How SIL Funding Works Under the NDIS (and What It Costs)
Getting SIL funding ndis covers the cost of rostered support staff for participants who need regular help at home. This money pays directly for support workers rather than house rent or food bills.
The budget sits inside your NDIS plan under Core supports. In this guide, we break down what the money covers, how quotes are calculated, and what you need to pay from your own pocket.
Key Takeaways
Supported Independent Living pays for daily personal care, meal help, and overnight support.
House rent, groceries, and utility bills are not covered and must be paid with your own income.
Budgets are built on a 7-day schedule called a Roster of Care and checked against Section 34 rules.
Funding is locked as a stated line item in your plan, meaning it cannot be spent on everyday items.
Curamus provides registered SIL homes across Gippsland and Cardinia.
What Supported Independent Living Covers
Supported Independent Living pays for workers to help you with daily routines so you can live in a shared house or on your own. When your plan includes sil funding ndis, the funds sit inside your Core Supports: Assistance with Daily Life category.
The National Disability Insurance Agency sets this aside as a stated support budget. That means the money is ring-fenced. You cannot reallocate it to therapy appointments or community transport; it only pays for support staff working in your home.
SIL only covers support, not the building; our guide on SIL vs SDA explains the split.
Daily Personal Care
Daily tasks take up most of a typical SIL roster. Workers assist with routines that you cannot easily manage by yourself.
Showering, bathing, and personal hygiene
Getting dressed and ready for the day
Moving around the home safely and using mobility aids
Planning weekly meals and cooking healthy food
Cleaning communal rooms, washing clothes, and tidying up
Setting reminders and taking daily medications
Following behaviour support plans written by your practitioner
Sleepover and Active Night Support
Many participants need someone on site overnight. The NDIA funds two distinct types of night shifts depending on your assessed needs:
Sleepover Shifts: A worker sleeps on site in a separate staff bedroom for eight hours. They are available if an emergency occurs. The provider claims a flat sleepover allowance set by the pricing schedule.
Active Night Shifts: A worker stays awake all night to deliver regular care, such as turning you in bed, toileting, or monitoring medical equipment. Active hours are billed at full night-time hourly rates.
Once your daily care needs are set, you also need to plan for household living expenses that fall outside your NDIS plan.
What SIL Funding Does Not Pay For
A common mistake is thinking sil funding ndis covers your whole household setup. Under Australian law, the NDIS only pays for supports linked directly to your disability. It does not pay for standard living expenses that every adult pays.
You pay for your accommodation, food, and bills out of your personal income. Most participants pay these costs using their Disability Support Pension and Commonwealth Rent Assistance.
What the NDIS Pays
Personal care workers and daily assistance
Morning and evening household routines
Sleepover and active night staff
Practical training to build household independence
What You Pay Personally
House rent or mortgage payments
Groceries, meals, and snacks
Electricity, gas, and water bills
Home internet and phone services
Personal clothing, social outings, and leisure
Rent and the Reasonable Rent Contribution
Rent in a SIL property is handled through a residential tenancy agreement. This agreement is completely separate from your support service agreement.
In supported housing, rent is usually calculated using the Reasonable Rent Contribution model. This payment equals 25 percent of the basic Disability Support Pension plus 100 percent of your Commonwealth Rent Assistance. Setting rent this way keeps housing affordable while leaving you with enough money for food and savings.
Groceries and Household Bills
Food and bills are managed through shared house contributions. Each housemate puts money into a shared house account each fortnight.
This money pays for shared groceries, cleaning products, power, gas, and internet. Personal snacks, clothing, and private subscriptions stay separate and come out of your own account.
With living costs separated from support costs, we can look at what the care hours cost the NDIS.
How Much Does SIL Cost and How Budgets Are Set
A year of sil funding ndis generally costs between $80,000 and $320,000. The total figure reflects how many housemates share the workers, your night support needs, and whether you need standard or high-intensity care.
Hourly rates in a roster follow the NDIS price guide for 2026-27. Current caps are published in the official NDIS pricing arrangements and price limits.
Typical Annual Budgets
Lower Shared Support: $80,000 to $140,000 per year for a 1:3 daytime ratio with an inactive sleepover worker.
Standard Shared Support: $140,000 to $220,000 per year for a 1:2 daytime ratio with an inactive sleepover worker.
High-Intensity or 1:1 Care: $220,000 to $350,000+ per year for individual day support or active overnight care.
Shift Times and Loadings
Support work carries different rates depending on when shifts happen. Weekend hours and night shifts cost more than standard weekday daytime hours.
When working out an annual budget, planners include 12 public holidays and normal weekend rates across the year. If you have complex health needs, such as a tracheostomy or PEG feeding, your funding includes high-intensity hourly rates to cover workers with specific training.
Providers capture these hours by building a detailed weekly timetable called a Roster of Care.
What Is a Roster of Care?
A Roster of Care is a schedule that details all 168 hours in a week. It shows exactly when staff work, what tasks they perform, and which housemates share their time.
The NDIA reviews this document alongside your clinical evidence before approving your budget.
Staffing Ratios Explained
1:1 Support: One worker assists you alone for individual personal routines or appointments.
1:2 Support: One worker supports two housemates together during shared times like cooking dinner.
1:3 Support: One worker supports three housemates together across general household hours.
Irregular Support Days and House Vacancies
Your budget includes a balance of irregular support days. Plans usually contain 10 standard days or 15 high-intensity days each year. These cover extra hours when you are home sick on a weekday or your regular day program closes.
Vacancies follow strict NDIA rules. The agency does not pay for empty rooms. If a housemate leaves, the remaining residents do not pay extra to cover the gap. The provider can claim an unplanned exit payment for up to 28 days from the departing participant's plan while looking for a new resident.
To get a Roster of Care approved, you must supply strong clinical assessments that meet legal criteria.
Eligibility and the NDIA Approval Process
To receive sil funding ndis, you must show that you need regular person-to-person care throughout the day and night. You must be an active NDIS participant aged 18 or older.
The NDIA reviews every request under Section 34 of the NDIS Act, known as the reasonable and necessary criteria. Planners check that shared supported living is safe, appropriate, and good value compared to other housing models.
Application Steps
Complete an Occupational Therapy Functional Capacity Assessment.
Submit the Home and Living Supporting Evidence Form.
Have your provider prepare a Roster of Care based on your clinical hours.
The NDIA reviews the evidence and issues a stated SIL budget.
Necessary Clinical Evidence
Your primary piece of evidence is an Occupational Therapy Functional Capacity Assessment. This report details your abilities with personal care, cooking, mobility, and community tasks.
If you request 1:1 funding to live alone, your reports must explain why living with other people poses a serious safety risk to you or housemates. You can read the detailed rules in the official NDIS Supported Independent Living provider operational guidelines.
Before submitting a SIL request, consider whether other living models suit your lifestyle better.
Comparing SIL with Individualised Living Options
Supported Independent Living is not the only option for housing support. If you have lower support needs, Individualised Living Options (ILO) might be a better fit.
ILO suits people who want an alternative to traditional group living. You can check how these approaches compare below.
Differences Between Support Models
Support Intensity: SIL suits people who need 24-hour rostered shifts. ILO suits people who need drop-in help or informal support.
Home Setup: SIL is used in shared homes or individual units with shift staff. ILO lets you live with a host family, share with a flatmate who provides basic help, or live alone with scheduled drop-in workers.
Funding Type: SIL uses a stated Core budget based on a strict roster. ILO uses a mix of Core and Capacity Building funds, which costs less overall.
If your needs show that you require rostered shift support, the next step is finding a registered provider with suitable vacancies.
Finding a Provider and Requesting a Quote
Arranging your sil funding ndis involves talking to your family, your support coordinator, and local providers. You can tour vacant homes and meet other residents to make sure your personalities and daily routines match well.
Every SIL provider must hold formal registration with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Registration requires providers to follow strict practice standards, run worker screening checks, and pass independent quality audits.
Curamus supports participants across Gippsland, Latrobe Valley, and Cardinia. Ask us for a quote for our supported independent living home in Balook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get sil funding ndis if I live on my own?
Yes, the NDIA can fund 1:1 SIL for sole occupancy. You must supply clinical reports showing that living with others creates significant safety risks or that shared arrangements cannot meet your medical needs.
Do I lose my pension when I move into a SIL property?
No, you keep your Disability Support Pension. The NDIS pays your support workers directly, and you continue to receive your pension payments to cover rent, utilities, and everyday food.
What is the difference between SIL and SDA?
SIL funds the support workers who help you with personal care and daily household tasks. Specialist Disability Accommodation funds the physical home and accessible modifications for people with extreme physical impairments.
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We help participants and families across Gippsland and Cardinia explore their living choices and make sense of their funding.