How to Apply for SIL Funding
A practical guide to describing support needs, gathering evidence and asking the NDIA to consider Supported Independent Living as part of a home-and-living pathway.
Start with support needs—not a provider quote
Supported Independent Living is support that helps a person live as independently as possible. It is not the building, rent or ordinary living costs. The NDIA decides whether SIL is appropriate and what support is included.
A strong request clearly explains the participant’s goals, current living situation, functional support needs across a typical week, risks, informal supports, alternative options considered and why the proposed model is reasonable and necessary.
In practice, how to apply for sil funding should begin with a conversation about the person’s current life rather than a pre-selected service model. The participant’s goals, strengths, preferred routines, communication, culture, relationships, home environment and existing supports help define what a useful outcome would look like. This also gives the participant and provider an early opportunity to identify where more information, assessment or another specialist service is required before commitments are made.
The main service areas described on this page—describe a typical week, gather current evidence, explain the proposed model—work together rather than as isolated tasks. A reliable provider should explain how each area will be delivered during an ordinary week, how the participant will be involved in decisions, how workers will be matched and what happens when circumstances change. The service agreement and support plan should use clear language and distinguish funded disability support from health, housing, transport, ordinary living costs and other responsibilities.
Individual planning may need to consider occupational therapy functional assessment, behaviour support, psychology or speech pathology information, health, mobility, mealtime or continence plans, current roster and informal-support information, housing goals, preferences and risk evidence. These factors are not a checklist for excluding a person. They are prompts for designing support safely and respectfully. Where a need is outside a disability support worker’s role, the provider should identify the appropriate clinician, mainstream service or decision-maker and agree how information will be communicated with the participant’s consent.
A complete referral is easier to assess than a long but unclear collection of documents. Useful starting information includes treating SIL as rent or a house, requesting 24/7 one-to-one support without evidence, using old reports that no longer describe current needs, ignoring ILO, in-home support or other alternatives, letting a provider decide before the participant understands choices. Reports should be current and directly connected to everyday function. Referrers should remove irrelevant personal material, confirm consent, identify the requested outcome and state any deadline that affects discharge, accommodation, equipment, worker training or service commencement.
The pathway of clarify goals and needs, build evidence, submit and respond is not a one-off administrative exercise. Once support starts, the participant should be able to say what is working, what feels intrusive or unreliable and what they want changed. Providers should review outcomes, roster stability, incidents, near misses, worker competence, communication and budget sustainability at agreed intervals. A change in health, function, environment, funding or informal support may require an earlier review and updated professional guidance.
Describe a typical week
Show what assistance, prompting, supervision or overnight support is required and when.
Gather current evidence
Use relevant functional assessments and reports that explain needs, risks, capacity-building and alternative options.
Explain the proposed model
Describe where and with whom the person wants to live, expected shared and individual supports and how the arrangement supports goals.
Evidence may include
- Occupational therapy functional assessment
- Behaviour support, psychology or speech pathology information
- Health, mobility, mealtime or continence plans
- Current roster and informal-support information
- Housing goals, preferences and risk evidence
Avoid common mistakes
- Treating SIL as rent or a house
- Requesting 24/7 one-to-one support without evidence
- Using old reports that no longer describe current needs
- Ignoring ILO, in-home support or other alternatives
- Letting a provider decide before the participant understands choices
A practical SIL request pathway
The participant and their chosen supporters should remain involved throughout.
Clarify goals and needs
Document the preferred living arrangement and disability-related support across the week.
Build evidence
Ask relevant practitioners to explain function, risks, support intensity and why alternatives are insufficient.
Submit and respond
Use the current NDIS home-and-living process, answer requests for information and keep copies of all documents.
How to use this information in practice
Use this information as a starting point for a participant-led conversation. Write down the person’s goals, current circumstances, questions and the evidence still required. Keep the participant’s own words separate from provider recommendations so decision-makers can see what the person wants as well as what professionals advise.
Documents are most useful when they are current, specific and consistent. A report should explain how disability affects everyday function, what support is recommended, how often it is needed, what outcome it is intended to achieve and why less intensive or mainstream alternatives are not sufficient. Generic statements and copied wording are less persuasive than real examples.
Before relying on any online guide, compare it with the participant’s current plan and the latest official NDIS information. Funding rules, terminology, pricing and operational processes can change. For disputed, legal or high-impact decisions, independent advocacy or professional advice may be appropriate.
Participant perspective
What does the person want to change, continue or avoid? How do they prefer to receive information and make decisions?
Evidence perspective
What current assessments, observations and real-life examples support the requested outcome?
Implementation perspective
Who will do what, by when, within which budget, and how will everyone know whether the support is working?
Frequently asked questions
Do I apply for a SIL house?
No. SIL funds eligible supports in the home. Housing, rent and tenancy are separate, although planning them together is important.
Do I need SDA to receive SIL?
No. SIL and SDA are different. Some people receive both, while many SIL participants live in ordinary housing.
Does SIL always mean living with other people?
No, but shared supports are common. The NDIA considers individual circumstances, preferences, needs and value for money.
What evidence is most important?
Evidence should be current, specific and functional. It should explain what support is needed, when, why and what happens without it.
Can a provider guarantee SIL funding?
No. Only the NDIA can make the funding decision.
Talk with Eden Ability
Participants, families, nominees, support coordinators, clinicians and hospital teams can contact us to discuss goals, suitability, current capacity and the information needed for an initial review.
Eden Ability, Shop G2/669 Gardeners Rd, Mascot NSW 2020. General information only. NDIS access, funding and plan decisions are made by the NDIA. Services depend on participant choice, suitability, funding, location, workforce capability and a signed service agreement. In an emergency call 000.