How to ask for SIL at your planning meeting
How to prepare for and ask for Supported Independent Living funding at an NDIS planning meeting or reassessment
Before the meeting: build your evidence
Describe your typical week, not your best day
Link support to your goals
Ask clearly and bring support
What to bring to the meeting
How to describe your week so SIL is clearly needed
Common mistakes that weaken a SIL request
After the meeting: what to expect
Frequently asked questions
Who should come to my planning meeting?
Bring whoever helps you communicate and present your case — a support coordinator, occupational therapist, family member or disability advocate can all attend. They can help explain your Roster of Care and evidence and make sure your needs are clearly understood. You don't have to face the meeting alone.
What if I'm not confident speaking up?
That's common, and there are ways around it. Bring a support person or advocate to speak alongside you, write down your key points in advance, and put your Roster of Care and examples in writing so they speak for you. You can also ask for a break during the meeting if you need one.
How do I ask for SIL at my NDIS planning meeting?
Bring strong evidence — an OT functional assessment, a draft Roster of Care, and specialist letters — describe a realistic week including your hardest times, link the support to your goals, and state plainly that you're seeking SIL funding. Having a support coordinator or advocate present helps.
What evidence do I need for SIL?
Usually an occupational therapist's functional capacity assessment, a Roster of Care mapping your weekly support and ratios, specialist and GP letters describing your disability and its impact, and examples of what happens without enough support.
How should I describe my support needs?
Concretely and about your typical week, not your best day. Replace general statements with specifics — for example, 'I need help to shower and transfer every morning, and overnight repositioning twice a night' — because specifics are what fund SIL.
Do I need goals to get SIL?
Yes — the NDIS funds supports that connect to your goals. Frame SIL as the daily support that makes a goal (like living independently in the community, or building skills) safe and achievable, and write goals that are concrete and clearly served by SIL.
Can someone help me ask for SIL?
Yes. A support coordinator, occupational therapist, family member or disability advocate can attend your planning meeting, help present your Roster of Care and evidence, and make sure your needs are clearly understood.