Supported independent living

Supported independent living (SIL) is one type of NDIS support to help you live in your home.

It includes help or supervision with daily tasks, like personal care or cooking meals. It helps you live as independently as possible while building your skills.

SIL is for people with higher support needs, who need some level of help at home all the time.

This means you need a significant amount of help throughout the day, 7 days a week. This includes overnight support.

SIL is available for a range of accommodation settings, including if you live with other NDIS participants and want to share the supports (this can be in a home that you find yourself or a shared accommodation option managed by a provider). You can also get SIL if you live on your own, but there might be other home and living supports that suit you better.

When deciding if SIL is the best option for you the NDIS considers:

• your goals for your potential home and living arrangements, and the support you need with daily tasks to help you to live as independently as possible
• if alternative supports may be a better option
• if you have significant support needs that require person-to-person supports, and what supports you already receive
• if the support meets the reasonable and necessary criteria for SIL funding.

SIL is available for a range of accommodation settings, including if you live with other NDIS participants and want to share the supports (this can be in a home that you find yourself or a shared accommodation option managed by a provider). You can also get SIL if you live on your own, but there might be other home and living supports that suit you better.

The amount of SIL funding included in your NDIS plan depends on the level of support you need to live independently in the housing option of your choice.

NDIS SIL package includes:

• personal care support such as getting into or out of bed, showering or getting dressed
• meal preparation and cooking
• assistance with household tasks such as cleaning and laundry
• support with grocery shopping
• help getting to community activities or learning to travel independently
• tasks associated with running a household such as budgeting and paying bills
• medication assistance
• help to build independence in the home (such as learning new skills)
• support for managing challenging behaviours
• 24/7 and overnight care

Items such as:

• rent or mortgage payments
• utilities such as electricity, phone or internet
• food and groceries
• household supplies that are not related to a disability such as cleaning and gardening supplies
• home repairs or maintenance
• day-to-day living expenses such as taxi fares and toiletries.

However, items covered by other NDIS budgets such as transport, consumables and assistive technology cannot be purchased with SIL funding.