SIL packages routinely sit between $250,000 and $750,000 per year. Because of the dollar value, SIL applications carry the highest evidence burden in the NDIS — and the biggest payoff for getting it right.
What SIL Actually Funds
Supported Independent Living is shared or individual 24/7 support funding under the NDIS Core — Assistance with Daily Life category. SIL pays for support workers, not for rent or property. Many participants confuse SIL with SDA (which funds the dwelling); the two are distinct funding streams that often work together but require separate applications and separate evidence.
The Three Documents Every SIL Application Needs
A defensible SIL application requires three core documents: a current Functional Capacity Assessment (the foundation), a dedicated SIL assessment with a costed Roster of Care (the operational specification), and a provider service proposal showing how the proposed SIL provider will deliver the recommended supports. Missing any one of these three substantially weakens the application.
Why Independent SIL Assessment Matters
The NDIA increasingly scrutinises SIL assessments completed by the same organisation that will deliver the SIL services. The perception — and often the reality — is that provider-led assessments carry commercial bias. An independent SIL assessor with no commercial interest in the outcome significantly strengthens the evidentiary value.
Building the Roster of Care
The Roster of Care is the operational heart of the SIL application. It documents, in 30-minute increments, exactly what support is required across each 24-hour period — wake-up routine, breakfast, medication, transport, day program, return home, evening routine, sleep. Each block specifies support type (assist, supervise, prompt) and ratio (1:1, 1:2, 1:3). The total hours feed directly into the NDIS funding calculation.
Justifying Support Ratios
Support ratio is the single largest cost driver in a SIL package. Our assessment explicitly addresses each transition: when does the participant safely manage 1:3 group support, when does 1:2 become necessary, and when is 1:1 the only safe ratio? The same logic applies to overnight — sleepover versus active overnight is often a $100,000+ per year decision.
Active Overnight vs Sleepover
Sleepover support assumes the worker can sleep and respond only to calls. Active overnight support requires the worker to remain awake. The NDIA requires explicit evidence that active overnight is necessary — sleep apnoea, frequent toileting, behavioural risk, choking risk, falls risk or seizure profile typically support active overnight. Without this evidence, sleepover is the default.
Behaviour-of-Concern Overlay
Where behaviours of concern are present, the SIL application must include a current Behaviour Support Plan and at least 12 months of incident data. Our SIL reports incorporate the behaviour overlay directly into the Roster of Care — increasing supervision intensity during identified high-risk windows and including specific de-escalation protocols.
Co-Tenant Compatibility for Shared SIL
Shared SIL arrangements require evidence that the proposed co-tenants are functionally compatible. Mismatched cohorts — for example, a quiet psychosocial participant placed with a participant with significant disinhibition — produce poor outcomes and frequent emergency moves. The SIL assessment should explicitly address compatibility and shared-support efficiencies.
Common Reasons SIL Applications Are Refused
The most common reasons SIL applications are refused or partially approved include: provider-led assessment lacking impartiality, generic 'requires support' descriptors without quantification, no costed Roster of Care, insufficient justification for active overnight, no behaviour overlay where behaviours are present, and lack of evidence about informal-support sustainability. Each of these is preventable with the right evidence pack.
Next Steps
If you are preparing a SIL application, the highest-leverage first step is commissioning an independent SIL assessment with a costed Roster of Care. Learn more about our SIL assessment service or call 0427 633 947 to discuss your participant.
Ryan is a qualified physiotherapist with cross-sector clinical experience across acute hospital wards, inpatient rehabilitation and community NDIS practice. He founded FCA Reports Australia to make evidence-based Functional Capacity Assessments faster and more accessible for participants across Australia.
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