Three months after the Albanese Government introduced mandatory registration requirements for Supported Independent Living (SIL) providers, the message is clear: shape up or face steep penalties.
Over 14,500 SIL providers are now registered or progressing through registration requirements under transitional arrangements, as the Government strengthens safeguards to help NDIS participants access safe and high-quality supports.
Registration requires providers to meet higher standards, undergo independent audits and suitability assessments, meet reporting requirements and ensure workers undergo screening checks.
Unregistered SIL providers who deliver in-home supports to people with disability often in shared accommodation, were given a three-month transition period ending on 1 October to register.
Enforcement has begun
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission) undertook extensive engagement with the SIL provider market, including targeted provider communications and tailored support.
Providers that have failed to engage with the new requirements are now subject to targeted compliance and enforcement action:
- Serious penalties: Providing SIL after 1 October without having applied for registration is a serious offence. Providers could face criminal charges including a maximum penalty of two years’ in prison and a 120 penalty unit fine (over $40,000). Or, they could be handed a civil penalty fine of up to 10,000 penalty units (currently $3.64 million)
- Faster information demands: The Commission can now compel non-compliant providers to hand over information within five days instead of 28 – thanks to new powers under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Act 2026. This helps the Commission gather evidence faster.
- Site visits: Regulatory officers have already begun site visits to providers who have failed to respond, with further compliance and enforcement action expected.
Across the board, the NDIS Commission has cut registration processing times by 78 per cent since 2024, delivering faster decisions and stronger safeguards. More than 14,000 provider applications have been refused and more than 40,000 registration conditions have been imposed to address identified risks.
Quotes attributable to Minister for the NDIS, Senator Jenny McAllister:
“People with disability deserve to feel safe in their homes and have confidence in the quality of their supports.
“For those who are providing SIL services, you must be registered. And under Labor’s new laws, operating unregistered is a crime.
“We welcome those unregistered providers who have done the right thing and commenced registration.
“Shape up or face steep penalties. We hold SIL providers to a very high standard, and there is no place in the NDIS for providers who cut corners.”
Quotes attributable to NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner Louise Glanville:
“Our regulatory approach is clear: we want to make it straightforward for quality providers to operate, while ensuring operators who don’t meet our standards cannot get through the door.
“Registration gives the NDIS Commission the critical oversight necessary to actively monitor the market, identify risks early, and intervene before safety is compromised.
“A stronger registered provider market supports better outcomes for participants and strengthens trust in the NDIS.
“As a formidable regulator, the NDIS Commission will not hesitate to use its compliance and enforcement powers to hold providers and workers to account.”
