ILO Funding: How Much and How It's Calculated
How ILO funding works: the two stages of Individualised Living Options, how the NDIS calculates your package, and what shapes the amount.
Individualised Living Options (ILO) is one of the most flexible ways to fund a home life on the NDIS — but because it's built around you rather than a set service, the funding can feel mysterious. This guide explains how ILO funding is calculated: the two stages, what the NDIA looks at, and what shapes how much you receive, without pretending there's a single magic number.
What ILO funding is for
ILO comes in two stages
How Stage 1 funding is worked out
How Stage 2 funding is calculated
What shapes how much you receive
The role of informal support
Getting the calculation right
Frequently asked questions
How is ILO funding calculated?
ILO funding comes in two stages. Stage 1 funds exploration and design as a block to plan your arrangement. Stage 2 is calculated from the resulting service proposal — what it reasonably costs to deliver and monitor your supports — and is provided as a flexible package, usually set in bands.
What are the two ILO stages?
Stage 1 is Exploration and Design: funding to work out where and how you want to live, with whom, and what supports you need. Stage 2 funds the ongoing supports that make the arrangement work. Stage 1 must be completed before Stage 2 is added to your plan.
Does ILO funding pay my rent?
No. ILO funds the supports around your living arrangement, not rent or the home itself. You cover housing and everyday living costs from your own income, as with other NDIS home and living supports. ILO's flexibility is in how your support is arranged, not in paying for housing.
Why does my informal support affect ILO funding?
ILO deliberately builds on informal and community support. If a host, housemate, family or friends provide some help, paid supports are designed around them, and funding reflects that mix. It's a core strength of the model — weaving paid and unpaid support into a more natural, stable arrangement.
Related guides
- Individualised Living Options (ILO): The Models Explained
- ILO Stage 2: Your Ongoing Supports Explained
- Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) Explained
- Emergency and Crisis Accommodation and the NDIS
- Short Term Accommodation (STA) Explained — Now Short-Term Respite
- Types of Respite for NDIS Participants and Carers