ILO vs SIL: What's the Difference?
SIL (supported independent living) funds support workers to help or supervise someone 24 hours a day, sometimes shared with others in the home. ILO (individualised living options) is a flexible package built around one person, often living with a host or housemate, for people who need at least 6 hours of support a day but not 24-hour rostered support or frequent overnight help.
How Do ILO and SIL Compare?
They suit different levels of support and different ways of living.
| Compared | ILO | SIL |
|---|---|---|
| What it funds | A package of primary and supplementary supports, plus monitoring | Support workers who help or supervise day-to-day tasks at home |
| How much support | At least 6 hours a day at home, formal or informal | Someone there 24 hours a day, including overnight, with help for at least 8 of those hours |
| Who you live with | A host, or housemates who aren't related to you | Others in the home, or on your own. You may share support workers or have your own |
| Who provides it | A host or housemate, with back-up from paid and unpaid supports | Rostered support workers from a registered SIL provider |
| How it's set up | Two stages: exploration and design, then the ILO supports | Through a home and living request and the plan |
| The home itself | Not funded. You pay your own rent | Not funded. You pay your own rent |
When Might SIL Suit Better Than ILO?
When someone needs support workers around the clock.
The NDIA says ILO might not be right if a person needs 24-hour rostered support from one or more support workers, needs frequent support overnight, or has restrictive practice in their behaviour support plan. SIL is designed for people who need someone with them 24 hours a day.
Looking for an ILO Provider?
We'll connect you with a registered ILO provider who may be able to help.
When Might ILO Suit Better Than SIL?
When someone needs a fair amount of support but not around the clock, and wants to choose who they live with.
The NDIA's SIL page says other home and living supports might suit better if a person lives alone and SIL doesn't meet their needs, lives with people who aren't NDIS participants, or wants to manage their own supports. ILO is built for exactly that kind of flexibility: living with a host or housemate, and drawing on family, friends and community.
Can You Move From SIL to ILO?
You can ask. The NDIA decides based on evidence about your needs and whether ILO meets the funding criteria.
To change home and living supports you already have, the NDIA wants recent evidence, dated after your last plan was approved, that explains what's changed in your daily support and housing needs. If ILO is approved, you'd start with exploration and design. Our guide on how to ask for ILO funding has the steps.
Questions People Ask
Is ILO cheaper than SIL?
The NDIA doesn't publish a simple comparison. It considers value for money for each person, compared with other supports that would achieve the same outcome, and it notes that including unpaid informal support reduces the overall cost of an ILO.
Can you have ILO and SIL at the same time?
SIL is listed as something ILO doesn't include, so they're separate supports. The NDIA builds the mix of home and living supports around each person.
Does SIL or ILO include the house?
Neither. Both fund support, not housing. Rent and living costs are paid by the person.
Do SIL providers have to be registered?
Yes. The NDIA says a SIL provider must be registered to deliver SIL. For ILO, registration depends on how the plan is managed.
Keep Reading
- What is ILO?What ILO means in the NDIS: support built around one person, living with a host or housemates, the two funding stages, what it covers and what it doesn't.
- ILO eligibilityWho individualised living options suit, according to the NDIA's ILO guideline: age, 6 hours of daily support, readiness, and when ILO is unlikely to be funded.
- ILO, SDA, SIL and other optionsHow ILO fits with the other NDIS home and living supports: SIL, SDA, medium term accommodation, home modifications and personal care, and which pays for what.
- How to ask for ILO fundingHow to ask for individualised living options funding: the home and living goal, the evidence the NDIA wants, how to send it, what happens next and if it's no.
- The ILO support modelStage 2 of an ILO: primary supports, supplementary supports, and monitoring and adjustment.
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