Transition to Independent Living Allowance

The Transition to Independent Living Allowance (TILA) helps if you’ve left or are leaving care. This may be formal care or out-of-home care (OOHC).

The TILA is worth up to $1,500 and helps with the costs of leaving care (OOHC). It can be used to pay for a wide range of items such as payment of rental bonds, furniture, course fees and buying a car.

You and your caseworker will agree on how best to use the TILA as part of your application.

Formal care can also be known as out-of-home care. This is when a child or young person can’t live with their parents or carer. They might live with a different family or in a home for children. Formal care is where this living arrangement involves child protection services, and was ordered by a state or territory court.

To get the Transition to Independent Living Allowance (TILA) you must be all of the following:

• be an Australian citizen or permanent Australian resident who resides in Australia at the time you apply
• be aged from 15 to 25 years
• either have been in, or currently be in, formal care on a court order
• have left the care of the state or territory statutory department after the age of 15 years and was last in their care for a continuous period of at least 6 months
• either be approaching to leave formal care, within 12 weeks of applying, in the process of leaving formal care, or have left formal care
• have a transition to independence plan
• have not received the full amount of TILA assistance previously.