NDIS Individualised Living Options (ILO): How ILO Works and How It Differs from SIL

Two adults discussing household routines and living arrangements in a contemporary Melbourne home

If you searched for “individual living options NDIS”, the official NDIS term you will see is Individualised Living Options (ILO). ILO is a type of NDIS home and living support designed around how you want to live, who you want to live with and how support can work around your chosen living arrangement.

ILO is not a particular house, property or vacancy. The funding is for the support arrangement around your home and living situation, not the home itself.

An ILO can involve a host or housemate arrangement, a combination of primary and supplementary supports, and regular monitoring to make sure the arrangement continues to work. It is developed through a staged process rather than simply choosing an existing supported home.

This guide explains how Individualised Living Options work under the NDIS, what ILO can and cannot fund, how the exploration and service proposal process works, how ILO differs from Supported Independent Living (SIL) and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), and what to consider before choosing an ILO provider.

What are Individualised Living Options under the NDIS?

Individualised Living Options are NDIS supports that help you make choices about your home life and the assistance you need within it.

The NDIS describes ILO as support that can help you decide:

where and how you want to live
who you want to live with
what disability-related support you need at home
who may provide different parts of that support
how formal, informal and community supports can work together

The word individualised is important. An ILO is developed around the person rather than expecting the person to fit into a predetermined household support model.

That does not mean you do everything without assistance. Independence can also mean having the right support, in the right way, so you have greater control over everyday life.

You can read the current NDIS explanation of Individualised Living Options for the official overview.

ILO is support, not the house itself

This is one of the most important distinctions to understand.

ILO funding does not buy or fund the property you live in.

You still need a suitable place to live. Depending on the arrangement, that may involve your own home, a rental arrangement or living in the home of a host.

ILO funding is concerned with the support arrangement around that living situation.

Current NDIS guidance says ILO funding does not include:

rent or mortgage repayments
ordinary food and groceries
power bills and other everyday household expenses
the place where you live
home modifications
support for work, study, sport or other activities outside the home
other costs that are not NDIS supports

Some of those needs may be addressed elsewhere. For example, home modifications or community participation supports may be considered separately in an NDIS plan where they meet the relevant requirements.

This is why phrases such as “ILO house”, “ILO property” or “ILO vacancy” can be misleading. A property does not itself become an Individualised Living Option. ILO is the support arrangement.

Who might consider Individualised Living Options?

ILO is not automatically appropriate for everyone who wants to move home or receive support where they live.

Current NDIS guidance says ILO might be worth exploring if you:

are 18 or older, or are 17 and beginning to think about future living arrangements
need formal or informal support at home for at least six hours each day
are ready to explore your home and living needs, preferences and options
are willing to invest time and effort into developing your future living arrangement

These points help describe when ILO may be relevant. They are not a guarantee that ILO funding will be included in a particular NDIS plan.

The NDIA still considers the person’s individual circumstances, goals, disability-related support needs and current NDIS funding requirements.

Where can you live with ILO?

ILO starts with the question of how you want your home life to work rather than directing you towards a particular disability property.

Current NDIS guidance centres ILO around two main forms of primary support: host arrangements and housemate arrangements.

Host arrangement

In a host arrangement, you live full-time in the home of a host who is not related to you.

The host is part of the primary support arrangement. The exact support they provide depends on the ILO design, the participant’s needs and the arrangements that have been agreed.

A host arrangement is more than simply renting a bedroom from someone. The relationship, support expectations, privacy, compatibility, boundaries, payment arrangements and backup supports all need careful consideration.

Housemate arrangement

In a housemate arrangement, you live in your own home or a shared rental with another person or people who are not related to you.

A housemate may provide part of the primary support in return for arrangements agreed through the ILO design.

Compatibility matters. Sharing a home affects routines, visitors, privacy, household responsibilities, noise, social interaction and the way each person uses shared spaces.

A good ILO design therefore considers the relationship between people in the home, not only the number of support hours.

Does Individualised Living Options mean living alone?

No. “Individualised” means the support arrangement is designed around you. It does not automatically mean living alone.

Current NDIS ILO guidance describes primary support through host and housemate arrangements, where the primary support lives with the participant and is not related to them.

If your goal is specifically to live alone, discuss that goal with your my NDIS contact and the people supporting you to explore home and living options. The appropriate NDIS support model depends on your individual needs rather than the name of a particular support.

How does the ILO process work?

ILO funding is structured in two stages.

The first stage is about working out the arrangement. The second is about putting an approved arrangement in place and maintaining it.

Stage 1: Exploration and design

Stage 1 is where you explore what you want your future home and support arrangement to look like.

This can involve thinking about:

where you want to live
who you would like to live with
your strengths and current living skills
what assistance you need at different times
what support could come from a host or housemate
where supplementary paid support may be needed
how family, friends and community connections may contribute
risks and how they may be managed
what would happen if part of the arrangement temporarily became unavailable
how the arrangement could respond if your needs changed

Current NDIS participant guidance says the exploration and design stage usually takes between 30 and 100 hours. The amount funded depends on how much NDIS support is needed.

The aim is not to use all available hours. It is to do enough exploration to build an arrangement that reflects your preferences and can be described properly in an ILO service proposal.

Stage 2: Putting the ILO supports in place

Once the service proposal has been considered and approved, Stage 2 is about establishing the chosen arrangement and delivering the agreed supports.

Current NDIS guidance describes three parts of Stage 2:

primary supports
supplementary supports
monitoring and adjustment

Those three parts should work together rather than operating as unrelated services.

What is an ILO service proposal?

The service proposal is a central part of the ILO process.

It describes the living and support arrangement developed during Stage 1 and gives the NDIA information it can use when considering which ILO supports to include in the participant’s plan.

Current NDIS provider guidance says the proposal describes the participant’s needs and preferences, primary and supplementary supports, and the quoted cost of the ILO arrangement.

It may address matters such as:

how the participant wants to live
the support they need at home
how the participant was involved in designing the arrangement
who will provide primary support
what supplementary supports will be available
how supports will be organised
how the arrangement will be monitored
how problems or changes will be handled
how the ILO fits with other supports
the cost of implementing and monitoring the arrangement

The service proposal is not an automatic approval document. The NDIA considers the proposal and the participant’s circumstances before deciding what supports will be included in the plan.

The current NDIS provider guide to Individualised Living Options explains the proposal and implementation process in more detail.

What are primary supports in ILO?

Primary supports are the main supports within the person’s home.

Under current NDIS guidance, primary supports are provided by people who live with the participant and are not related to them.

The two examples identified by the NDIS are:

Host arrangement: the participant lives full-time with a host in the host’s home.
Housemate arrangement: the participant lives in their own home or a shared rental with one or more non-related housemates.

The level and type of support a host or housemate provides should be worked out as part of the individual arrangement. It should not be assumed that every host or housemate performs the same tasks.

What are supplementary supports?

Supplementary supports provide additional or backup assistance alongside the primary support.

They can be useful when the primary support is unavailable or when the participant needs a different kind of assistance.

Current NDIS guidance gives examples including:

paid support, such as a support worker staying overnight
unpaid support, such as spending time with or staying with a family member

Supplementary supports can therefore help an arrangement remain flexible when circumstances change temporarily.

The service proposal should clearly explain how primary and supplementary supports fit together rather than leaving gaps in the arrangement.

Can family and friends be involved in ILO?

Yes. Family, friends and other people in the participant’s community may contribute to an ILO arrangement.

They can be involved in exploration and design if the participant wants them involved. Informal support may also complement funded support after the arrangement is established.

There is an important distinction, however. Current NDIS guidance defines the primary support in a host or housemate arrangement as someone who lives with the participant and is not related to them.

A family member may still contribute informal or supplementary support without being the primary ILO host or housemate described by the NDIS.

The participant should decide who they want involved and how information and decisions are shared.

Why monitoring and adjustment matter

An ILO should not be set up once and then left unchanged regardless of what happens.

Monitoring is one of the three formal components of Stage 2.

The service proposal needs a monitoring plan that considers matters such as:

how often the arrangement will be reviewed
whether monitoring happens in person, by phone or another agreed method
how the participant will be involved
how people living with the participant may contribute
how family and other supporters may be involved where appropriate
how concerns are raised
how problems are resolved
what happens when circumstances change

The amount of monitoring required can differ between ILO arrangements.

This is particularly important where a host or housemate relationship changes, a supplementary support becomes unavailable, the participant’s needs change or the arrangement is no longer working as expected.

How does NDIS ILO funding work?

ILO funding is individual. There is no single standard ILO package that applies to every participant.

Funding is considered through the two-stage process:

Funding for exploration and design

Stage 1 funding supports the work needed to explore, design and document the proposed arrangement.

The NDIS currently states that this stage usually involves 30 to 100 hours, depending on how much support the participant needs.

Funding for the ILO support arrangement

Stage 2 relates to implementing and maintaining the approved arrangement.

The service proposal sets out the primary support, supplementary support, monitoring arrangements and proposed costs.

The NDIA then considers the proposed supports against the participant’s plan and current NDIS funding requirements.

Different ILO arrangements can therefore have very different structures and costs.

Payment arrangements between a participant, provider, host or other support should be clearly discussed and reflected in the service proposal and relevant agreements.

The NDIS also recommends that participants and ILO providers seek independent financial advice before agreeing to financial arrangements because payments received through an ILO may have taxation implications.

What does ILO funding not pay for?

Cost or support	Part of ILO funding?	Explanation
Rent or mortgage	No	ILO funds supports, not ordinary housing costs.
The house or property	No	ILO is not funding to buy or provide the home itself.
Food and groceries	No	These are ordinary everyday living costs.
Electricity, internet and ordinary bills	No	These remain everyday household expenses.
Primary support	Potentially	Approved primary support can form part of Stage 2.
Supplementary support	Potentially	Approved supplementary support can form part of the arrangement.
Monitoring and adjustment	Yes, where approved	Monitoring is one of the three components of Stage 2.
Home modifications	Not through ILO	Home modifications are a separate type of NDIS support.
Work, study, sport or regular community activities	Not through ILO	Relevant disability support for these activities may be funded elsewhere in the plan.

The broader Understanding NDIS Funding guide explains how NDIS funding decisions work more generally.

ILO vs SIL: what is the difference?

Individualised Living Options and Supported Independent Living are both NDIS home and living supports, but they use different support structures.

It is too simplistic to describe ILO as “low support” and SIL as “high support”. What matters is how the participant’s support needs are best met and which arrangement satisfies the NDIS requirements for that person.

Area	Individualised Living Options	Supported Independent Living
Basic model	A support arrangement designed around how and with whom the participant wants to live.	Funding for support workers to help or supervise the participant within their home.
How support is structured	Primary support, supplementary support, and monitoring and adjustment.	Rostered disability support delivered according to the person’s funded support needs.
Who the participant may live with	Current ILO guidance describes host and non-related housemate arrangements.	SIL is commonly shared with other participants, although current NDIS guidance recognises limited circumstances where SIL may be provided to someone living alone.
Planning process	Two stages, including exploration and design and an ILO service proposal.	NDIA considers the participant’s home and living goals and daily support requirements when deciding whether SIL is appropriate.
Informal support	Can be deliberately incorporated alongside funded supports.	Informal support may exist, but it is not organised through the same primary and supplementary ILO structure.
Home itself	Not funded by ILO.	Not funded by SIL.
Rent and ordinary bills	Not funded.	Not funded.

The NDIS currently describes SIL as funding for a support worker to help or supervise a participant 24 hours a day, seven days a week. ILO, by contrast, is designed around a host or housemate primary support arrangement with supplementary support and monitoring.

Neither model should be selected purely because of its name. The NDIA considers the participant’s circumstances and home and living support needs.

If you are researching SIL as well as ILO, see Aligned Assist’s SIL Accommodation Guide or learn about Supported Independent Living in Melbourne.

ILO vs SDA: support arrangement versus specialist housing

ILO and Specialist Disability Accommodation address different things.

ILO is about support.

SDA is about specialist housing.

Current NDIS guidance describes SDA as specialist housing for eligible participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. SDA homes can include specialist design features such as wider doorways, accessible kitchens or other accessibility features.

The NDIS home and living guide describes SDA as the home and living funding that provides the specialist housing itself. Support delivered within the home is considered separately.

ILO does not turn an ordinary home into SDA and it does not make a property “NDIS approved”.

ILO vs Assistance with Daily Life

Assistance with Daily Life can also provide support with everyday tasks at home, so it is understandable that people sometimes confuse it with ILO.

The difference is primarily in the structure.

Assistance with Daily Life may provide targeted help with activities such as:

personal care
cooking
cleaning
other everyday activities

It can be appropriate when someone needs specific assistance without needing a complete host or housemate support arrangement.

ILO is a more deliberately designed home and living arrangement involving exploration and design, a service proposal, primary support, supplementary support and monitoring.

The right option depends on the participant’s actual support needs rather than whether one model sounds more independent than another.

Can ILO work alongside other NDIS supports?

Yes. Current NDIS guidance says ILO can work with other NDIS supports as well as mainstream, community and informal supports.

For example, someone may have an ILO arrangement for support within the home while separately receiving supports relating to therapy, work, study or community participation where those supports are included appropriately in the plan.

ILO funding itself should not simply be used for unrelated supports outside the living arrangement.

The overall plan needs to make clear how the different supports work together.

How do you start exploring ILO?

There is no reason to begin by searching for an “ILO property”. Start with how you want to live.

Think about your home and living goals. Consider where you would like to live, the type of home life you want and who you might want around you.
Understand your current support needs. Think about what help you currently receive, what works and where there are gaps.
Talk with your my NDIS contact. Discuss your home and living goals and whether ILO is an option worth exploring.
Involve people you trust if you want to. Family, friends, advocates, Support Coordinators and other people who know you well can contribute to exploration without taking over the decision-making.
Explore the arrangement. Work through possible hosts, housemates, formal support, informal support, backup arrangements, household expectations and risks.
Develop the service proposal. The proposed arrangement, supports, monitoring and costs need to be clearly documented.
Wait for the NDIA decision. ILO supports can be implemented once the relevant proposal and funding have been approved.
Set up and monitor the arrangement. Once underway, the ILO should continue to be reviewed and adjusted where necessary.

Aligned Assist also provides NDIS Support Coordination in Melbourne for participants whose plans include this support.

What should you think about when designing an ILO arrangement?

The practical details of shared everyday life matter just as much as the support model on paper.

Depending on the proposed arrangement, useful areas to explore include:

where you want to live
who you would feel comfortable living with
how much private space you need
daily routines
sleep and overnight support needs
personal care
household responsibilities
food and meal routines
visitors
social preferences
culture and language
communication needs
pets
transport
work or study
connections with family and friends
backup support
what happens if a host or housemate is temporarily unavailable
what happens if the relationship between people in the home changes
how disagreements will be handled
how the participant can change the arrangement if it stops working

An ILO should fit around the participant’s life. The participant should not be expected to reshape their life simply to fit an existing service model.

Choosing an ILO provider

An ILO provider has an important role in helping turn the participant’s goals into a workable support arrangement.

A useful provider should be able to explain ILO without immediately steering the person towards an existing property or SIL vacancy.

When comparing providers, consider whether they:

listen to what the participant actually wants
understand the difference between ILO, SIL and housing
have relevant experience with ILO exploration and implementation
can explain the two-stage process clearly
involve the participant meaningfully in design
approach host or housemate matching carefully
can explain how primary and supplementary supports would operate
have a credible approach to monitoring and problem solving
are transparent about costs and payment arrangements
explain what happens if a proposed arrangement does not work
respect existing family, community and professional relationships
can work constructively with Support Coordinators and other relevant professionals

The NDIS provider guidance places strong emphasis on understanding the participant’s goals, supporting them to make decisions and building an arrangement around the person.

Questions to ask an ILO provider

How will you involve me in deciding where and how I live?
What experience do you have with Individualised Living Options?
How do you approach finding or assessing a potential host or housemate?
How will I get to know a potential host or housemate before making a decision?
What would my primary support actually provide?
What supplementary supports would be available?
What happens when my primary support is away or unavailable?
How would overnight support work if I need it?
How are costs and payments calculated and explained?
Who monitors the arrangement and how often?
How can I raise a concern?
What happens if I no longer want to live with the host or housemate?
Who controls the tenancy or property arrangement?
Can I change support providers without automatically losing my home?
How will you work with my family, Support Coordinator or other people I choose to involve?

Support Coordinators and referrers: what makes an ILO enquiry useful?

A good ILO enquiry should explain the person’s home and living question rather than simply say “needs ILO”.

Useful context may include:

the participant’s home and living goals
where and with whom they currently live
what they would like to change
the amount and pattern of assistance currently needed at home
current formal supports
family, friends or other informal supports
relevant communication or accessibility needs
important routines and preferences
known risks or support considerations
current home and living funding where known
whether ILO or other home and living options have already been discussed with the NDIA
who the participant wants involved in planning and communication

These are useful details for an initial conversation, not mandatory Aligned Assist referral requirements.

A Support Coordinator does not decide whether ILO will be funded. Their role may include helping the participant understand options, coordinate information and connect with relevant providers.

Professional referrers can use the Aligned Assist NDIS referral pathway to discuss a participant’s support needs.

Individualised Living Options in Melbourne: local considerations

The support model may be national, but the living arrangement itself is local.

For someone exploring ILO in Melbourne, location can affect everyday life in practical ways.

Consider:

proximity to family and existing informal supports
public transport and everyday travel
work or study
allied health and medical appointments
local community connections
shopping and everyday services
the availability of supplementary support
whether a potential host or housemate arrangement keeps the participant connected to the life they already value
whether the chosen provider can actually support the arrangement in the relevant part of Melbourne

Aligned Assist provides disability supports across Northern, Western, Eastern and South East Melbourne. You can explore the current Aligned Assist service locations for broader geographic information.

What if the support provider is also connected with the property?

ILO funding is for support, not the property. That distinction remains important even when a support organisation is involved in helping someone identify a possible living arrangement.

Before proceeding, understand:

who owns or leases the home
who holds the tenancy agreement
what housing costs you are personally responsible for
what happens to your housing if you change support providers
whether the support and housing agreements are separate
what rights and responsibilities apply to the living arrangement

Do not assume that a home is “ILO approved” simply because an NDIS provider is associated with it.

Exploring ILO with Aligned Assist

Aligned Assist currently welcomes enquiries where Individualised Living Options may be relevant.

That does not mean every home and living enquiry should become ILO, or that an existing Aligned Assist SIL opportunity automatically becomes an ILO arrangement. SIL and ILO are different NDIS support models and need to be considered separately.

If you are exploring how you want to live, you can contact Aligned Assist and explain:

your current living arrangement
what you would like your future home life to look like
who you may want to live with
the support you need at home
whether ILO has already been discussed with the NDIA
who you would like involved in the conversation

The first conversation can focus on whether ILO appears worth exploring further rather than assuming a particular model is already approved or suitable.

You can:

Call: 1300 927 248
Email: info@alignedassist.com.au
Enquire: Contact Aligned Assist
Refer a participant: Submit an NDIS referral

Frequently asked questions about Individualised Living Options

What is ILO in the NDIS?

Individualised Living Options, or ILO, is an NDIS home and living support designed around where and how a participant wants to live, who they live with and how support is arranged. It is a support arrangement, not funding for the house itself.

Is ILO the same as SIL?

No. ILO and Supported Independent Living are different NDIS home and living supports. ILO uses an individually designed arrangement involving primary support, supplementary support and monitoring. SIL funds support workers to help or supervise a participant within their home according to their approved support needs.

Does ILO pay for rent or a house?

No. Current NDIS guidance says ILO does not fund rent, mortgage repayments or the property itself. Participants are also generally responsible for ordinary living costs such as food and power bills.

What is an ILO host?

An ILO host is a person who is not related to the participant and provides primary support while the participant lives full-time in the host’s home. The exact support and financial arrangements depend on the individual ILO design.

What is an ILO housemate?

An ILO housemate is a non-related person who lives with the participant in the participant’s home or a shared rental and forms part of the primary support arrangement. The role should be clearly designed and agreed rather than assumed from ordinary house-sharing.

Can family and friends be part of an ILO arrangement?

Yes. Family, friends and community connections can contribute to exploration, design and informal or supplementary support. Current NDIS guidance says primary host or housemate supports are people who live with the participant and are not related to them.

Can ILO include overnight support?

Yes, where it forms part of the approved arrangement. Current NDIS guidance gives paid supplementary support such as a support worker staying overnight as one example of how additional support may be provided.

How do I get ILO funding?

Start by discussing your home and living goals with your my NDIS contact. If ILO is appropriate to explore, Stage 1 funding may support exploration and design. A service proposal is then developed for NDIA consideration before Stage 2 supports can be implemented.

What happens if an ILO arrangement stops working?

Monitoring and adjustment are formal parts of ILO. The service proposal should explain how concerns will be identified, how issues will be raised and resolved, and how the arrangement can be adjusted when circumstances change.