Universal credit claimants could save money on water bills

As almost 200,000 working families in Yorkshire see their universal credit payments reduce this week, Yorkshire Water is reminding customers that applying for one of its financial help schemes could reduce water bills by more than £500 a year.
Yorkshire Water has four main financial help schemes.Yorkshire Water has four main financial help schemes.
Yorkshire Water has four main financial help schemes.

Yorkshire Water has seen an increase in customers using its financial support schemes over the last 18 months and anticipates further demand as the £20-a-week increase to universal credit, brought in to support those on low incomes during the pandemic, is withdrawn.

Yorkshire Water has four main financial help schemes:

WaterSupport, which helps customers on lower incomes, with income-based benefits, pay water charges

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Community Trust, an independent charity at Yorkshire Water supporting customers who have arrears

WaterSure, which can help low-income households where there are larger families, or customers who need to use additional water for a medical condition

Resolve, which helps those who are struggling with debt to catch up on previous bills

The average saving for a WaterSure customer is £534.00 a year and for WaterSupport it is £211.87.

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Angie Markham-Nock, customer support manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on finances for people across the UK – and we have seen a big uptake in customers signing up to our support schemes as a result.

“Financial hardship can be very stressful, and we’re so pleased to be able to support our customers so that they don’t have to worry about paying their next bill.

“Our team are experts in signposting and explaining the schemes to customers, and we’ve simplified our online application forms to make it even more accessible.”