.

Who is SIL for?

SIL is designed for people whose disability means they need support for a significant part of the day, every day. If you need help with personal care or can't safely be left alone for long periods, you may be eligible for SIL. It’s not generally funded if you only need a few hours of support each week. In those cases, your support is usually funded through another Core Support instead.

Before approving SIL funding, the NDIA looks at evidence about your support needs, your goals, and what’s “reasonable and necessary” before approving SIL funding. A good support coordinator or local area coordinator (LAC) can help you gather the right evidence and build your case for funding.

How SIL support ratios work

SIL is usually funded as a support ratio. This ratio describes how many participants one support worker is helping at a given time. 

A 1:1 ratio means one worker is dedicated to supporting you. This is the highest level of support and is typically used if you have more complex needs.

A 1:2 ratio means one worker is shared between you and one other participant in the same home, which is common during busy times of the day, such as morning and evening routines. 

A 1:3 ratio means one support worker is shared between you and two other housemates.  This is often used for lower-support periods of the day. 

Your SIL funding may include a combination of different support ratios across 24 hours. For example, you might receive 1:1support in the morning, 1:3 support in the afternoon, and overnight active or sleepover support depending on your individual needs.

How SIL is funded in your NDIS plan

SIL funding sits in the Core Supports budget of your NDIS plan, under “Assistance with Daily Life”. Your funding is calculated from a roster of care that maps out how many hours of support you need across each day of the week and at what ratio. Because SIL is one of the higher cost supports in the NDIS, it’s stated as a specific quote rather than a flexible budget line.

The way your plan is managed (self-managed, plan-managed, or agency-managed) affects which providers you can choose. If your plan is agency-managed, you’ll need to use NDIS-registered providers. If you’re self-managed or plan-managed, you’ll generally have more flexibility in who you can engage. If you’d like to learn more about these terms, use the MySolas Plan Navigator.

How to find SIL providers and vacancies

Finding the right SIL provider isn’t just about availability. It’s about fit. The people you live with and the workers supporting you can make A big difference to your daily life. 

On MySolas, you can search for SIL providers by location, support specialty, and verification status, and compare verified NDIS providers side by side without any sponsored listings  Influencing what you see.

If you’re not sure where to start, MySolas Match can connect you with suitable providers based on your needs and preferences. It’s a guided, human-mediated matching service rather than an automated algorithm making the decisions for you.

Questions to ask a SIL provider

Before you commit to a SIL arrangement, it’s worth asking each provider a few practical questions. How is the roster of care designed, and how flexible is it if your supports need to change? Who are the existing housemates, and what’s the household culture like? How does the provider recruit, train, and roster support workers? What happens if you don’t get along with a particular worker? How are incidents, complaints, and feedback handled? And critically, what’s the process if you want to leave or change providers?

A good provider will be happy to answer these questions openly. If you’re not getting clear answers, that can be a sign to keep looking until you find a provider that’s the right fit for you.

Ready to explore your options?

Whether you're looking for your first SIL home or considering a change, MySolas makes it easier to find the right fit. You can explore current SIL vacancies across Australia, and join MySolas for free to save listings, contact providers, and get matched with the right support for your goals.