One of the most important decisions an NDIS participant and family will make is balancing independence and support in daily life. For many people in Australia’s disability community, it’s a combination of personalised assistance funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and a home where housemates receive support with cooking, cleaning, personal care, and community life, while enjoying the company of people with whom they can form genuine friendships.
You might have heard the term Daily Tasks Shared Living NDIS in your plan or when you were thinking about support; if so, you’re not alone in finding the language confusing. It explains what the category includes, who it’s for, the funding process, and provider characteristics so that you can make decisions about your home and everyday life.
What daily tasks shared living with the NDIS will really look like
In the NDIS Support Catalogue, NDIS funding is segmented into categories that represent what type of support a person requires. Daily Tasks Shared Living NDIS support is part of the Assistance with Daily Life budget, and is used when a person living with support shares their home with one or more other people who also receive support but don’t live completely alone.
It is usually incorporated into Supported Independent Living (SIL) funding to pay for the support workers who enable the household to function effectively on a day-to-day basis. It is important to be aware from the outset that people help, not property. Living arrangements include private rented homes, family homes, and specialist disability accommodation. After that, the remainder of the picture makes much more sense.
More Than Chores is a guide to the supports that are available in the Everyday Tasks Shared Living category of the NDIS Plan.
What does “day-to-day support” really entail in a shared home?
Each plan is unique for each participant, but typically features a combination of the following services:
- Showering, dressing and grooming (Personal care)
- Preparing meals, shopping for food, and preparing food from the grocery store.
- HANDY: Household duties (cleaning, laundry, general tidiness)
- Prompts and reminders for medication
- Budgeting, bill management and money skills around the house.
- Getting to appointments, work, school or social events.
- Support to build friendships and take part in community activities.
- Gradually making tasks easier to handle independently over time, through skill development.
Hours funded for a participant are typically spread out across the house as support workers, and not dedicated to a single individual. Support hours can vary significantly from one individual to another in the same household based on their goals and support needs.
Who’s Eligible for This Type of Help: Ticking the Boxes
This type of support is not required, or available to, every NDIS participant. It is expected for individuals whose disability has a significant impact on their ability to safely and independently perform daily activities, and who elect (or need) to reside with other participants as opposed to living alone. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), which administers the scheme, considers your functional capacity, your current living environment, your informal support arrangement (family, friends etc.), and the value of shared support and whether it is the best option for your needs.
If shared living support is agreed, it is typically represented on a ‘roster of care’ that defines the number of hours and type of support that will be provided by the family per week. Not everyone is eligible for a category, and it is important to talk with your Local Area Coordinator, Support Coordinator or planner about your particular situation instead of assuming eligibility for a category.
The Everyday Wins: Real Benefits of Living and Growing Together
Shared housing is more than just a matter of logistics. Some people find that having a roommate helps them feel less alone and reduces loneliness when they live alone. Shared support is more economical in terms of support hours, as some supports, such as meal preparation or overnight support, can be provided across the household rather than each person separately.
Confidence is often gained and learned from other housemates, as well as new skills like trying a new recipe or joining a community group, or just having someone to share the day with. Having a familiar person to look after and provide help and comfort can help to give families peace of mind. For many participants, over time shared living is a first step toward increased independence, with skills and confidence gained as they progress.
A video for people with Daily Tasks Shared Living NDIS Funding plans
Money for shared living support is paid in the Core Supports budget (in the category Assistance with Daily Life). When approved, providers make claims on the individual line items associated with this support, based on the list of care agreed in your plan. How the funds are managed depends on whether your plan is NDIA-managed, plan-managed, or self-managed.
There are different types of plans: NDIA-managed plans use registered providers; plan-managed plans have a plan manager who pays providers on your behalf; and self-managed plans are the most flexible, but require the most responsible record-keeping. Funding is personalised based on assessed support needs, not a fixed amount and may also be reviewed if needs and circumstances change for the household. If you ever feel costs or hours are unclear, your plan manager/support coordinator can explain in detail how you are spending your budget.
The role of the Great Support Worker: The People Behind the Support
Every successful shared home has a group of support workers doing much more than simply a list of tasks. They build connections, recognise signs of poor wellbeing, create opportunities for new activities, and help households manage the everyday conflict that can arise in a shared home, including issues around chores and routines.
Consistency matters here. People tend to perform best when they are not presented with a constantly changing team of staff, so it is important to query a provider about how they provide staff support and what training they provide staff with, for example in positive behaviour support, medication management and manual handling.
What is the right option: Shared Living or something else? This guide outlines how to compare your NDIS Living Options
Shared living is just one pathway available under the NDIS, and it’s important to understand how it differs. Individualised Living Options (ILO) provide greater flexibility to the support, and can be chosen to provide support based on living alone or within a host family or with a chosen housemate rather than a traditional shared-house model.
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding, on the other hand, is for the building itself only for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs and is not part of the support funding mentioned above. Some of the participants also use SDA housing in conjunction with this support, to pay for their home and for the support they receive within their home. There is no “correct” answer. The ideal set up will vary from player to player, depending on the goals you’re seeking, your relationship with the others, and the sort of daily support you require.
Selecting a provider who gets it right
When considering providers of shared living support, there are a few questions that will help you decide between the good and the average. Do they have an NDIS plan through the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission? How do they choose housemates who are compatible with them and not just anyone to fill a gap? Will they provide you with the list of care and the details of how care hours are allocated? Are they open with participants, families and support coordinators, or just when things get “bumpy”? A good provider will regard shared living as a home, not simply a place where services are delivered and be willing to answer these questions with clarity prior to committing to anything.
The first step to a home that works for you.
Once you understand what category Daily Tasks Shared Living supports and how it can be incorporated into your larger plan, it doesn’t have to be daunting. If you are looking into shared living for the first time, or reassessing your current shared living arrangement, the right information gets you back in control of the decision.
Discuss your objectives with your Local Area Coordinator, Support Coordinator or registered provider and question them a lot in the process. Living in a home that can help you maintain your independence, relationships and daily life is very possible.
FAQs
Daily Tasks Shared Living NDIS support is:
This support refers to funding provided to help someone with disability or developmental differences who lives with someone else on the NDIS, to assist them in doing daily activities (e.g., cooking, cleaning, personal care, accessing the community). It is usually paid for in Supported Independent Living (SIL) and not for the house.
Who can access shared living support through the NDIS?
There are no fixed criteria for eligibility; it is based on what is needed for each person assessed. Participants will be considered for shared living support when their disability has a moderate to high impact on their daily functioning, and they want to live with other participants and shared living support has been assessed as the most appropriate and cost-effective method to achieve their goals.
What activities are covered by NDIS shared living supports?
Personal care, meal preparation, housework, medication reminders, budgeting assistance, transport and assistance to community and social activities are examples of the type of assistance that can be included in a typical arrangement. The combination will differ across participants, depending on their goals and assessed support needs, as detailed in their NDIS plan.
What is the average household size of people living in a shared residence?
The number of people living in most NDIS shared living homes is between two and five, although this will depend on the provider and location. The housemates are usually assigned according to their interests, compatibility, and support needs, allowing them to all live harmoniously.
How is funding for support for shared living provided through the NDIS?
Shared living support is funded in the Core Supports budget and claimed against Supported Independent Living line items. The funding is related to an agreed roster of care for each household, meaning a base rate of support per person per week is not paid; but instead is dependent on the hours that are actually required as measured in support hours.
What are the differences between Supported Independent Living (SIL) and Daily Tasks Shared Living (DTSL) NDIS support?
Support in a shared or individual home is funded under the broader category of Supported Independent Living (SIL). This category is for assistance with daily activities provided together or in a common environment. In practice, these two terms are often used interchangeably.
How can I apply for shared living supports on my NDIS plan?
Before adding support to your plan, consider it with your Local Area Coordinator, Support Coordinator or planner first by discussing your goals and current living situation with them. Once approved, the registered provider is then able to help establish a roster of care and start support.
