Choosing a living setup under the NDIS can feel like a big decision with too many moving parts. You want safety. You want choice. You want supports that fit your routine, not the other way around.
Two options come up often in NDIS home and living conversations. Individualised Living Options, known as ILO, and Supported Independent Living, known as SIL.
They sound similar. They are not the same.
This guide explains NDIS individualised living options and SIL in plain language, so you can decide what suits your needs, your goals, and your household.
What ILO Means In NDIS Home And Living
ILO is a home and living support that helps you set up the right mix of supports around your chosen living arrangement.
The NDIS describes ILO as support to live the way that suits you, and notes that ILO funding does not pay for a house.
In other words, ILO funds support design and support delivery, not the rent or mortgage.
What ILO often includes
• Time to explore and plan your living setup
• Ongoing supports tailored to how you live
• Flexibility to use different people and supports across the week
Common ILO living arrangements include living with housemates, or a host arrangement NDIS option, where you live with a non related host in their home.
What SIL Means In NDIS Home And Living
SIL is funded support or supervision with daily tasks to help you live as independently as possible, while building skills.
SIL is generally for people with higher support needs who need help throughout the day, seven days a week, including overnight support.
SIL pays for the support staff roster in the home. It does not pay rent, utilities, or groceries.
ILO Vs SIL, The Fast Comparison
If you remember one thing, remember this.
ILO focuses on tailoring a living setup around you, often with flexible supports.
SIL focuses on staffed daily support in the home, often with a structured roster for higher support needs.
ILO Often Fits When
• You want more choice in who supports you and when
• You do not need overnight active support every night
• You want a setup built around your preferences and routines
• You want an alternative to a rostered group home style model
SIL Often Fits When
• You need support across most parts of the day
• You need overnight support, often every night
• You need consistent supervision for safety
• You do best with a stable staff team and routine supports
Living Options NDIS, What The Home Setup Looks Like
A useful way to compare living options NDIS is to picture the household.
ILO, More Than One Shape
ILO can be set up in different ways depending on what works for you.
Common examples include
• Living alone, with tailored supports scheduled around your needs
• Living with housemates you choose, with shared routines and clear boundaries
• Host arrangement NDIS, where you live full time with a non related host in their home
ILO works best when everyone understands roles, privacy, and expectations.
SIL, Often Shared Living With A Roster
SIL often runs in shared homes, where a provider supports multiple people with a staff roster. Some people use SIL in a single participant home too, depending on circumstances and funding decisions.
The key feature is the support roster. Staff support daily living tasks, routines, and safety needs.
Support Intensity, The Core Decision Point
Families often ask, “Which one is better.”
A better question is, “How much support do you need at home, across a full week.”
SIL usually suits higher support intensity, including overnight support.
ILO often suits lower to moderate support intensity, with more flexibility in how supports are arranged.
If you need frequent supervision for safety, SIL tends to fit. If you want a personalised setup and you do not need constant supervision, ILO may fit.
What About Eligibility And Evidence
Both options sit under NDIS home and living. The NDIA assesses requests against reasonable and necessary criteria and looks at whether needs can be met through other supports.
Evidence That Helps For Either Option
- A current functional capacity assessment from an OT
- Clear descriptions of what happens at home without support
- A weekly schedule showing support needs by time of day
- Risk information, including falls, wandering, choking, medication, or behaviours
- Goals linked to independence, safety, and community participation
If you are comparing ILO vs SIL, ask your clinicians to describe support needs using real examples. Avoid vague language. Specific details move planning conversations forward.
Real Life Scenarios, So You Can See The Difference
Scenario One, When ILO Often Fits
You want to live closer to family. You manage many tasks with prompts and check ins. You need support for meal prep, routines, appointments, and community participation, but you do not need active overnight support every night.
An ILO setup might suit you, especially if a housemate or host arrangement NDIS option matches your social needs and safety goals.
Scenario Two, When SIL Often Fits
You need support across most daily tasks, plus overnight support for safety. Your family feels stretched. You need consistent supervision and a stable routine.
SIL is often designed for this level of need, with daily and overnight support provided through a roster.
Questions To Ask Before You Choose
Use these prompts to narrow your options.
- Do you need overnight active support, or sleepover support, most nights
- Do you want to live with others, or live alone
- Do you want a flexible support schedule, or a rostered model
- What risks exist at home, and what support reduces those risks
- What does a good week look like for you, in detail
Write your answers down. Bring them to your planning meeting. This turns a confusing choice into a structured decision.
How Arise Community Support Services Can Support Your Home And Living Goals
Arise Community Support Services provides NDIS supports in Adelaide, including daily living support, community access, respite, and accommodation supports such as SIL, STA, and MTA.
If you are weighing up ILO vs SIL, practical support helps in two ways.
• Building skills and routines, so you can show what works at home
• Providing stable support while you explore and transition between living options NDIS pathways
Next Step, Match The Model To Your Support Needs
NDIS individualised living options suit people who want a tailored living setup and flexible supports around a chosen home.
SIL suits people with higher support needs who require help across the day and often overnight.
If you want to make a confident choice, start with support intensity. Then work outward to the home setup, the people involved, and the day to day routine you want to build.
