The Department for Work and Pensions and HMRC are handing millions a “capped” utility bill. The DWP will give benefits claimants money off energy bills as the new Ofgem price cap kicks in from the regulator in January after Christmas.
WaterSure is a scheme which helps some people with their water bills. To apply for the 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. If you get help through the WaterSure scheme, your water bill will be capped. This means you will not pay any more than the average metered bill for the area your water company deals with.
READ MORE 16 counties in England face MORE snow this week with ‘five inches’ hitting
In some cases, your normal metered water bill could be less than your company’s WaterSure cap. If this applies to you, you will only be billed for the amount of water you use. You can ask your water company what their cap is if you want to check this before applying.
To qualify for WaterSure you need to be on a water meter or have applied for one and be waiting for it to be installed, or be paying an assessed charge because it’s not possible to fit a meter at your property, be on certain benefits and have a high essential use of water.
The benefits you need to be on depends on your supplier. You should check which benefits they cover. All suppliers offer WaterSure if either you or someone in your household get one of the following benefits: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit awarded at a rate higher than the family element.