Supported Independent Living (SIL) and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) are both NDIS funding types, and they are often used together. SDA funds the home. SIL funds the support you receive inside it.
This guide explains what each one covers, who is eligible, how the funding works and whether you can receive both. For the bigger picture, see our What is SDA housing guide.
| SIL (the support) | SDA (the home) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | NDIS funding for day-to-day support | NDIS funding for a specialist home |
| What it funds | Support workers and daily assistance | The building and its accessible design |
| Who it is for | People who need regular help with daily living | People with very high support or accessibility needs |
| Example | Help with cooking, personal care and life skills | A wheelchair-accessible home with a ceiling hoist |
SIL is a type of assistance provided by a worker who helps you with your daily tasks. Some of these tasks may include:
This support focuses on developing your skills and enhancing independent living. It doesn’t include support that is viewed as not enhancing your living goals, such as organising paperwork and bookkeeping.
When assessing eligibility, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) will look at your home and living goals as well as your support needs. They’ll consider your age, independent living skills and occupational therapy reports. Specifically, the NDIA considers SIL a suitable option if you require more than eight hours of direct support, like household cleaning and assistance with errands. It’s also recommended if the participant requires additional levels of support outside of working hours or requires support 24 hours per day.
You can read the official overview on the NDIS Supported Independent Living page.
Read the official overview on the NDIS Supported Independent Living page.
SDA is a type of housing that is specifically designed to help address the needs of people with disability. It can be in the form of houses, apartments and other types of dwellings, all of which are built and equipped with special design features.
SDA can include a wide range of design features which can be sorted into four types of categories known as SDA design categories: Improved Liveability (IL), Fully Accessible (FA), High Physical Support (HPS) and Robust. Each category has its own standards and criteria that allow for a more personalised living experience. For example, SDA under the HPS category requires a door opening of at least 95cm, while SDA under the FA category requires at least 90cm. Learn more in our SDA design categories guide.
The NDIS will fund SDA if it’s the best option for your support needs when compared to other supports alone.
IL homes provide a reasonable level of physical access plus additional features that promote safety, comfort and easy wayfinding. Doorways, handles and switches are clearly visible so moving through the home is seamless.
High-contrast joinery · wide sightlines · task-lit kitchen
FA homes focus on a high level of physical access. They are step-free throughout and include modifications that make everyday movement and use straightforward — particularly beneficial for wheelchair users.
Step-free entry · 90cm doorways · roll-under benches
High Physical Support (HPS) is the most comprehensive SDA design category built for participants with higher support needs. This category is most compatible if you often require additional support and specialised equipment for day-to-day activities.
High-contrast joinery · wide sightlines · task-lit kitchen
Under the SDA Design Standard, the Robust design category addresses the needs of participants who may present with complex behaviours or psychosocial disability, such as Autism or mental health conditions. This design category ensures that homes are built to support not only participant safety and comfort but also the long-term durability of the property.
High-contrast joinery · wide sightlines · task-lit kitchen
Learn more about each one in our SDA design categories guide.
Use our free SDA Eligibility Calculator to receive an instant indication based on your circumstances and support needs.
SDA pays for the property, the ‘bricks and mortar’. SIL pays for the people who support you. You can access either one on its own or both together, so SDA housing isn’t a requirement for SIL.
Each type of support suits different needs.
The NDIS pays SDA funding directly to your SDA provider, who owns the home and rents it to you, much like a landlord. You pay a smaller amount towards rent, called the Reasonable Rent Contribution.
SIL funding pays for your support workers. The amount you receive is based on your assessed support needs: how much help you need, how often you need it and how much of that support can be shared with housemates. SIL sits in your NDIS plan separately from any housing funding, and it is delivered by a support provider you choose.
For prices and rent contributions in detail, see our SDA pricing guide. For the application process, see our how to apply for SDA guide.
Depending on your NDIS plan, some SIL support is provided in a shared home. SDA, in comparison, has more flexibility as it’s separate from your support provider.
At Enliven Housing, our Choice Collective (formerly known as the Community Cooperative) gives you a say in how your shared supports are delivered. It brings you and your neighbours together to share your needs and preferences, discuss what’s working and explore how shared supports can work best for everyone.
It’s possible to receive both SIL and SDA support at the same time. These supports will be funded separately in your NDIS plan, meaning you can manage them individually. This can also mean that if you no longer qualify for one type of funding, you can still have access to the other.
To access both supports, the NDIA will assess your situation:
If approved for both, this can help make your support services run smoothly and efficiently. It can be challenging for a worker to provide support safely in a space that doesn’t meet your needs. That’s why receiving SIL in an SDA home can make a big difference. For example, features like wider hallways and doorways can make it easier for both you and your support worker to move around comfortably.
No. SIL and SDA are funded separately, so you can receive SIL without SDA. SIL can be delivered in many kinds of homes, including social, private and family housing.
The NDIS pays your SDA provider for the home, and you pay a capped Reasonable Rent Contribution based on your pension and rent assistance. Your support workers are funded separately.
It depends on how your home and support are set up. When they are provided separately, as they are with Enliven, you may be able to change your support provider without moving. Where the provider is tied to the house, changing provider can mean moving out.
If you mainly need help with daily tasks, SIL is likely to suit you. If you need a home built around accessibility and high support needs, SDA is likely to suit you. Many people with high support needs are eligible for both, and an Occupational Therapist and Support Coordinator can help you work out which applies to you.
It’s completely normal for housemates to have different National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plans, because your funding is based on
Shared living describes the setting you live in. Within that setting, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funds the home, and Supported
Group homes and shared living both describe people with disability living together with support. The main difference is how much
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