What is the difference between SIL and SDA?
SIL (Supported Independent Living) funds care and support services, while SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) funds the building and design of accessible housing. Both are NDIS funding streams that often work together.
SIL and SDA are two separate NDIS funding streams that serve different purposes in the disability support system. Understanding the distinction matters because they pay for fundamentally different things.
SIL stands for Supported Independent Living. This funding pays for support workers, assistance with daily tasks, and the services that help someone live independently. SIL covers the human support: help with personal care, meal preparation, managing finances, accessing the community, or any other assistance tailored to a participant's goals and needs.
SDA stands for Specialist Disability Accommodation. This funding covers the physical dwelling itself: the cost of building, designing, or modifying a home to be accessible and suitable for someone with disability. SDA pays for structural features like wheelchair access, accessible bathrooms, adapted kitchens, or other design elements that reduce barriers.
In practice, a participant might have SDA funding that pays for their accessible home, and separate SIL funding that pays for the support workers who help them live in that home. They work side by side but fund different parts of the arrangement. Some people use SDA without SIL, or SIL without SDA, depending on their circumstances. When looking for disability accommodation services, it helps to know which funding stream your needs fall under or whether you need both.