Supported Independent Living (SIL) is NDIS funding for support workers who help or supervise a participant with daily tasks at home. It pays for support, not rent or groceries.
Three other terms sit close to SIL, and mixing them up leads to the wrong questions. Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is specialist housing. Individualised Living Options (ILO) is a separate home and living support arrangement. A housing provider may also be a different organisation from the SIL provider.
The NDIA decides what goes into an individual plan, and this guide cannot predict that decision. It explains the terms and gives questions to ask before comparing arrangements. Confirm individual plan details with the NDIA.
Updated 30 October 2026. Editorial ownership: TIMELY HEALTH ASSIST. This guide summarises official NDIA and NDIS Commission information. Funding and registration rules change, so check the current official guidance for your circumstances.
Key Takeaways
- SIL funds support workers at home. It does not pay rent or groceries.
- SDA is the housing. SIL is the support. Some participants have both.
- Support of only a few hours a day or week, or workers the participant chooses and manages themselves, is not SIL under the current definition.
- SIL providers must be registered, or have applied by 1 October 2026 and still be under assessment, to keep delivering SIL. Check current status with the NDIS Commission.
What does SIL fund?
The NDIA defines SIL as funding for a support worker to help or supervise a participant 24 hours a day, seven days a week, where the participant needs that level of support.
Typical tasks include:
- Personal care, such as help with showering and dressing;
- Eating and cooking meals; and
- Household tasks, such as cleaning.
These are examples of task types. They are not a standard package, and they are not a promise that every task will be funded. Needs and routines differ.
SIL cannot pay for rent or day-to-day costs such as groceries, utilities or vehicle costs. Keep support questions and housing-cost questions separate when you compare options.
For background on plan funding, read our NDIS support guide for Adelaide.
When support is not SIL
The NDIS Commission’s SIL definition and transition guidance sets two limits. Support is not SIL if the person only receives a few hours of support a day or week. It is also not SIL if the person chooses and manages their own support workers, including rostering them. That arrangement sits in the Assistance with Daily Life budget instead.
These are general boundaries, not an eligibility assessment. Ask the NDIA which support type fits a particular participant.
SIL, SDA and ILO: what is the difference?
The three terms describe different parts of a living arrangement. They are not interchangeable.
| Support type | Plain English definition | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| SIL (Supported Independent Living) | Funding for support workers to assist with daily living tasks at home. | What daily tasks does the participant need help or supervision with? |
| SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) | Specialist housing designed for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. | Does the participant need a home built or modified for their needs? |
| ILO (Individualised Living Options) | A designed package of home and living supports, which may include a host or housemate arrangement. | Does the participant want to explore a more individualised living arrangement? |
The NDIA has separate guidance for SDA and ILO. SDA is the housing itself, and it does not fund personal care, SIL or ILO support. Some participants have both SDA and SIL in their plans. One does not automatically mean the other is included.
The NDIA also says a participant may sometimes have more than one home and living support in a plan. Do not assume the options are mutually exclusive. Ask the NDIA which combination applies.
Why the distinction matters in practice
Confusing housing with support makes an arrangement harder to evaluate. If one agreement covers both the home and the support services, ask which document describes each part and what happens to each if circumstances change.
Ask what is involved in changing a support worker, a provider or a housemate, and whether those changes affect the housing arrangement. This guide does not explain tenancy rights or the terms of a housing agreement. Ask the relevant parties, and get independent advice about a specific agreement if anything is unclear.
How to discuss home and living with the NDIA
SIL funding depends on a participant’s disability support needs. A general guide cannot determine what will be included in an individual plan.
Read the NDIA’s guide to home and living options, then ask what current information applies to the participant.
Questions worth asking:
- Which home and living options should we read about?
- What information should we provide about the participant’s daily support needs?
- Who can explain the current process if needs or preferences change?
These are prompts for a conversation, not a list of required documents and not a promise of approval.
Before that conversation, a participant or family member may find it useful to note:
- The daily routines where the participant wants assistance, and which activities they prefer to manage themselves;
- Whether the question is about support, housing or both; and
- Preferences that matter when supports are delivered, such as communication, privacy and timing.
This note is for the participant’s own use. It is not an NDIA template, a required evidence list or a substitute for advice about individual circumstances.
Understanding a roster of care
The NDIA provider guide for SIL describes a roster of care as a planning tool. It is not a requirement, and it does not need to be submitted to the NDIA. It breaks down the support a participant needs across a week and how that support will be delivered.
If a provider prepares one, ask:
- How are shared support hours separated from one-to-one assistance?
- What happens when a participant’s routines differ from those of other residents?
- How is night-time support covered, and what does the participant’s plan fund?
- How are worker absences and schedule changes communicated?
Do not assume a set number of hours or a staffing ratio applies to everyone. Funding reflects individual needs.
How to evaluate SIL providers in Adelaide
Start with registration status. Since 1 July 2026, SIL providers must be registered with the NDIS Commission to deliver SIL. Providers who were already delivering SIL without registration could apply until 1 October 2026 and may keep delivering while their application is assessed.
The Commission’s registered provider search lists approved providers. A separate Commission list covers unregistered providers who applied before the deadline and remain in transition. Check both, then confirm the current position directly with the provider.
A register entry shows registration or application status. It does not tell you whether an arrangement suits a particular participant.
Questions to ask a provider:
- Is the organisation currently approved for SIL, or is an application still being assessed?
- Who would deliver the support, and how can the participant share preferences about routines and communication?
- If overnight support or a shared home is discussed, what would the arrangement involve?
- What costs, cancellation terms and responsibilities are described in writing, and which parts concern support rather than the home?
- How can the participant ask a question or raise a concern?
These questions do not confirm that a specific service, staffing pattern, fee or vacancy is available.
Questions about housing and support
A SIL arrangement may include both a home and support workers. The NDIS Commission’s SIL practice standard on tenancy, housing and support agreements requires separate tenancy and service agreements where the same provider supplies both. The tenancy agreement is not contingent on receiving support from that provider. Participants should be supported to understand both documents, change support providers, and reach independent advocacy or legal help when they need it.
Useful checks before signing:
- Ask for the tenancy agreement and the service agreement as separate documents.
- Ask what happens to the housing if the participant changes SIL provider.
- Ask how concerns can be raised without affecting housing.
- Ask where to get independent advice if anything is unclear.
This guide does not give legal or tenancy advice. For South Australian renting information, start with the SA Government renting pages, and get independent advice about a specific agreement.
What to confirm with THA
TIMELY HEALTH ASSIST publishes this guide to help Adelaide participants understand NDIS home and living terms. This article does not claim that THA is an NDIS-registered SIL or SDA provider, operates properties, has vacant rooms, or guarantees specific staffing ratios or SIL capacity.
For current information:
- Review our services hub for current healthcare staffing and support areas;
- Visit our contact page to speak with the local team; and
- Ask about current registration groups, staff availability and service boundaries before agreeing to any service.
Frequently asked questions
Does SIL pay for rent or groceries?
No. SIL cannot be used for rent or everyday costs such as groceries. Ask the relevant housing contact about costs for a specific arrangement.
What is the difference between SIL and SDA?
SIL funds support workers to help or supervise with daily tasks at home. SDA is specialist housing for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. SDA does not fund the support workers, and some participants have both.
Can someone have both SIL and SDA?
Yes, some participants do. The NDIA says some participants have both in their plans. Ask the NDIA which options and current process apply to a particular participant.
When is support not SIL?
Under the NDIS Commission’s definition, support of only a few hours a day or week is not SIL. Neither is an arrangement where the participant chooses and manages their own support workers. Ask the NDIA which support type applies.
Does a roster of care have to be submitted to the NDIA?
No. The NDIA describes a roster of care as a planning tool and says it is not required.
How do I check whether a provider is registered for SIL?
Use the NDIS Commission’s provider register for approved providers, and its separate list for applicants who met the 1 October 2026 deadline and may continue during assessment. Confirm the current status with the provider.
Where can I find questions to help discuss my SIL support?
The Commission publishes Reflective Questions for Participants, plus an Easy Read version. They can help a participant prepare for a conversation about their support, choices and decisions.
Related NDIS resources
For more on related supports in Adelaide:
- NDIS Personal Care Services Adelaide
- NDIS Community Participation Guide
- NDIS Support Coordination in Adelaide
A practical next step
Start by listing the participant’s routines, goals and daily support needs in plain language. Separate what they need from support workers from what they need in a home. Then contact the participant’s my NDIS contact, support coordinator or the NDIA to clarify current home and living options.
For information about THA’s current services, use the services and contact links above.
Need Healthcare or Disability Support in Adelaide?
Contact TIMELY HEALTH ASSIST to confirm current service scope, enquiry details and whether the support or staffing request fits our current offering.