How to Apply for SIL Funding Through the NDIS

Getting SIL funding gives you support workers in your home so you can live independently. To get approved, you need to show the NDIA that you need support throughout the day and night using clinical reports and a breakdown of your weekly hours.

We explain the evidence requirements, timelines, and forms needed to submit a complete request.

Key Takeaways

• SIL pays for support workers in your home, not rent or groceries.

• Your submission needs an Occupational Therapy Functional Capacity Assessment and a costed Roster of Care.

• The application process typically takes four to nine months from your first allied health booking to moving day.

• You need to show why standard community supports or shared support cannot meet your daily needs.

• Central Coast participants can work with local coordinators in Gosford to prepare their paperwork before submitting.

What Is SIL Funding and Who Qualifies?

Supported Independent Living, commonly called SIL, is an NDIS support for people who need regular help throughout the day and night. Under the rules from the National Disability Insurance Scheme, this funding pays for the rostered support workers who help you with personal tasks like showering, cooking meals, and taking medication. It does not cover your rent, utility bills, or groceries.

Eligibility depends on your functional capacity. You need to show that you cannot live safely with only drop-in visits or informal help from family. Most people who receive this funding have permanent intellectual, psychosocial, physical, or neurological conditions.

The NDIA checks every application against the reasonable and necessary criteria set out in Section 34 of the NDIS Act. You can read the specific requirements in the Australian Government Federal Register of Legislation. The agency will fund SIL only if they agree that around-the-clock support is required for your safety and represents value for money compared to other options.

Separating Daily Care from Housing

Many families confuse SIL with specialist housing. SIL covers the support staff working inside the property.

Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is a separate funding stream that pays for the physical building itself. SDA is only for participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs who require accessible building modifications. You can receive SIL in an ordinary rental property, in social housing, or in an SDA building.

Before You Apply: Checking Your Goals and Options

Preparation starts with your current NDIS plan. The NDIA looks at your stated plan goals before reviewing your housing paperwork. If your plan does not mention independent living, moving out of home, or building daily living skills, your application will be delayed while you request a goal change.

You should also look at other living options to see what fits your life. Before applying, check whether SIL or ILO fits your situation better.

While SIL relies on shift workers in a shared home, Individualised Living Options let you build an arrangement using a mix of formal staff, host families, or housemates. Exploring both options early saves you from applying for the wrong funding stream.

The Core Documents in Your Evidence Packet

The NDIA will not assess your application without a full evidence packet. Missing signatures or incomplete assessments pause your file.

Home and Living Supporting Evidence Form

This form begins your home and living request. It records where you live now, the barriers you face in your current home, and your preferred location. It explains why your current arrangement is unsustainable.

Functional Capacity Assessment

Your main piece of clinical proof is an assessment completed by an independent, AHPRA-registered Occupational Therapist. This report scores your ability to manage daily tasks, including hygiene, mobility, and cooking. The therapist must clearly state the risks you face if you are left alone, such as missed medication, falls, or kitchen injuries.

The 168-Hour Costed Roster of Care

Your provider builds a detailed weekly schedule called a Roster of Care. This spreadsheet maps out every single hour of the week across a 168-hour weekly roster in 30-minute blocks. It shows when you share workers with housemates and when you need one-on-one help.

Providers price these shifts using the price limits published in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.

Additional Supporting Reports

Depending on your circumstances, you may also need:

• A Carer Impact Statement explaining the age, health, and limitations of family members who currently help you.

• A Behaviour Support Plan with 12 months of incident data if you require restrictive practices or behavioural support.

• Letters from your general practitioner or medical specialists confirming your health needs.

How to Get SIL Funding: The 5-Step Application Process

Moving through the application requires steady work across five stages.

1. Evidence Gathering and Plan Alignment

Review your current plan goals with your support coordinator or Level 3 Specialist Support Coordinator. Book your clinical appointments immediately. Occupational therapists often have waiting lists of 4 to 8 weeks, so booking early prevents long project delays.

2. Provider Selection and House Visits

Meet with providers on the Central Coast to discuss vacancies. Tour homes in suburbs like Gosford, Erina, and Woy Woy to check accessibility and meet prospective housemates. Living with people who share your interests makes a huge difference in your day-to-day comfort.

3. Drafting the Weekly Roster of Care

Work with your chosen provider to build the weekly roster. You will detail your daily routines, appointments, and community activities. The provider matches these tasks to the standard line items in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.

4. Submission Through the Portal

Your support coordinator bundles the evidence packet and submits it as a change of circumstances or plan variation. A delegate checks the documents for completeness. If they need more detail, they send a formal Request for Further Information, which pauses the review clock until your team answers.

5. Plan Approval and House Transition

Once the NDIA issues your funding approval, your provider prepares your service agreement and tenancy paperwork. You can then begin transition visits, meet your support workers, and set up your bedroom before moving in.

Managing Complex Support Ratios and High-Intensity Requests

SIL is primarily designed for shared living arrangements where two or three people share the cost of support staff. If you require higher support ratios, your clinical evidence must clearly justify the extra cost.

Justifying 1:1 Support Ratios

If you need an individual worker assigned only to you, your reports must explain why. The delegate will check whether shared support presents an immediate safety risk to you or others. Your occupational therapist needs to describe the specific physical or behavioural reasons why a 1:1 support ratio is necessary.

Overnight Care: Active Support vs Sleepovers

Applications must clearly separate daytime hours from overnight hours. The NDIA assumes participants need sleepover support unless clinical logs prove otherwise.

To receive active overnight support, you must provide night charts and clinical letters showing regular, unpredictable needs, such as nocturnal seizures, airway clearance, or severe sleep disruption.

Comparing Night Support Types

• Sleepover support means the support worker sleeps in a separate bedroom at the house and wakes only if an emergency happens. It suits participants who generally sleep through the night.

• Active overnight support requires the worker to stay awake and alert for the entire shift. It is funded only when you have documented, frequent care needs throughout the night.

What to Do if Your Application Is Denied

Receiving an unfavorable decision is frustrating, but you have formal options to dispute it.

You must lodge a Section 100 internal review within 28 days of getting your outcome letter. A different NDIA delegate will review your initial application along with any new evidence, such as updated daily support logs or revised therapy reports.

If the internal review upholds the original decision, you can take the matter further. You have 28 days from the internal review outcome to lodge an appeal with the Administrative Review Tribunal.

If you are stuck waiting for an outcome while leaving hospital, your coordinator can check if you qualify for Medium-Term Accommodation, which funds temporary housing for up to 90 days.

Next Steps for Central Coast Participants

Once funding is approved, our supported independent living team helps you settle into a home. Having a local provider helps keep your daily supports consistent and easy to manage.

Our team works across the Central Coast to support participants with their housing goals. From our office in Gosford, we assist people throughout Erina, Terrigal, and surrounding areas with their daily routines and living options.

Frequently Asked Questions About SIL Funding

How long does a SIL application take to get approved?

The complete process usually takes 4 to 9 months. Gathering your assessments and drafting the roster of care takes 6 to 10 weeks, while NDIA assessment and review queues often take 12 to 16 weeks.

Can I get SIL funding if I want to live alone?

You can get funding to live alone, but the NDIA requires clear evidence showing that living with housemates is unsafe or unsuitable for you. Assessors will also check whether Individualised Living Options or drop-in Core supports would work instead.

Does SIL funding pay for my rent and groceries?

SIL covers only personal support workers and daily supervision. You still need to pay for your own general living expenses, such as rent, groceries, electricity, and entertainment, using your own money or the Disability Support Pension.

What is the difference between active overnight and sleepover support?

Sleepover support has a worker sleeping on site who wakes only if an urgent issue arises. Active overnight support means the worker remains awake all night to provide planned, continuous personal care or monitoring.

Plan Your Home and Living Supports

Preparing a home and living request takes careful organisation and clear clinical evidence. Contact our Gosford team to discuss your current situation and explore local living options on the Central Coast.