SIL Provider Registration: What Changes on 1 October 2026

Supported independent living (SIL, the round-the-clock support some people get in their own home) changed on 1 July 2026. Every SIL provider now has to be registered with the NDIS Commission.

The part most families have not heard about is what happens next. On 1 October 2026, the money stops for providers who never applied.

What happens on 1 October 2026?

From that date, plan managers must reject invoices from any SIL provider that is neither registered nor has an application lodged with the Commission.

Three things follow from that:

• A provider that was delivering SIL before 1 July 2026 and did not apply by 1 October can only claim for supports delivered up to 30 September 2026.
• A provider that has lodged an application can keep claiming under registration group 0138 while the Commission assesses it.
• There is no grace period. The date is the date.

So this is not a paperwork deadline. For an unregistered provider, it is the day their SIL income ends. Some will hand back their participants rather than register.

What this means for you

If your provider is registered, nothing changes. You will not notice the date.

If your provider is not registered and has not applied, you need to know now, not in October. Ask them directly, in writing: "Are you registered for SIL, or have you lodged an application?" A registered provider can point you to the public register, where anyone can look them up.

You are allowed to ask. It is your funding, and it is your home.

The standards your provider now has to meet

Registration is not just a certificate. The SIL Practice Standards sit on top of the general NDIS Practice Standards. The ones that change daily life the most:

• Tenancy and service separation — the provider of accommodation cannot also be the provider of supports, unless specific conflict-of-interest protocols are in place and documented.
• Individualised roster of care — every SIL participant must have a documented, individualised roster that justifies each hour of support claimed, updated at least annually.
• Participant choice in staffing — participants must be given genuine input into who supports them, including the right to request worker changes.
• Medication management protocols — tightened medication protocols with double-sign-off for high-risk medications.
• Clinical oversight for participants with complex needs — registered nurse involvement required for specified high-intensity supports.
• Incident reporting and response — stricter reportable-incident timelines and root-cause analysis requirements.

The questions to ask your provider

Put these in writing. A good provider will answer all eight without flinching.

1. "Are you registered for SIL, or have you applied?" Ask for the certificate and check the dates. If they have only applied, ask when they lodged it.
2. "Does your registration cover all the modules my loved one's support plan requires?" For participants with high-intensity needs, Module 1 is essential. For participants with a behaviour support plan, Module 2A is essential.
3. "Do you provide both the accommodation and the support? If yes, what is your conflict-of-interest protocol?"
4. "Can I see my loved one's individualised roster of care?" It should be documented and signed.
5. "What is your process if I want to request a change of support worker?" There should be a clear pathway, not vague reassurance.
6. "How do you manage medications? Is there double-sign-off for high-risk medications?"
7. "What clinical oversight is in place for my loved one's support?" For participants with complex medical needs, the answer should involve a registered nurse.
8. "How do you handle and report incidents?"

If the answers are vague, or if the provider gets defensive, take it as a signal. Unregistered SIL is being phased out for a reason, and those reasons tend to show up in exactly these areas.

If you need to move provider

If your diligence shows that your current provider is not registered and has not applied, you have options. Your support coordinator can help you find registered SIL providers with capacity, and you can check any provider on the Commission's public register by looking for registration group 0138. InLife is a registered NDIS provider, but we are not registered for SIL (group 0138) and we don't run SIL homes, so we can't take over a SIL arrangement. Our SIL vacancy page explains how to find a place and check a provider.

A transition between SIL providers is typically a 4-8 week process: diligence, meet-and-greet, trial overnight stay, graduated transition with overlapping support, and finally full handover. Getting it right matters more than getting it fast.

Where we stand

We think the reform is right. For years the experience of a SIL resident depended on whether their provider happened to be registered. The standards put a floor under that.

They also cost providers real money and real time, which is exactly why some will walk away in October rather than apply.

If you want to talk through what your plan funds in plain English (or Farsi, Urdu, Hindi or Punjabi), our Plan Health Check is free and takes 15 minutes.

Sources: NDIA, "SIL claims and payment changes", ndis.gov.au/news/11576-sil-claims-and-payment-changes-1-july-2026, published 24 June 2026, checked 14 September 2026. NDIS Commission, mandatory registration for supported independent living, ndiscommission.gov.au, captured 12 April 2026. Independent Life Disability Supports is listed on the NDIS Commission public register.