Water schemes - WaterSure (England and Wales)

If you live in England or Wales, are on certain benefits, have a water meter and use a lot of water because you either have a medical condition or three or more children aged under 19 for whom you claim Child Benefit, you may be able to get help from the WaterSure scheme.

People who meet the criteria for help under these initiatives can have their water bill capped at the amount of the average household water bill for their water company (in some cases less). For some customers, being accepted for the WaterSure scheme can more than halve the amount that they have to pay.

Who is eligible for WaterSure?

To qualify for help, you have to live in England or Wales and be getting at least one of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit (England, Scotland, Wales) 
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit (other than just the family element) 

In addition, you have to be:

• entitled to receive Child Benefit for three or more children under the age of nineteen who live with you, or
• diagnosed as having, or have someone living with you who has one of the following medical conditions:
  • Desquamation (flaky skin disease)
  • Incontinence
  • Abdominal stoma
  • Eczema, psoriasis or varicose ulceration (weeping skin disease)
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • Renal failure requiring dialysis at home (unless the health authority contributes to the cost of water consumed in the dialysis process)
  • Any other medical condition that requires the use of significant additional water and can be supported with a doctor’s certificate.

You do not qualify for the scheme if you:

• Water your garden with a non-handheld appliance, such as a sprinkler or domestic irrigation system
• Have an auto-fill swimming pool or pond with a capacity of over 10,000 litres.

How do I apply?

You need to contact your local water company or check their website for further information and details of the application process.

If you don’t know the details of your local water company, you can use find your local water supplier tool on Water UK website. 

Once accepted for either scheme, you qualify until your circumstances change and you no longer require help. However, you will have to reapply or confirm that you remain eligible every 12 months. Your water company should remind you to do this.

It is worth contacting your local water company, even if you think you might not be eligible for the WaterSure Scheme, as they may be able to offer you a more flexible payment option or other help.