Support intensity
SIL is associated with high, ongoing support needs and 24-hour worker presence. In-home support can be arranged for shorter or scheduled periods.
Compare NDIS living supports
SIL vs In-Home Support
Supported Independent Living and in-home support can both involve help with everyday life, but they are not the same support model. The right option depends on the participant’s support intensity, living situation and NDIS plan.
What SIL is designed for
Current NDIS guidance describes Supported Independent Living (SIL) as support for people who need a support worker to stay with them 24 hours a day, including overnight, with significant daily assistance or supervision. SIL funding is for support workers; it does not pay rent or ordinary household bills.
SIL may be delivered in shared or individual living arrangements, depending on the participant’s approved supports and practical circumstances.
What in-home support can look like
In-home support is a broader practical description for disability support delivered in a participant’s own home. It can include help with personal routines, meals, household tasks, appointments, community preparation and other agreed daily activities.
In-home support may be scheduled for particular shifts or times rather than providing the 24-hour support structure commonly associated with SIL.
The decision is about support needs, not the label
A participant who needs several hours of assistance each week may need in-home support but not SIL. A participant with high and continuous support needs may have a home and living arrangement that includes SIL.
AIC Services can explain how it delivers SIL and in-home support, but it does not decide which support the NDIS funds. Funding decisions sit with the participant’s NDIS planning and funding arrangements.
SIL and in-home support at a glance
Use these points as a practical comparison. The participant’s own plan, support needs and preferences remain central.
Living arrangement
SIL is a home and living support model. In-home support is delivered around the participant’s existing home and routines.
Funding and planning
Both depend on the participant’s plan and approved supports. A provider can explain service delivery but cannot approve NDIS funding.
Questions to discuss with your NDIS team
Clear questions can make provider and support decisions easier to compare.
How much support is needed each day?
Consider personal care, meals, routines, supervision, community access and overnight support.
What happens overnight?
Clarify whether the participant needs active overnight support, a sleepover arrangement, or no overnight worker.
What living arrangement does the participant want?
Discuss whether the person wants to stay in their current home, share a home, live alone or explore other home and living options.
Helpful related pages
Continue with the service or guide that best matches what you are trying to arrange.
Official NDIS information used for this guide
NDIS rules and terminology can change. These official pages are useful for checking the latest position.
Important: This AIC Services guide is general information, not an NDIS funding decision or legal advice. Participants should check their current plan and official NDIS information for their circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
Is SIL the same as having a support worker visit my home?
No. SIL is a specific home and living support model associated with high and ongoing support needs. A support worker can also provide scheduled in-home support without the arrangement being SIL.
Does SIL pay my rent?
No. NDIS guidance states that SIL funds support workers and does not cover rent, bills or the home itself.
Can AIC Services tell me which option the NDIS will fund?
AIC Services can discuss service delivery and support needs, but NDIS funding decisions are made through the participant’s planning and funding arrangements.
Contact AIC Services
AIC Services
54 Main Road
Moonah, TAS 7009
Phone:
1300 023 456
Email:
support@aicservices.com.au
Office Hours:
Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Moonah office
54 Main Road, Moonah TAS 7009
To reduce unnecessary third-party requests, interactive mapping is available from our Contact page and Moonah office page.
Contact details & map