Millions of families claiming benefits could ease their household costs through a scheme that caps water bills.
WaterSure allows customers to be protected from paying surging rates even if using more than the average amount of water, reports Birmingham Live.
To apply, a household must be using a water meter and have a certain number of school-age children or use a substantial amount of water for medical reasons.
It comes as Boris Johnson has been urged to hold a Downing Street summit to thrash out solutions for the catastrophic rise in the cost of living in Britain.
Citizens Advice said: "To apply for the WaterSure scheme, you must be on benefits and need to use a lot of water either for medical reasons or because your household has a certain number of school-age children.
"You also need to be on a water meter or be waiting to have one installed.
"If you get your water from Welsh Water you’re covered by WaterSure Wales, which works in a similar way to the English scheme."
To qualify for help under the WaterSure scheme, you or someone living with you needs to be entitled to receive one of the following:
- Universal Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit (except families in receipt of the family element only)
- Pension Credit
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
In addition, you need to either:
- Be responsible for three or more children under the age of 19 and in full-time education living in the property, or
- Have (or someone living in the property must have) a medical condition that requires significant additional use of water. Examples include weeping skin diseases (such as psoriasis), Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis.
You will not qualify for WaterSure if you use a garden sprinkler system or have a swimming pool, Ofwat pointed out.
If you think you are eligible for WaterSure, you will need to apply through your water company.
Some water suppliers also offer WaterSure if you're on Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment.
Severn Trent, which covers the heart of the UK, from the Bristol Channel to the Humber and from mid-Wales to the East Midlands, says it offers WaterSure for those on all specific benefits.
Eligible benefits at Severn Trent
Severn Trent offers WaterSure for the full range of possible state benefits. These are as follows:
- Housing Benefit
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit (other than the basic element of £547.50)
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment
Eligible medical conditions at Severn Trent
Among other rules for applying for WaterSure, you or someone else in your home must have a medical condition that means a lot of water has to be used.
Severn Trent detailed these conditions as follows:
- Incontinence
- Weeping skin disease (such as psoriasis)
- Desquamation (flaky skin disease)
- Crohn’s disease
- Renal failure requiring home dialysis
- Alzheimer’s / dementia
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Eczema
- Any condition that a doctor confirms requires extra water use
If you meet the criteria for the WaterSure scheme, Severn Trent said it will make sure your bills are capped at its average yearly charge.
WaterSure charges for 2021 to 2022:
Severn Trent said that for the current year, the charges it makes under WaterSure are as follows.
Fresh Water - fixed at £190.75 a year
Sewerage - fixed at £177.91 a year
Total Bill - fixed at £368.66 a year (equivalent to £30 a month or £96 a quarter)
These will likely be revised when the new financial year begins in April.
Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, says customers can also consider other tips to cut water bills such as having a meter fitted, which can reduce charges by £100 a year.
In addition, if you’ve got a septic tank instead of a connection to the sewerage system you shouldn’t be paying a penny in sewerage charges. Check your bill – it could save you around £200 a year.
