What is Support ratio?

Also known as: 1:2, 1:3, 2:1 support

A support ratio describes how many workers support how many participants at once. 1:1 is one worker to one participant. 1:2 and 1:3 mean one worker shared between two or three participants, with the cost apportioned. 2:1 means two workers are required for a single participant, and both are claimed.

Shared ratios have their own support item numbers, priced as a share of the full rate. The apportionment is the point: a 1:3 shift claims roughly a third of the hourly cost against each participant’s budget.

Ratios must reflect what actually happened. If one participant of a group is absent, the shift ran at a different ratio and the claim should follow — this is a common source of over-claiming in group and centre-based supports.

Related terms

SILSIL is NDIS funding for the support a participant needs to live in a shared or individual home — help with daily tasks, personal care and overnight assistance. It pays for the support workers, not the housing itself. SIL is quoted per participant based on an agreed roster of care for the household.Roster of careA roster of care is the modelled weekly staffing pattern for a Supported Independent Living household, used to quote each participant’s SIL funding. It sets out the shifts required, their times and ratios, and how overnight support is provided, and forms the basis of the amount the NDIA approves.Support item numberA support item number is the code identifying a specific NDIS support for claiming, in the form 01_011_0107_1_1. It encodes the support category, the item, and the registration group. Every claimed line must carry a valid item number that matches the support actually delivered and sits within the participant’s funded budget.

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