People with disabilities can now live more independently with support programmes provided by NDIS. They have different options, such as Supported Independent Living (SIL) and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). Each of these programmes is different and has a specific eligibility criterion. If you are someone who is trying to avail of the benefit but are confused or if you are looking for more information for your loved ones, this blog post is for you. We will look at the overview of SIL and SDA, eligibility requirements, and how NDIS funding works – so you can start the process and pick the right supports for your needs.
What is Support Independent Living (SIL)?
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is a name suggested by NDIS to categorise its funding support for people with disabilities. This funding is offered to help them become more independent in doing day-to-day activities such as:
- Personal care
- Cooking and eating
- Cleaning
- Grocery shopping
- Accessing the community
The individuals can have in-house support staff to assist them in moving out of their homes. The support workers who help will be paid through funding. You are eligible for SIL support if you live in any accommodation, including:
- Your own home
- Shared accommodation
- Specialist Disability Accommodation (NDIS funding)
- A private rental
The SIL funding does not cover the rent, groceries, transport, or utility costs.
What are some of the benefits of SIL?
The main goal of the SIL support funding is to assist people and help them build skills that will help them to live independently. Here are a few benefits.
Become independent
NDIS supports people with disabilities to live a better life by not having to depend on their families or others. The support workers give them assistance and an option to build their skills to lead a more independent lifestyle. Most importantly, You can get help from a caring and skilled support team for personal care, cooking, house cleaning and other day-to-day tasks.
Build a network
The SIL support team will help people access the community and thereby present opportunities to meet new people, share communal spaces, and interact with others. They can live in their home with the family or in a private rental house where their friends can visit them. They will also be taught how to improve their communication skills with their new friends.
Develop new interests
Individuals can develop new interests and learn new activities with the help of the support team. This will boost their confidence.
Get more care and support
With SIL, people with impairments can access support 24/7. The staff will be experienced and friendly and understand what type of support they need and when.
What is Specialist Disability Accommodation?
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is a name suggested by NDIS to categorise its funding support for people with disabilities. The SDA is a housing solution designed and built with special features/systems that can support people with special needs The NDIs makes payment to the SDA providers for providing the accommodation. There is an eligibility criterion for it, so not everyone is eligible for this grant. The qualified individuals are referred to as NDIS participants. The SDA provider designs it to adhere to the NDIS specifications and based on who it is designed for.
What’s the difference between SDA and SIL?
A specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) solution is offered by NDIS to people with disabilities who are eligible for specialist housing grants. Whereas Supported Independent Living (SIL), funding is provided to people with high support needs who are highly dependent and need support from others. SDA is the accommodation you can live in, and SIL supports you to live independently by paying for the support workers who help you. Simply put, With SDA you will get the funding for the house and with SIL, you get the payment to pay for the staff who help you.
Adding SDA or SIL to your NDIS plan
To add SDA or SIL, the individuals must understand how the funding system works. For both SDA and SIL, the funding amounts are different for each individual as they have different needs. NDIS assesses people to see if they are eligible for the funding and determine their needs and the services they would need to live an improved/better life. For SIL – The NDIA planner will conduct a meeting with individuals and their families to understand their disability needs and identify what support services they need for accomplishing the day-to-day tasks. The payment amount will be decided and allocated if they are eligible for the grant. For SDA – There are detailed policies and rules with regard to applying for NDIS SDA funding. Individuals must have a housing goal already and have explored the housing options available. The NDIS team will check the eligibility of the applicants. The support coordinator and AHPs will gather evidence that SDA is reasonable and necessary. If the team decides that the applicant is eligible for SDA payments they will allocate the funding.