Individualised Living Options (ILO)
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Understanding individualised living options
What Are Individualised Living Options (ILO)?
ILO is an NDIS-funded support that helps participants design a living arrangement tailored to their unique needs, preferences, and goals. Unlike traditional group homes, ILO empowers you to choose:
✔ Where you live (your own home, with family, or shared housing)
✔ Who you live with (housemates, partners, or solo)
✔ The supports you need (an individual mix of agreed supports)
It’s all about flexibility, independence, and creating a home that truly works for you.
How We Facilitate ILO Support
At Multibility Care, we specialise in turning your vision into reality. Here’s how we guide you through the ILO process:
1. Co-Design Your Ideal Living Setup
We’ll work with you to:
✔ Identify your goals (e.g., “I want to live near my sister but need help with meals”)
✔ Explore housing options (private rental, co-living, or home modifications)
✔ Map out informal supports (family, friends) + formal supports (workers, tech)
2. Navigate NDIS Funding
We help:
✔ Advocate for ILO funding in your NDIS plan
✔ Clarify the ILO support arrangement and which other costs or supports must be considered separately
3. Implement & Refine
Once your plan is live, we:
✔ Trial arrangements (e.g., “test” a housemate for 3 months)
✔ Adjust supports as your needs change
✔ Ensure your safety and well-being are always prioritized
4. Long-Term Sustainability
We don’t just set it and forget it. Regular check-ins ensure your living situation grows with you.
Planning your support
Explore the support that could make your chosen home work
Individualised Living Options focus on designing a support arrangement around how and with whom you want to live. The conversation starts with your preferences, the people involved and the assistance needed for everyday life.
Begin with preferences rather than a standard model
Think about what a suitable home life would look like for you. This might include the people you want nearby, privacy, familiar routines and the kind of assistance that helps you feel comfortable. You do not need a completed housing solution before discussing those preferences.
Explore the support relationships as well as the place. ILO can involve paid support together with informal assistance from people in your life. Any informal role needs to be discussed rather than assumed, including what the person is willing and able to do and what happens when their circumstances change.
Understand what ILO funding is for
ILO funding concerns the support arrangement. It does not pay rent, mortgage repayments or ordinary living costs such as food and power. Home modifications and other supports have their own arrangements and should not be treated as automatically included in ILO.
The NDIA describes exploration and design, followed by establishing the agreed support arrangement. Ask which stage you are discussing and what information or decisions are needed before moving further. Funding approval and the right type of home and living support need to be clarified for your circumstances.
Consider how the arrangement would work over time
A practical plan needs to consider ordinary weeks as well as changes. Discuss communication, the role of each person involved and how concerns will be raised. It should be clear who follows up if a part of the arrangement is no longer working.
Preferences can develop as options become clearer. Keep a record of what you want, what has been explored and which decisions still need attention. This helps distinguish your choices from assumptions made by a provider or another person supporting the discussion.
Useful information for an ILO enquiry
Start with your goals and the questions you want help exploring. Any discussion about provider involvement needs to consider the proposed scope, your plan, the roles of other people and current availability.
- Where and with whom you would like to live
- What you want to manage yourself and where assistance is needed
- Existing support relationships and the roles people have agreed to
- Relevant home and living supports in your plan
- Questions about costs, responsibilities and review arrangements
Questions about Individualised Living Options
Is ILO the same as paying for accommodation?
No. ILO concerns a support arrangement. Rent, mortgage payments and ordinary living expenses need to be considered separately.
Do I need to have chosen a home before making an enquiry?
No. You can begin by discussing your preferences and the questions you are exploring. The relevant planning, funding and provider arrangements still need to be established before support is agreed.
Further information: NDIS information about Individualised Living Options.
Talk through your next step
Tell us your location, the support you are looking for and the best way to contact you. We can discuss the request, the information needed and current availability before an arrangement is agreed.
Planning individualised living options
When exploring individualised living options, start with the practical questions you want answered. Start with how you would like to live and the assistance that would make that arrangement work. Think about your preferences, relationships and the daily routines that need support, then discuss what needs to be explored before an arrangement is agreed.
- Describe your preferred home life and the people you would like involved.
- Discuss daily assistance, informal supports, responsibilities and how changes would be handled.
- Clarify which parts of the arrangement need further planning and check the relevant information in your own plan.
Further information: NDIS guide to using your funding.
For the next step, discuss your support enquiry or use the referral pathway. Information on this page does not confirm funding or service availability; clarify the proposed arrangement before agreeing to support.
