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Transitioning to SIL Housing

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Transitioning to SIL is a big step, whether you are moving out of hospital, out of the family home or from another service. This guide explains what supported independent living (SIL) is, how to ask the NDIS for it, what happens when you are in hospital, and the questions worth asking before you move.

Transitioning to SIL: quick summary

  • SIL is NDIS funding for a support worker to help or supervise you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in your home.
  • SIL pays for support, not housing. It can’t be used for rent or day-to-day costs like groceries.
  • SIL is one of several home and living options. Your my NDIS contact can help you work out which one fits.
  • To add SIL to your plan, you need evidence of your daily support needs, usually from a treating health professional.
  • If you are in hospital, the NDIA has a specialised hospital team that works with hospital staff on your plan before you leave.
  • From 1 October 2026, SIL can only be delivered by providers that are registered or applied to register before that date.

What SIL is, and what it is not

The NDIA describes SIL as funding for a support worker to help or supervise you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You may share a support worker or have an individual support worker, depending on how much help you need.

SIL may be suitable if you need a support worker to stay with you 24 hours a day, including overnight, and to help with daily activities for at least 8 of those hours. Support workers can help with personal care, showering and getting dressed, eating and cooking meals, and household tasks like cleaning. The aim is to help you live as independently as possible while you build your skills.

There are also clear limits:

  • It is not the house. Specialist disability accommodation (SDA) is housing built for people with very high support needs. SIL is the support inside the home. Some people have both in their plan.
  • It does not pay living costs. You pay your own rent, groceries, utilities, telephone and internet.
  • It is not self-directed support. If you choose and manage your own support workers, that is not SIL. Those supports sit in your assistance with daily life budget instead.

Is SIL the right fit for you?

SIL is one of six home and living options the NDIA lists. The others are assistance with daily life, individualised living options (ILO, such as host or housemate arrangements), home modifications, SDA, and medium term accommodation (MTA), which can fund somewhere to live for up to 3 months in specific circumstances.

The NDIA says SIL may be funded as one-to-one support only in limited situations, and that another option may suit you better if you live alone, live with people who aren’t NDIS participants, or want to manage your own supports. Not everyone is eligible for home and living supports, and you can sometimes have more than one in your plan.

How to ask the NDIS for SIL

If SIL is not in your plan yet, the NDIA sets out three steps:

  1. Think about what you may need. Make a list of your disability-related support needs, your goals, and the informal and community supports you already have. Include your housing goals, such as where you would like to live and who with.
  2. Talk to your my NDIS contact. They will explain the different home and living supports and help you explore options.
  3. Provide your evidence. The NDIA needs recent evidence from a relevant treating health professional, such as an occupational therapist. It should explain your daily support and housing needs, what you can and can’t do because of your disability, and which other home and living options you have explored and why they don’t meet your needs.

If your needs have changed and you already have home and living supports, your new evidence needs to be dated after your last plan was approved. You can send evidence through the NDIA service hub, by mail, or in person to your my NDIS contact or local office.

If SIL is included, the NDIA will invite you to a plan meeting. If it is not, the NDIA will explain why, and you can ask for a review of the decision.

Transitioning to SIL from hospital

A hospital stay can change what support you need at home. The NDIA’s guide to your hospital stay explains how the move is planned.

  • Tell the hospital you are an NDIS participant. With your consent, hospital staff will let the NDIA know you are in hospital. You can also tell the NDIA yourself by calling 1800 800 110, talking to your my NDIS contact, or making an enquiry through the service hub.
  • Expect contact within 4 days. The NDIA says it will be in touch within 4 days of hearing that your plan may need to change. You will work with someone from its specialised hospital team, who may be a hospital liaison officer (HLO).
  • The HLO links the NDIA and the hospital. An HLO is an NDIA staff member who works with hospital staff to gather evidence for plan changes, and can help the hospital apply for home and living supports or home modifications before you go home.
  • A specialised planner updates your plan. You talk about your goals and the hospital’s evidence, and the NDIA tells hospital staff what supports are in your approved plan, so they can plan your discharge.
  • Your support coordinator is included. With your consent, the NDIA shares your plan with your support coordinator, who works with the HLO, the hospital, your family and your accommodation provider to coordinate the move.

While you are in hospital, hospital staff help with things like personal care and medicine. NDIS funding can’t pay your usual support worker to care for you there, except for supports for a complex communication need or for managing behaviours of concern.

Questions to ask before you move

These questions help the participant, family, treating team and future provider build a support plan that fits. There are no right or wrong answers; they are a starting point for the conversation.

About daily life

  • Which daily tasks do I need help or supervision with, and at what times of day and night?
  • Do I want to live alone, or with other people? Do I want to share support with housemates?
  • Which skills do I want to build so I can do more for myself over time?
  • Who will help me with medication routines, and what does my treating team advise?

About people and wellbeing

  • Are there family members or friends I want to stay close to or reconnect with?
  • Which community supports or groups was I part of before, and how do I stay connected?
  • What helps my wellbeing and mental health, and who do I contact if I start to struggle?

About the provider

  • Are you a registered NDIS provider for SIL, and can I see you on the NDIS Commission register?
  • Who will my support workers be, and how will they get to know me before I move in?
  • How will you work with my support coordinator, my family and my treating team?
  • What will we put in my service agreement?

Check that the provider is registered

SIL is one of the supports you can only get from a registered provider, even if your plan is self-managed or plan-managed. From 1 October 2026, SIL can only be delivered by providers that are registered or applied to register before that date. The NDIA says your plan and funding won’t change, and that it will help you understand your options if your provider has not registered.

You can search for registered providers with the NDIS provider finder, and check any provider’s registration on the NDIS Commission’s provider register.

How to check this yourself

Frequently asked questions

Can I move into SIL straight from hospital?

It depends on your plan and your needs. The NDIA’s hospital team works with hospital staff to gather evidence and, where needed, apply for home and living supports before you leave, so the right supports are in your plan when you go home.

Does SIL pay for my rent?

No. SIL funds support workers, not housing or living costs. You pay your own rent, groceries, utilities, telephone and internet.

What is the difference between SIL and SDA?

SDA is the housing itself, built for people with very high support needs. SIL is the support from workers inside the home. Some people have both in their plan.

Who helps with transitioning to SIL?

Your my NDIS contact, and your support coordinator if you have one. People with SIL funding may also have funding for a support coordinator. If you are in hospital, the NDIA’s hospital team and hospital staff plan your discharge together.

Can my usual support worker look after me in hospital?

Generally no, because hospital staff provide your care. The exception the NDIA names is support for a complex communication need or for managing behaviours of concern.

Does my SIL provider have to be registered?

Yes. From 1 October 2026, SIL can only be delivered by providers that are registered or applied to register before that date. This does not apply if you choose and manage your own support workers, because that is not SIL.

What if the NDIA does not include SIL in my plan?

The NDIA will tell you why it could not fund some or all of the home and living supports you asked for, and you can request a review of the decision.

How Goaldis can help

Goaldis Community Services is a registered NDIS provider (see the NDIS Commission register). We deliver Supported Independent Living with Goaldis across Greater Western Sydney, Ryde and Macquarie Park, and The Hills, planned around your needs, lifestyle and goals. Support coordinators can refer through our form, or you can contact us or call 1300 212 035 to talk it through in plain words.

Related reading

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and does not replace personal advice from the NDIA, your support coordinator or your treating health professionals. It is current as at 9 October 2026 and reflects the NDIS pages listed under “How to check this yourself”, with the dates shown there. The questions are a starting point for planning, not a checklist the NDIA requires. NDIS rules change, so confirm anything important at ndis.gov.au or with your my NDIS contact.

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This article is general information, not advice about your situation. NDIS rules change, so check the date it was written and the NDIS website for the current rules.

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