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If you get Personal Independence Payment (PIP), you might also be entitled to many grants. And your heating costs or energy efficiency in your home could be helped through government support.
Through the ECO4 scheme, PIP recipients and those with other qualified government benefits can avail themselves of free boiler grants and even have their old, inefficient boilers replaced for free. That means a warmer home and lower energy bills, but without having to pay a single penny upfront.
If you’re on PIP alone, you may not directly qualify for a free boiler grant under the ECO4 scheme. However, many options can still help you manage heating and energy costs, especially if one receives any other means-tested benefits in addition to PIP.
What is Personal Independence Payment?
PIP is a benefit the UK government provides to help people living with long-term health conditions or disabilities complete tasks of everyday living and moving around outside the house. If any person finds difficulties in performing certain tasks related to the preparation of food, dressing, or mobilizing from one place to another, then PIP gives financial support to the claimant to cover the extra costs.
How PIP Works
PIP is divided into two parts:
- Daily Living: Supports basic activities such as eating, washing, or handling medication.
- Mobility: Helps in getting around or traveling to places.
Who Qualifies for PIP?
To get PIP, you must:
- Be aged 16 or over but under the State Pension age (if new to PIP).
- Have a physical or mental health condition that limits daily activities or mobility.
- These difficulties may well persist for at least a year.
Free Boiler Grants with the ECO4 Scheme
Living with a long-term health condition can mean extra costs. But if you’re on PIP and other qualifying, you might be eligible for help with your heating, too. The ECO4 scheme is a UK government-backed scheme to reduce carbon emissions by making homes more energy-efficient.
It runs until March 2026 and provides financial support for many energy-saving upgrades. Perfect for households in dire need of a much warmer and energy-saving home with no upfront cost.
How the ECO4 Scheme Works
Through the ECO4 scheme, big energy companies offer grants to help low-income households replace old, inefficient boilers. These replacements save money on bills and improve comfort at home. If you qualify, you can receive a free boiler grant or free boiler replacement. The government covers the full cost of your upgrade.
Free Boiler Replacement under ECO4
You could, therefore, be eligible for a free ECO4 boiler replacement grant, provided that your boiler is over 15 years old, inefficient, or in bad condition. This grant covers everything, including the complete boiler replacement, with all installation costs included, to help you get more heat from a better energy-efficient heating system.
Eligibility Criteria
The following can make one eligible for getting a free boiler grant from ECO4:
- Be an owner-occupier or a private tenant.
- Have low-income status supported by PIP and other income-related benefits.
- Have an inadequate boiler.
- Or do not have a central heating system at all.
What Other Improvements Does ECO4 Cover?
Alongside free boiler grants, the ECO4 Scheme also supports:
- Free Insulation (loft, cavity wall, and solid wall)
- Heating upgrades like air source heat pumps
- Free solar PV systems
- Free heating controls and renewable energy systems
Who is Eligible for a Free Boiler Grant?
To get a free boiler grant, you or someone in your household must be receiving one of the following benefits:
- Child Tax Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Universal Credit
- Working Tax Credit
Additionally, you must meet these criteria:
- Own your home or, if renting, have your landlord’s permission.
- Your property cannot be council-owned.
Can I Get a New Boiler if I Only Claim PIP?
No, Personal Independence Payment in itself does not automatically qualify you for a free boiler grant under the ECO4 scheme. While PIP is to help with extra costs brought about by a disability or long-term health condition, it is not a qualifying benefit for boiler grants.
However, if you receive PIP and also receive any of the other means-tested benefits – income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit and Universal Credit – you might qualify. You may also be able to receive an ECO grant if your property qualifies and your household income is below £31,000 per year.
How Do People on Personal Independence Payment Qualify for a Heating Grant?
While receiving Personal Independence Payment alone no longer qualifies for a free heating grant under the ECO4 scheme, there might be some other options. For anyone in receipt of any other benefits in addition to PIP, such as Income Support or Universal Credit, you may still qualify for ECO4 heating.
That’s the grant scheme designed to make homes more energy efficient as a means of cutting energy costs down in low-income households. Therefore, it would be worth checking whether any additional benefits you might receive could make you eligible.
PIP recipients may also be interested in other forms of support, such as the Winter Fuel Payment, to help during colder periods. While PIP in and of itself does not make someone eligible for a heating grant, that door might be opened along with other income-related benefits for schemes like ECO4 or other related grants.
What Other Grants Can I Get if I'm on PIP?
Apart from the ECO4 scheme, there are other grants and areas of support that could help recipients with PIP in terms of finance and quality of life, among others. These include the following:
1. Winter Fuel Payment
The Winter Fuel Payment is a one-off payment to assist older adults in paying for heating during the colder months. If you receive PIP and meet certain age criteria – mostly over the age of 66 – you might be entitled to this payment. The amount is variable depending on your given situation; it is usually in the range of £100 to £300.
2. Warm Home Discount Scheme
The Warm Home Discount Scheme provides a payment of £140 one-off towards winter fuel costs, paid directly to your energy bill. This would be open to those on PIP and other qualifying benefits, although priority is often given to low-income households or people with health conditions.
3. Green Homes Grant (Local Authority Delivery)
Although the central national Green Homes Grant closed, some local authorities still have a comparable sort of support under the Local Authority Delivery scheme. PIP recipients might be eligible for funding insulation, double-glazing, and other energy-efficient home improvements, and that may help reduce energy costs over a long period of time.
4. Cold Weather Payment
Through periods of exceptionally cold weather, the Cold Weather Payment kicks in, with 7 days of sustained freezing temperatures awarding £25 as entitlement. Payments are immediately made to those people receiving the right kind of benefits, like Pension Credit so that they have some assistance with increased heating costs.
Final Thoughts: Making the Most of Your PIP Benefits
If you are on PIP, there are more than a few grants that can help make the home more comfortable and energy-efficient without having high upfront costs. The ECO4 scheme offers free boiler grants and replacements that reduce energy bills and improve the quality of heating.
For more details on ECO4 and all the other grants, please contact us today. We’ll walk you through the qualifying criteria and support you in securing the upgrades you need with ease and no stress.
Don’t wait; start today and make the most of the support that is available to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, receipt of only PIP does not make you eligible to receive a boiler grant under the ECO4 scheme. On the other hand, a person in receipt of PIP, together with other benefits relating to Universal Credit, Pension Credit, or Income-related ESA, can be considered for a free boiler grant.
The Adult Disability Payment, or ADP, will replace PIP in Scotland. ADP is there to provide support to disabled adults or those with a long-term health condition. It pays some of the additional costs of having their condition.
If you receive PIP in addition to another benefit, such as Income Support or a Jobseeker’s Allowance, you may be eligible for a disability premium. This adds more money to your basic entitlement to help with some of the extra costs.
PIP alone doesn’t qualify for heating grants under the ECO4 scheme. However, PIP recipients may be eligible if they also receive other qualifying benefits. Recipients of PIP can also benefit under a scheme in place, such as Winter Fuel Payment or Cold Weather Payment, which pays more toward heating costs.
