SDA vs SIL: What's the Difference?
SDA (specialist disability accommodation) is the home itself, built for people with very high support needs. SIL (supported independent living) is funding for support workers who help or supervise someone at home, up to 24 hours a day. Many people have both: SDA pays the SDA provider for the home, SIL pays the support provider for workers, and the resident pays rent and bills.
How Do SDA and SIL Compare?
They're separate NDIS supports with separate providers, funding and agreements.
| SDA | SIL | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A home with specialist design features | Support workers in the home |
| Who it's for | People with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs | People who need someone with them 24 hours a day, with active help for at least 8 of those hours |
| Who gets paid | The SDA provider | The SIL provider |
| Plan budget | Capital supports, Home Modifications and SDA | A separate support in the plan |
| Provider must be registered | Yes | Yes (registered, or applied to register before 1 October 2026) |
| Agreement | Service agreement, or tenancy or residency agreement | Service agreement |
Do You Need SIL to Live in SDA?
No. Many SDA residents have SIL, but others have personal care supports, individualised living options or onsite shared support instead.
When the NDIA decides whether to fund SDA, it looks at what other supports the person needs and how they'll work in the home. For some people that's 24 hour SIL shared with housemates. For others living alone, it's planned support at set times plus onsite shared support for unplanned help.
Looking for an SDA Home?
We'll connect you with a registered SDA provider who may have a home that suits.
Can SIL Be Provided Without SDA?
Yes. SIL can be delivered in an ordinary rental or a home the person owns.
SIL pays for support, not for housing. Plenty of people with SIL live in homes that aren't SDA. SDA is only for people whose support needs mean they need a specially designed home.
Can One Provider Do Both?
Yes, but they're kept separate, and you can choose a different SIL provider.
Where one provider gives you both SDA and other supports, the NDIS Practice Standards require separate service agreements. Your housing rights, including security of tenure, have to be upheld whatever you decide about your support provider. Your SDA provider must let you change providers for your other supports at any time.
Why the separation matters
It means you shouldn't lose your home because you change support provider. If an SDA provider says you can only stay if you use their support workers, ask your support coordinator for help, or contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
How Do SDA and SIL Providers Work Together?
The SDA provider has to have documented arrangements with each SIL provider working in the home.
- How they'll make sure shared living is working for all residents
- How conflicts involving residents are handled
- How residents' concerns about the home get to the SDA provider and are fixed
- Fire safety features and evacuation procedures for the home
Questions People Ask
What's the difference between SIL and SDA?
SDA is the specialist home. SIL is funding for support workers who help or supervise you in your home. The NDIA's own short version: SDA is the housing itself, SIL is funding for support workers.
Can I have SDA without SIL?
Yes. Some SDA residents have other supports instead, such as personal care at set times or onsite shared support.
Does SIL pay for rent?
No. SIL can't be used for rent or day-to-day expenses like groceries. In SDA, the resident pays a reasonable rent contribution to the SDA provider.
Who chooses the SIL provider in an SDA home?
You do. Your SDA provider must let you choose and change your other providers. In a shared home, it's worth asking which SIL provider already works there and how that works with housemates.
Keep Reading
- What is SDA?What specialist disability accommodation (SDA) is, who it's for, the four design categories, building types, what it doesn't cover and what residents pay.
- SDA providersWhat an SDA provider is, the rules they must follow, how they differ from your SIL provider, and what to check before you choose a registered SDA provider.
- How SDA funding worksHow NDIS SDA funding works: which budget it sits in, how the NDIA sets the amount, what the SDA pricing arrangements cover and how providers get paid.
- SDA rent and costsWhat SDA residents pay: the reasonable rent contribution, how the cap is worked out, board, bills, sharing a bedroom and paying extra for a higher value home.
- SDA eligibilityWho is eligible for SDA funding under the NDIS: extreme functional impairment, very high support needs, the SDA needs requirement and the funding criteria.
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