Free Boiler and Attendance Allowance: What You Need to Know
Attendance Allowance can be relevant to a household’s circumstances, but it does not automatically guarantee ECO4 support. Here are the standard benefit and ECO4 Flex routes in plain English.
Quick answer
Attendance Allowance alone is not one of Ofgem’s listed standard Help to Heat Group benefit routes for ECO4. You may still have a route if the household receives another eligible benefit, such as Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, or if it meets the low-income or health-based criteria for ECO4 Flex. Eligibility does not guarantee that a measure will be installed.
Standard ECO4 benefit routes
Ofgem lists benefits including Pension Guarantee Credit, Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, income-related ESA, income-based JSA, Child Benefit and Pension Credit Savings Credit as standard eligibility routes, subject to the scheme’s conditions. If you are a pensioner, check the pensioner guide as well as your Pension Credit entitlement.
When ECO4 Flex may be relevant
ECO4 Flex enables local authorities, devolved administrations and suppliers to refer households outside the standard benefit route. According to Ofgem, a household may be considered where combined gross annual income is below £31,000, or where a household member has a severe or long-term health condition that is adversely affected by living in a cold home. Local processes and supplier decisions vary, so a referral is not a promise of funding or installation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Attendance Allowance automatically qualify me for ECO4?
Attendance Allowance by itself is not listed by Ofgem as a standard Help to Heat Group benefit route. It can be relevant where the household also receives an eligible means-tested benefit or where a cold home affects a person with a qualifying severe or long-term health condition under ECO4 Flex. Final eligibility is assessed by the relevant route, supplier and property review.
Can an older person get ECO4 support without Pension Credit?
Possibly. A household may be considered through ECO4 Flex if it meets the applicable low-income or health-based route, but support is not guaranteed. Pension Credit Guarantee Credit is one of Ofgem’s standard eligibility routes; Attendance Allowance is not a direct replacement for it.
What should I do if cold makes a health condition worse?
Check the ECO4 Flex route with your local authority, devolved administration or supplier. Ofgem describes a health-based Flex route for a household member with a severe or long-term condition that is adversely affected by a cold home, subject to the scheme criteria and local process.
For independent information, consult the Ofgem homeowners and tenants guidance. This page provides general scheme information and is not a benefits or medical assessment.
Check your possible route
Provide your household and property details for an initial review.