The Government announced this week that people with disabilities will qualify for a cap on their water bills from next year, as the existing WaterSure scheme will expand its eligibility and adjust how bill caps are calculated. This will result in reduced water bills for an additional 53,000 households who get certain benefits in England Wales.
The scheme offers eligible households a cap on water bills – so regardless of how much water you use, you don’t pay more than your supplier’s average household cost.
It is designed to help households on lower incomes that use large amounts of water due to medical conditions or because they have three of more children living at home.
Around 260,000 eligible households saved around £325 – more than a third of a typical water bill annually – thanks to the scheme.
Currently, you need to meet the following conditions to qualify – waiting to have a water meter installed or paying an assessed charge because a meter can’t be fitted at your property, and be getting an eligible benefit such as Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Pension Credit, Income Support or income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
The changes to the scheme, which are due to come into effect from early next year, include a further three benefits will qualify – they are Disability Allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Attendance Allowance.
The way the cap is calculated will also be reformed. As it stands, some suppliers use the average of all the water bills they distribute, while others only use metered readings to calculate the average. The new plans will ensure companies use the lowest possible average bill as the cap.
If you are eligible, you will no longer need to provide a medical certificate to prove you have a qualifying condition. Instead, alternative proof such as a prescription or NHS letter will be enough.
If you live alone, your bills will be capped at the average amount of water one person uses as currently, the scheme doesn’t account for the size of each household, so those living alone end up paying more than they should.
For more information about WaterSure contact your water supplier direct. Suppliers across our areas are Severn Trent Water, South Staffs Water and LEEP Utilities.
Housing Plus Group customers can also contact our Money Matters team for support.