SIL vs SDA: what's the difference?

"SIL" and "SDA" get used almost interchangeably, but they fund two completely different things. Getting the distinction right matters for participants, families and providers — because they're paid differently, assessed differently, and delivered differently.

The one-line version

• SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) is about the home — capital funding for specialist housing.
• SIL (Supported Independent Living) is about the support — funding for the people who help a participant live day to day.

If you remember nothing else: SDA is bricks, SIL is people.

SDA in a bit more detail

SDA is funding for housing that has been purpose-built or modified for people with an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. It covers the dwelling — not the support inside it. Only a small proportion of NDIS participants are eligible, and eligibility is assessed by the NDIA as reasonable and necessary. SDA payments generally go to the registered SDA provider that owns or manages the property.

SIL in a bit more detail

SIL is funding for support with daily tasks to help a person live as independently as possible, usually in a shared arrangement with other participants. Think help with personal care, meals, medication prompting, and overnight support. SIL is about the hours of support and the staffing model (for example, a 1:3 ratio home), not the building.

How they work together

For a participant in a group home, the two often sit side by side:

• SDA pays for the specialist home itself.
• SIL pays for the support workers who assist the residents.

They can involve different providers — the organisation that owns the house doesn't have to be the one delivering support, and participants keep choice and control over both.

Why the difference matters for providers

• Registration and audit — SIL is a higher-risk support and typically triggers a certification audit; SDA has its own enrolment and design requirements.
• Funding and claiming — they're funded through different parts of a participant's plan and claimed differently.
• Staffing vs property — SIL providers manage rosters, ratios and SCHADS obligations; SDA providers manage property, design category and tenancy.

Mixing these up in conversations with participants, families or support coordinators undermines confidence — clarity here is part of looking like the expert you are.

Where Support Logic fits

Support Logic can answer "does this scenario need SIL, SDA, or both?" with citation-backed guidance drawn from the NDIS frameworks, and help your team explain it consistently to families and coordinators. Compare plans or see how it works.

The bottom line

SDA funds the specialist home; SIL funds the support delivered in it. A participant may have one or both, often from different providers. Keep the two straight and everything downstream — funding, audits, staffing — gets clearer.

This guide is general information, not advice. Eligibility and funding are determined by the NDIA on an individual basis.