Supported Independent Living (SIL) Providers in Australia
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is NDIS funding for the help you need with everyday tasks in your home: personal care, cooking, cleaning, medication, and building the skills to live as independently as possible. It pays for support workers, often with someone available 24 hours a day, most commonly in a home shared with two to four other participants.
SIL is funded from your Core Supports budget and is usually approved for people who need help for most of the day. It does not pay for the house itself. The providers below deliver SIL across every state and territory; most also list current vacancies.
Supported Independent Living providers
Who is eligible for SIL, and how the NDIA decides
SIL is for participants whose disability means they need significant person-to-person support at home, typically help throughout the day and often overnight. It is not funded for people who live with family and need a few hours of support a week; that is delivered through ordinary core supports.
The decision is made through a home and living supports request, usually with a support coordinator. The NDIA looks at evidence of your support needs (allied health reports, a functional assessment, a description of a typical day), your goals, and whether SIL will improve or sustain your independence. For your first SIL plan, or when your circumstances change, the provider also supplies a roster of care showing the hours and type of support proposed; the NDIA says the roster informs its decision but does not determine the funding.
Shared homes, living alone, and the ILO alternative
Most SIL is delivered in shared homes where two to five participants split the cost of support workers, which is how 24-hour support becomes affordable. SIL can also be funded for a person living alone where their needs justify it, and in family homes in some circumstances.
Individualised Living Options (ILO) is the alternative for people who want a more tailored arrangement: living with a host family, a housemate who provides some support in exchange for reduced rent, or a mix of paid and informal supports rather than a rostered team. If sharing a house with strangers is the part of SIL you do not want, ask about ILO.
What SIL covers, what it does not, and how it fits with SDA
SIL pays for the support workers: daytime assistance, active overnight support or sleepovers, and shared support arranged with your housemates. It does not pay rent, board, food, utilities or transport; those come from your own income, usually the Disability Support Pension plus rent assistance.
The house is separate. Most SIL participants live in ordinary rental or community housing. A minority with extreme functional impairment also receive Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding for a purpose-built home. SIL funds the people; SDA funds the building. Having one does not mean you have the other.
Finding a vacancy and choosing a SIL provider
SIL providers advertise vacancies in specific homes, so the practical search is for a room, not just a provider. Ask about the housemates (age, support needs, how they are matched), how workers are rostered and trained, what happens overnight, and how the provider handles a housemate leaving.
Agency-managed participants must use a registered provider, and almost all SIL providers are registered because of the intensity of support. Visit before you decide, ideally at a mealtime, and ask to see the roster and the house rules in writing.
Guides to Supported Independent Living (SIL)
- SIL vs SDA: what is the difference?The people versus the building, and who gets each
- NDIS support workers: what they do and costThe weekday, weekend and overnight price limits behind a SIL roster
- Who helps you apply for SIL?Support coordinators usually lead a home and living request
- NDIS changes in 2026The supports list and funding periods that affect SIL budgets
Frequently asked questions
What does supported independent living mean?
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is NDIS funding for support workers who help you with daily tasks in your home, such as personal care, cooking, cleaning and medication, often with support available 24 hours a day. It is most commonly delivered in a home shared with other participants.
Who pays for supported independent living?
The NDIS pays for the support workers through the SIL funding in your Core Supports budget. You pay your own rent, board, food and utilities from your income, usually the Disability Support Pension and rent assistance. If you also need a purpose-built home, that is funded separately through SDA.
What are the criteria for SIL?
SIL is generally funded for participants who need significant help with daily living for most of the day, often including overnight support, and where sharing support with others is the most appropriate way to meet those needs. The NDIA decides through a home and living supports request using allied health evidence and your goals.
What is the difference between SDA and SIL?
SIL funds the support workers who help you at home. SDA funds a specialist-designed home for people with extreme functional impairment. Most SIL participants do not have SDA and live in ordinary housing; a small number have both.
What is a roster of care?
A roster of care is a document from a SIL provider showing the hours and type of support proposed in a shared home. The NDIA asks for one for your first SIL plan or when your circumstances change, and uses it as evidence, but says it does not determine the amount of funding.
How do I find SIL vacancies near me?
Browse the SIL providers on this page by state and suburb and ask each about current vacancies, housemates and rostering. A support coordinator can shortlist homes and help lodge the home and living request.