The NDIS Commission has published its official definition of SIL (Supported Independent Living), including what is and what is not included. Not every provider currently claiming under registration group 0115 will necessarily be delivering SIL under the new definition.
This article walks through the definition, what’s included, what’s excluded, and where the boundaries aren’t yet clear.
The new definition
The Commission has published a formal definition of supported independent living as part of the draft amendments to the Provider Registration Rules. A new registration group, 0138 Assistance with Supported Independent Living, is being introduced from 1 July 2026 to replace the current 0115 group for SIL-specific supports.
Under the definition, supported independent living is a package of home and living support for people with higher support needs. A provider is delivering SIL if all three of the following apply:
- The participant requires support at all times of the day, or for most of the day.
- The assistance helps the participant live in their home as autonomously as possible and access the community, by assisting with or supervising daily life tasks.
- The provider is managing and delivering the SIL supports, i.e. making sure the participant receives home and living support in accordance with their package of supports.
If what you deliver doesn’t meet all three parts of this definition, it’s not SIL under the new framework.
What’s excluded?
The definition includes two specific exclusions.
A participant who only receives a few hours of support a day or week. If you’re delivering daily living support in someone’s home but the participant doesn’t require support at all times or for most of the day, it’s unlikely to be classified as SIL. It may fall under other registration groups, but it doesn’t count as supported independent living as defined here.
A participant who chooses and manages their own support workers. If the participant is directing their own supports (i.e. choosing their workers, planning their roster, managing the arrangement), it’s not SIL under this definition, even in a shared living setting. The third element of the definition requires the provider to be managing and delivering the supports. Where the participant is directing that process, the provider isn’t performing the SIL function the definition describes.
Where the boundaries aren’t clear
‘Most of the day’ doesn’t have a number of hours attached. I’m not going to hazard a guess at the number of hours this means or whether there is a hard limit, and hopefully the NDIS Commission will clarify this in later updates.
The distinction between a participant who ‘chooses and manages their own support workers’ and one who has meaningful input into their support team is similarly unclear, as there are good SIL providers who do give participants a degree of choice over their workers. The exclusion appears to target arrangements where the participant is genuinely running the arrangement, not situations where a provider seeks participant preferences.
If your service model sits in a grey area, contact the NDIS Commission or speak with an Approved Quality Auditor who has experience with SIL and they may be able to provide some additional input. The full definition should be in the amended Provider Registration Rules once finalised, but don’t assume you’re in or out based on a grey area.
If the definition doesn’t apply to you
If you’re not covered by the above definition, mandatory NDIS registration doesn’t apply to your service, and the 1 October 2026 application deadline for unregistered SIL providers doesn’t apply to you.
Note: the Government has announced expanded mandatory registration for providers delivering personal care, daily living supports, and supports in closed settings from July 2027. So if you deliver daily living support that falls short of this new SIL definition, your services may be still captured by the later expansion. Further details are yet to be published.
If it does apply to you
The timelines are concrete, so it’s time to start preparing. I’ve written a detailed breakdown of the transition pathways, deadlines, and what the audit involves in my SIL mandatory registration article. The key dates: if you’re currently delivering SIL without registration, you need to apply by 1 October 2026 or stop delivering. If you’re planning to start delivering SIL and apply after 1 July 2026, you can’t begin until your registration is approved.
Check the final wording
The definition described in this article is based on the Commission’s summary of the draft amendments to the Provider Registration Rules. Once the amendments are finalised, the full legal definition will be in the Rules themselves. If your service model is anywhere near the boundary, read the final wording rather than relying on summaries (including this one).
This article reflects information available as of May 2026. The definition of supported independent living described here is based on draft amendments to the Provider Registration Rules. Check the finalised Rules and the NDIS Commission’s mandatory registration page for confirmed details.
