What Is Supported Independent Living (SIL)? A Sydney Guide
Supported Independent Living (SIL) often comes up when a participant is planning a big move, such as leaving the family home or hospital. It's also easy to confuse with housing.
This guide answers a common question, what is supported independent living, and covers who SIL suits, how it's funded and how to choose a provider. For plan-specific advice, talk to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or a Support Coordinator.
Key takeaways
SIL is NDIS funding for support workers who help with, or supervise, daily tasks at home, 24/7. It pays for support, not the home.
It's for adults with higher support needs who need someone with them all the time, including overnight.
Most people in SIL share support with housemates. One-to-one SIL is funded only in limited situations.
SIL doesn't cover rent, groceries or bills, and it isn't the same as Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) or Individualised Living Options (ILO).
SIL providers must now register with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
What is supported independent living?
SIL is an NDIS support that helps participants live as independently as possible. It funds support workers who help with, or supervise, everyday tasks at home, around the clock, while the person builds their skills.
SIL is about the support, not the building. The home might be a shared rental, social housing, a home the person owns or SDA. Our page on Supported Independent Living in Sydney explains Lofty's service.
What SIL isn't
According to the NDIS, it isn't SIL if someone only needs a few hours of help a day or week, or chooses and manages their own support workers, including rostering them.
SIL also doesn't pay for living costs. Rent, groceries and bills such as electricity and internet aren't NDIS supports, so participants pay these themselves.
Who SIL suits
The NDIS generally only considers SIL for people aged 18 or older with higher support needs. It describes SIL as suiting someone who needs a support worker with them 24 hours a day, including overnight, with hands-on help for at least 8 of those hours.
SIL often comes up at turning points, such as:
a first move out of the family home
parents or carers planning for when they can't provide daily support
leaving hospital or rehabilitation when the old living arrangement no longer works
moving into SDA, where daily support is also needed
Someone who needs help for only part of the day may be better served by daily living and household support.
How SIL works day to day
Support is built around each person's routine, goals and plan. A typical day might include:
Morning: help getting up, showering, dressing, breakfast and medication prompts
Daytime: household tasks, appointments and practising skills like cooking or budgeting
Evening: preparing dinner, winding down and getting ready for bed
Overnight: a support worker on hand in the home
Good SIL support is done with the person, not just for them, so they can do more for themselves over time.
Overnight support is either a sleepover, where the worker sleeps at the home, or an active overnight, where the worker stays awake. The NDIS generally funds a sleepover when someone needs up to 2 hours of awake support a night.
Shared and individual SIL arrangements
Most people in SIL live with housemates who also have NDIS funding, and share support. Support can be shared at some times of day and one-to-one at others, depending on each person's needs.
Sharing means compatibility matters, so the choice of housemates deserves time and care.
Individual (one-to-one) SIL
The NDIS generally funds 24-hour individual SIL only when a person can't share support because of their disability support needs. Examples include life-threatening health needs, frequent and long-running behaviours of concern, or a rapidly changing condition.
How SIL is funded and requested
If the NDIA decides SIL meets the NDIS funding criteria, it's added to the plan, usually in the core supports budget under assistance with daily life. The funding pays a registered SIL provider for support workers' time.
How to ask for SIL
SIL requests go through the NDIA's home and living process. In general:
Talk about home and living goals with the participant's LAC, Support Coordinator or the NDIA.
Gather recent evidence from treating professionals, such as an occupational therapist, about daily support needs, functional capacity and other options already explored.
Submit the NDIA's home and living supporting evidence form with a request to change the plan, or before a plan reassessment.
For a first SIL plan, a provider may prepare a roster of care. The NDIA considers it with other evidence, but it doesn't set the funding.
How plans are built is changing over the next few years, so confirm the current steps before applying.
SIL vs ILO vs SDA in brief
SIL: support workers in the home 24/7, usually shared with housemates. It funds support, not housing.
Individualised Living Options (ILO): a flexible support package built around how a person wants to live, such as with a non-related host or a housemate. It generally suits people who need at least 6 hours of support a day, but not 24-hour rostered support.
SDA: the home itself, designed for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. Many people in SDA also have SIL.
ILO is funded in two stages: designing the arrangement, then putting supports in place. For more on the home and the support, read SDA vs SIL explained or learn about SDA accommodation in Sydney.
Choosing a SIL provider
Participants can choose their SIL provider and change providers later, so it's worth taking time to decide.
Start with registration. Mandatory registration for SIL began on 1 July 2026: new providers must be registered, and providers already delivering SIL had until 1 October 2026 to apply. The NDIS Commission's online provider register shows who is registered.
Questions families can ask
Are you registered with the NDIS Commission to deliver SIL?
How is support shared, and when is one-to-one support available?
Is overnight support a sleepover or an active overnight?
How are housemates matched, and what happens if they don't get along?
How will you respect the person's routines, culture, language and faith?
How are support workers screened and trained?
What will the participant pay for rent, food and bills, and is it in writing?
Will there be a written service agreement, and how are complaints handled?
If you can, visit the home and meet the team and housemates first.
What to expect from Lofty Care Services
Lofty Care Services is a registered NDIS provider approved for Supported Independent Living and Specialist Disability Accommodation. Based in Georges Hall, our mobile team supports participants across Canterbury-Bankstown, South-West and Western Sydney and Greater Sydney (see the areas we service).
When you get in touch, we'll:
get to know the person's goals, routine, culture and support needs
talk through current SIL and SDA options
work with family, Support Coordinators, LACs, occupational therapists and hospital teams, with the participant's agreement
put a written service agreement in place before support starts
Lofty is also registered for high intensity daily personal activities, positive behaviour support and community nursing. Learn more about SIL support across Sydney.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone get SIL if they live alone?
It's possible, but it isn't the usual arrangement. SIL is usually funded when participants share a home and supports with housemates who also have NDIS funding. For most people who live alone, the NDIS says other home and living options may suit better.
What's the difference between SIL and ILO?
SIL is support at home 24/7, usually shared with housemates. ILO is a flexible package built around how a person wants to live, such as with a host or housemate. It generally suits people who need at least 6 hours of support a day.
Do SIL providers have to be registered?
Yes. Mandatory registration for SIL began on 1 July 2026, and providers already delivering SIL had until 1 October 2026 to apply. You can check a provider on the NDIS Commission's online provider register.
Is SIL only for adults?
Usually, yes. The NDIS generally only considers SIL for people aged 18 or older. Families of younger people can ask their LAC or the NDIA about other options.
Who can help with a request for SIL?
An LAC, a Support Coordinator (if the plan includes one) or the NDIA can explain the home and living process. Treating professionals, such as an occupational therapist, usually provide the evidence.
Talk to Lofty Care Services: call 0431 714 119 or enquire online.
Support Coordinators and allied health professionals can also make a referral.
General information only, not advice about an individual NDIS plan. Checked against NDIS sources in November 2026.
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