SIL pricing and funding for NDIS SIL providers (2026 guide)

What is SIL funding and how does it work?

Supported Independent Living (SIL) is one of the most complex and highest-value funding types in the NDIS. It covers the paid supports a participant needs to live as independently as possible in shared or individual accommodation — things like overnight support, active assistance with daily tasks, and supervision.

SIL funding sits within the Core Supports budget of a participant's NDIS plan, under the support category Assistance with Daily Life. Unlike most NDIS supports, SIL is not broken into fixed line items that a participant self-manages day to day. Instead, the NDIA determines a SIL funding amount for each participant through an evidence-based assessment, and that amount is attached to the plan to pay the registered SIL provider directly.

Key characteristics of SIL funding:

• It is always plan-managed or NDIA-managed — participants cannot self-manage SIL funding.
• The funding amount reflects the assessed support intensity across a rosters of care (often called a SIL roster or support schedule).
• Providers must be registered with the NDIS Commission under the relevant registration groups, which include Group/Centre Activities and Assistance with Daily Life.
• SIL providers quote for the support package, and the NDIA assesses that quote against the participant's needs and the Pricing Arrangements.

2026 pricing and the NDIS Price Guide

The NDIS publishes the Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits document (formerly the Support Catalogue and Price Guide) which sets the maximum hourly or daily rates providers can charge for each support type. Rates are updated each financial year, and the 2025–26 version applies through to 30 June 2026.

For SIL specifically, pricing is determined by:

• Time of day — weekday daytime, weekday evening, Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday rates all differ, with public holidays attracting the highest rates.
• Support ratio — the number of staff required per participant. A 1:1 active overnight support will cost significantly more than a shared arrangement with one worker supporting multiple participants.
• Intensity classification — standard, complex, or very complex support needs, as determined through the NDIS's own assessment process, attract different price limits.
• Sleepover vs. active night — a sleepover rate applies when a worker is present but not expected to provide active support for most of the night. If the worker must remain active, the standard overnight rate applies.

Providers cannot charge above the published price limits. Charging above the cap is a breach of the NDIS (Supports for Participants) Rules 2013 and can result in deregistration. Providers may charge below the limit and should ensure their service agreement with participants clearly states the rate being charged.

The SIL roster of care and quoting process

Before a participant's SIL funding is approved, providers are required to submit a SIL roster of care (support schedule) to the NDIA. This document details:

1. The number of hours of support required each day and night, broken down by time of day and day of week.
2. The support ratio applicable during each shift.
3. Any high-intensity or complex support needs that justify a higher rate.
4. The total cost calculated against the current price limits.

The NDIA reviews the roster against the participant's goals, functional assessment, and support needs. Providers should be prepared to justify the intensity and hours proposed — underdocumented rosters are a common reason for funding delays or reductions.

Once approved, the SIL funding amount in the participant's plan is tied to that roster. If the participant's needs change substantially, the provider and participant (and often their support coordinator) must engage the NDIA to review and update both the roster and the plan funding.

2026 mandatory registration and strengthened Practice Standards

From mid-2026, the Australian Government is implementing the strengthened NDIS Quality and Safeguards framework. For SIL providers, this means:

• Mandatory registration — all providers delivering SIL must be registered with the NDIS Commission. There is no pathway for unregistered providers to deliver SIL. This has always been the case for SIL, but the 2026 reforms reinforce it with stronger enforcement mechanisms.
• Strengthened Practice Standards — the NDIS Practice Standards that SIL providers are audited against have been updated. The new standards place greater emphasis on individualised outcomes, genuine choice and control, and safeguarding arrangements for participants living in shared accommodation.
• Higher-intensity audit requirements — providers with SIL in their registration scope will continue to require a certification audit (the most rigorous audit type, conducted by an NDIS-approved quality auditor), rather than a verification audit.
• Worker screening — all workers employed in risk-assessed roles under a registered SIL provider must hold a current NDIS Worker Screening Check. From 2026, compliance checks on this requirement are expected to intensify.

Providers who are not yet certified or who have lapses in their registration scope risk being unable to claim SIL payments through the NDIS myplace portal, which would leave them unable to legally deliver and be paid for SIL services.

Claiming SIL funding: practical steps

1. Confirm registration scope — log in to the NDIS Commission Portal and verify your registration groups include the SIL-relevant categories. Ensure your certification is current and not approaching expiry.
2. Execute a service agreement — a written service agreement must be in place before supports commence, setting out the support type, rate (at or below the price limit), and terms.
3. Submit claims via the NDIS myplace provider portal — SIL claims are made against the participant's plan using the correct support item numbers from the Pricing Arrangements. Claims must match the roster of care — do not claim hours or ratios not reflected in the approved roster.
4. Maintain attendance and shift records — you must be able to produce records evidencing supports delivered for every claim made. The NDIS Commission and NDIA conduct audits and can require evidence of service delivery at any time.
5. Review pricing at each financial year change — the Pricing Arrangements are updated annually (typically effective 1 July). Update your service agreements and internal costings to reflect the new limits before the new financial year.
6. Notify the NDIA of material changes — if a participant's needs change and the current roster no longer reflects the supports being delivered, initiate a roster review promptly rather than claiming outside the approved schedule.

Common compliance risks for SIL providers

Preparing your organisation for 2026

With the strengthened framework taking effect, SIL providers should prioritise three actions before mid-2026:

• Gap audit against the updated Practice Standards — map your current policies and procedures to the new standards and identify non-conformances before your next certification audit finds them first.
• Update financial governance documents — ensure your pricing policy, service agreement templates, and claims procedures reference the current Pricing Arrangements and are reviewed at each annual update.
• Incident and restrictive practice compliance — SIL environments carry elevated risk for reportable incidents and regulated restrictive practices. Your incident management and behaviour support procedures must comply with the NDIS (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2022 and the strengthened Practice Standards.

Providers looking for a head start on documentation can reference the 74-document audit-ready SIL compliance kit available at ndiscompliant.com.au, which is structured around the current NDIS Practice Standards and includes SIL-specific policy templates, roster-of-care guides, and evidence checklists.